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It takes good eyes to spot this crustacean poking its antennae out of its hidey hole on the reef.

Stretching skyward, stately mahogany trees grow mostly in parks. Craftspeople use its wood to make furniture.

Watch out for this tree found near beaches. It bears poisonous red fruits and the sap is extremely toxic.

The USVI and BVI sit in the flyway for migrating birds heading south for the winter from the US mainland. So many arrive that the Audubon Society and private groups conduct annual Christmas bird counts on several islands.

Originally imported to control rats, mongooses are now well settled in the islands. You’ll see these long, brown, and furry animals scurrying across the road or poking around garbage cans. Mongoose Junction Shopping Center in St. John is so named because the creatures gathered at garbage cans located nearby.

When night falls during the summer months, the waxy white flowers of this cactus-like plant give off an exquisite sweet aroma. The large, showy flowers are simply lovely to watch as they open at dusk. After they close the next morning, the flowers develop into tasty fruits.

Rural Tortola reveals itself as you make your way from Long Bay to Long Look along this road. Goats and cows wander at will as you pass villages such as Carrot Bay and Cane Garden Bay, historic ruins, and breathtaking sea views. Beachfront restaurants along the route make nice stops for lunch or drinks.

Windswept vistas greet drivers who make this out-of-the-way drive from Salt River to Davis Beach. Turn north off Route 75 onto Route 80, which runs along Salt River Bay and the North Shore. On clear days, you can see St. John to the north. The road twists and turns past old sugar mills and sprawling estates such as Rust Up Twist and La Vallee.

If you only do one thing on St. John, make it this drive from the outskirts of Cruz Bay to Annaberg along the North Shore Road (Route 20). Stunning vistas of white beaches and turquoise seas unfold at Caneel Bay, Trunk Bay, and Maho Bay overlooks. A part of the BVI chain of islands is visible to the north

Take this route along Virgin Gorda’s spine from Savannah Bay to North Sound for spectacular ocean and beach views. You can make a stop along the way for a swim or walk where you might just be the only visitor. There are no services until you reach North Sound.