Tortola, BVI

Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Islands and also its capital. On Tortola's south shore, among the mountain peaks, is Road Town. Road Town is no longer a quiet village as it is now the site of a large marina that caters to the yacht chartering business. The north shore of Tortola is home to many bays, beaches, and stretches of palm trees. Tortola is not just a hub for the British Virgin Islands seats of government and international charter groups; there are also many events and activities for visitors to explore.

Nautical Events

Tortola's event calendar is quite extensive for an otherwise small community. Several events are listed here, and you will most likely note an emphasis on boat racing. The Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club, a local non-profit, sponsors most of these races. Though the Royal British Islands Yacht Club makes teaching sailing to children a priority, the events listed below are mainly for adults.

• Virgin's Cup. Race the Francis Drake Channel with a requisite female at the helm! Finish at Norman Island.
• Full Moon Party.
• Horse Racing at Ellis Thomas Downs Race Track.
• Trafalgar Regatta. Celebrate Trafalgar Day in one of many races. Big party Saturday night.
• Round Tortola Race. Sail around Tortola counter-clockwise. Party at Nanny Cay.
• British Virgin Islands Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival. Join this weeklong event with an international set of racers. 150 boats compete on three courses. Now includes both yacht club teams and intercollegiate sailing teams.

Island Activities

Tortola presents a seemingly endless amount of activities when you consider all the shopping, water sport, and dining options. On the other hand, the history, culture, and lifestyle of the people bring in a whole new set of activities worthy of mention. Whether your interests coincide more with quiet museum-going or with outdoor nature appreciation, Tortola has you covered. This short list mentions a few choices available at time of writing:

• Professionally guided eco tours.
• Callwood Rum Distillery. Come see them use the original boiler!
• Fort Burt. Rebuilt by the British in 1776. Provides great views of Road Harbor.
• Her Majesty's Prison. Oldest building in Road Town.
• JR O'Neal Botanic Gardens. Four acres of indigenous and exotic plants in the center of Road Town.
• Windward Passage Hotel. Near duty free shops!
• Mt. Healthy National Park. Home of an 18th Century windmill.
• Sage Mountain National Park. Tortola's highest point.
• Virgin Islands Maritime Museum and Virgin Islands Folk Museum.
• "Vigilant" 25' wooden sloop, one of only three original remaining in the British Virgin Islands.

Visit the local Tortola home page

Visit the BVI page about Tortola.

Yacht charter from Tortola
The island of Tortola is a common place to start a luxury yacht charter in the Virgin Islands.

Neighboring islands in the Caribbean
The islands of the British Virgin islands and US Virgin Islands comprise the main area of what is commonly referred to as "the Virgin islands"

With over 1400 charter yachts in our charter yacht database online, and many more unlisted yachts accessible to us. We are the ultimate in choice and personal attention in the yacht charter industry, the ONLY yacht charter company you need to contact to explore these islands the best way possible - by water!

Contact us to learn more about these islands and yacht charter in general.

 

Not sure what you can do on land on different islands? we can help! Click one of the following links to read more; Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John.