Tortola: a call in the British Virgin Islands is your ticket to fun in the sun - Port of the Month

Cruise Travel, March-April, 2003 by Max Hunn, Bea Hunn

When your cruise ship docks at Road Town on Tortola, largest of the British Virgin Islands, you may wonder why this port is a regular call for more than a dozen cruise lines. What does this island with such ragged terrain rising abruptly from the sea have to offer? The answer can be summed up in three words: sun, sand, surf.

The irregular shoreline, dotted with secluded coves lined with beautiful white-sand beaches, once was favored by pirates as hiding places. The islands were roamed by such buccaneers as Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, Jost Van Dyke, and Bluebeard until the later days of the 18th century. Today, the coves appeal to sun-worshippers seeking laidback watersport vacations.

To understand Tortola and the Virgin Islands, a chain about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico, a bit of history is useful. Columbus encountered the chain--which now comprise both the U.S. and British Virgins, in 1493. He found no gold, as usual, and he named them Virgin Islands in honor of St. Ursula and 11,000 virgins martyred in the fourth century.

With no gold to exploit, the islands were forgotten until 1595 when English admiral Sir Francis Drake, fleeing after raiding a Spanish treasure fleet, sailed up the channel now bearing his name. For the next three-quarters of a century, the Dutch, Spanish, and British brawled over the tiny islands until in 1672 Tortola was annexed by the British.

The English developed a sugar plantation system that thrived until the abolition of slavery, when the system collapsed. The islands dozed, a forgotten part of the British Empire, until the 1960s, when a new constitution enabled greater local government, although still with a governor appointed by the Queen, but with far less power.

In the 1960s, there was talk of England selling the British Virgins to the United States, which had purchased several Virgin Islands from Demark in 1917. The idea failed, but with an odd twist: the island currency became the U.S. dollar instead of the British pound. Carefully examine any bills you get with local purchases. Yes, they're marked in dollars, but whether or not you could pass them anywhere else is questionable, as they might be regarded as foreign currency subject to an exchange rate, probably only available at a bank. Make certain you get regular U.S. currency in change. (If you're an ardent souvenir collector, be sure to buy some BVI stamps: They are the only stamps in the British Commonwealth marked in U.S. currency; don't try to use them in the United States, of course.)

Most cruise ships call at Tortola, though a few visit neighboring Virgin Gorda, about a half-hour ferry ride away. Both Tortola (turtle dove in Spanish), the largest British Virgin, and Virgin Gorda (fat virgin), third in size, are small islands--each is actually a mountaintop of an ancient volcano jutting from the sea. Tortola and Virgin Gorda both have rugged mountain backbones. Tortola's highest peak, Mount Sage, rises 1,716 feet from the sea, while Virgin Gorda's is 1,370 feet. The result is a continuous series of spectacular view on both islands as you crisscross the mountains to reach the opposite shore. One site on Tortola, named Sky World, affords a 360-degree view of the entire chain of islands.

Coastal highways on both islands twist and turn like startled snakes, making careful driving mandatory. For example, Tortola is approximately 10 miles long by three wide. The road curves so much it takes 45 minutes to drive from one end of the island to the other with no stops en route. Overall, Tortola is approximately 10 square miles, and Virgin Gorda only eight.

In Road Town--BVI capital, commercial center, and only city--you see scant traces of the island's British heritage. To date, thankfully, there are no U.S. fast-food joints. Those interested in exploring Road Town can easily stroll around it in an hour or so, wandering Main Street and the waterfront. On Main Street are picturesque older BVI buildings, clapboard wooden structures (often brightly painted) with shingle tiles, sometimes tin roofs. Most of the buildings contain shops.

Unlike the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands--St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John--Tortola and Virgin Gorda are not duty-free ports. However, they can still be bargain centers as there are no duties in British imports, and often many English items are good buys compared to prices in the U.S. You can find bargains in some English china, fabrics, and fabric designs. You may also want to buy some native spices or rum--Tortola has two spice factories and one distillery.

Naturally, you want to see more of the island than just Road Town. A variety of shore excursions are offered by various ships, ranging from half-day (2 1/2 to 4 hours) to all-day (including lunch at a locally famous restaurant). Here are thumbnail sketches of some available tours:

* Tortola Highlights: You board open-air safari buses in Road Town for a scenic drive up Fort Hill and along Ridge Road. You pass Long Trench and Fahie Hill before reaching Sky World. You pause here to study the magnificent 360-degree views from the Observation Deck (there's a souvenir shop, naturally), Then you continue along Ridge Road, and finally descend to the famous Cane Garden Beach to swim and relax in the crystal-clear water lapping the white sands. There's a bar and restaurant, changing facilities, and showers.