23 Best Sights in British Virgin Islands

Once a sleepy village, Cane Garden Bay has become one of Tortola's most popular destinations. Stay at a small hotel or guesthouse here, or stop by for lunch, dinner, or drinks at a seaside restaurant, or popular nightspots like Quito's and Myett's. You can find a few small stores selling clothing and basics such as sunscreen, and one of Tortola's most popular beaches is at your feet. Myett's offers hotel rooms almost directly on the beach, while the newer Quito's Inn has smartly appointed rooms. The roads in and out of this area are dauntingly steep, so use caution when driving.

Great Harbour has an authentic Caribbean feel that's not just for tourists. Small bars and restaurants line the sandy strip of beach that serves as the community's main street. While the island's main settlement may not have the unspoiled natural beauty of some popular beaches, it holds a quaint charm. There are a few areas suited to swimming, with calm, shallow water perfect for children; however, the attraction here is more about the beach scene than the actual beach. Ali Baba and SeaCrest Inn have rooms on the bay. Bring your bug spray for sand flies in the early evenings. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: walking; swimming.

The official government residence until 1997, this gracious building now displays a nice collection of artifacts from Tortola's past. The rooms are filled with period furniture, hand-painted china, books signed by Queen Elizabeth II on her 1966 and 1977 visits, and numerous items reflecting Tortola's seafaring legacy.

On the south shore of Jost Van Dyke and the "next bay over" from Great Harbour, this long stretch of picturesque white sand is especially popular with boaters who come ashore for a libation at one of the many beach bars that offer refuge from the sun. Despite the sometimes rowdy bar scene, the beach is large enough to find a quiet spot, particularly late in the day when most of the day-trippers disappear and the beach becomes serene. There are a few small hotels with rooms just behind the beach or a short walk uphill. Swimmers and snorkelers should be cautious of boat traffic in the anchorage. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Along with nearby Little Apple Bay and Capoon's Bay, this is your spot if you want to surf—although the white, sandy beach itself is narrow. Sebastian's, a casual hotel, caters to those in search of the perfect wave. Otherwise, there's nothing else in the way of amenities. Good waves are never a sure thing, but you're more apt to find them in January and February. If you're swimming and the waves are up, take care not to get dashed on the rocks. Amenities: none. Best for: surfing; swimming.

Nobody is really sure how long rum has been made at the Callwood Distillery, but it's been at least 200 years, and one thing is certain: it houses the longest continuously operated copper pot still in the Caribbean. Located on a side street in Cane Garden Bay, the ancient distillery offers tours and tastings of its uniquely flavored rums, made directly from the juice of pressed sugar cane, not molasses or refined sugar. For a true taste of the BVI, it doesn’t get more authentic than Callwood’s barrel-aged spirits.

The vanished indigenous residents of Anegada left their mark on the low-lying island by creating piles of thousands of conch shells that remain visible today. More modern fisherman also have created large piles of pink, sun-bleached conch shells in the shallow emerald waters off the island’s southeast tip, creating an artificial island that can be visited (in combination with snorkeling and a look at Anegada’s resident flamingos, which tend to congregate in nearby waters) on a tour with Kelly’s Land and Sea Tours.

A tall stone shaft silhouetted against the sky, a small stone structure that overlooks the sea, and a deep cistern are part of what was once a copper mine, now in ruins. Established 400 years ago, it was worked first by the Spanish, then by the English until the early 20th century. There's not too much in the way of interpretive signs at the site, but the location is beautiful.

Named for the cow bones that once washed ashore, this stretch of soft white sand on the island's northwest coast has a casual beach bar and restaurant. Cow Wreck Beach Resort is located directly on the beach, and small crowds congregate near the bar, but there's also plenty of room for those looking for solitude. Look for the palm-thatched benches that provide some shade on the beach. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; walking.

You can easily reach these quaintly named islands by boat, which you can rent in either Tortola or Virgin Gorda; they're also a popular destination for dive and snorkeling charter boats. Fallen Jerusalem and the Dogs are part of the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, and their seductive beaches and unparalleled snorkeling display the BVI at their hedonistic best. Fallen Jerusalem has two small beaches for a Robinson Crusoe experience. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; snorkeling.

Theodolph Halburn Faulkner, a native of tiny Anegada, played an outsized role in winning freedom and democracy for the people of the British Virgin Islands, leading a 1949 march of more than 1,500 people to Road Town to demand a constitution and legislative representation. Faulkner’s modest home in The Settlement—the first built of concrete on the island—is preserved as a museum detailing this history and offering a window into life on Anegada as it was in the middle of the previous century.

The most intact historic fort on Tortola (that's not saying much, however) was raised by the Dutch in the early 17th century to safeguard Road Harbour, then rebuilt by the British. It sits on a hill at the western edge of Road Town and is now the site of a small hotel (also named Fort Burt). The foundations and magazine remain, and the structure offers a commanding view of the harbor.

An unrestored but largely intact 17th-century Dutch fort sits amid a profusion of tropical greenery on the grounds of the Fort Recovery Beachfront Villas and Suites. The most interesting thing to see here are the remains of a martello tower, a type of fortification used to make up for the site's lack of elevation; it's rarely found in the Caribbean. There are no guided tours, but you're welcome to stop by and poke around.

A curve of shore on Anegada's northern coast, this bay is home to the best snorkeling on the island. This is a place for solitude, but with a dash of convenience thrown in. Loblolly has a popular beachfront restaurant, Big Bamboo, showers, a gift shop, and snorkel rentals. The cottages at Big Bamboo are steps from the beach. Some palm-thatched shelters on the beach offer shade. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; snorkeling; walking.

This beach is a stunning, mile-long stretch of white sand; have your camera ready to snap the breathtaking approach. The entire beach is open to the public and is often used by people staying in villas in the Long Bay/Belmont area and at the Long Bay Beach Resort. The water isn't as calm here as at Cane Garden or Brewers Bay, but it's still swimmable. Turn left at Zion Hill Road; then travel about half a mile. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

The remains of an 18th-century sugar plantation can be seen here. The windmill structure, the last one standing in the BVI, has been restored, and you can also see the ruins of a factory with boiling houses, storage areas, stables, a hospital, and many dwellings. It's a nice place to picnic and reflect on the island's history.

At the island's north tip, the three beaches on Nail Bay are ideal for snorkeling. Mountain Trunk Bay is perfect for beginners, and Nail Bay and Long Bay beaches have coral caverns just offshore. The Sugarcane Restaurant at the nearby Nail Bay Sports Club serves lunch and dinner. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Egbert Donovan, the “shell man” of Carrot Bay, entertains passing buses full of tourists with tunes on his guitar and welcomes those who tarry longer to visit his museum crammed with thousands of sea shells, gathered over the course of almost 30 years from the nearby waters and shoreline. Donovan’s shell-gathering boat was a victim of Hurricane Irma, so now he spends more time showing off his shells and serving bush tea and turtle soup to visitors.

A powder white-sand beach on Anegada's western shore, Pomato Point has the best sunset views. There is no easily accessible reef, but the water is calm (making it a good choice for children) and the views of Tortola and Jost Van Dyke are beautiful. Sid's Pomato Point Restaurant is on the beach, and nearby Setting Point offers several other restaurant options, along with lodging. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.

Just offshore, the little islet known as Sandy Cay is a gleaming sliver of white sand with marvelous snorkeling and an inland nature trail. Previously part of the private estate of the late philanthropist and conservationist Laurance Rockefeller, the Cay is now a protected area. You can hire any boatman on Jost Van Dyke to take you out; just be sure to agree on a price and a time to be picked up again. Jost Van Dyke Scuba also runs snorkel trips to the island. As this is a national park, visitors are asked to "take only photos and leave only footprints." Nevertheless, it's become an increasingly popular location for weddings, which require approval from the BVI National Parks Trust. Experienced boaters can rent a boat or dinghy to go here, but be aware that winter swells can make beach landings treacherous. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

A beautiful, palm-fringed beach, Smuggler's Cove is down a pothole-filled dirt road. After bouncing your way down (a four-wheel-drive rental is highly recommended), you'll feel as if you've found a hidden piece of the island. You probably won't be alone on weekends, though, when the beach attracts snorkelers and sunbathers. There's a fine view of Jost Van Dyke. The popular Nigel's Boom Boom Beach Bar has grilled food and the requisite Painkillers; the extremely informal Patricia's beach bar is next door. Follow Long Bay Road past Long Bay Beach Club, keeping to the roads nearest the water until you reach the beach. It's about a mile past the resort. Amenities: food and drink, parking. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

On this little island connected by a causeway to Tortola's western end, you can find a marina and a captivating complex of pastel West Indian–style buildings with shady balconies, shuttered windows, and gingerbread trim that house art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, including the popular Pusser's Landing West End and two Omar's restaurants (Omar's Fusion and Omar's Cafe).