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The heart of the island’s commerce and tourism industry, harborfront Road Town buzzes with cruise ship tourists and office workers crowding its streets for lunch or to shop. Its narrow Main Street is lined with small old wooden and stone buildings. Road Town spills out to the east with Wickhams Cay I, home to a couple of hotels, and numerous shops, restaurants, and offices, just a short walk from Main Street. Charter yachts pick up or drop off passengers here and at Wickhams Cay II, a mile (1.6 km) away along Waterfront Drive.

Now hidden behind a hotel façade, Fort Burt was built in the 17th century by the Dutch to protect Road Town. In 1776, the English rebuilt the fort and named it after William Burt, who then served as governor for the chain of Caribbean Islands known as the Leeward. In 1953, the fort was turned into a hotel. It’s worth wandering in to see the thick walls and ramparts, stopping for a drink at the hotel bar. Parking is difficult – it’s easiest to leave your car at the bottom of the hill and walk up.

While all things nautical are the focus at Nanny Cay and its marina, it also makes a pleasant stop for folks taking in the sights. It has a few restaurants and interesting shops. Wander the adjacent boat yard to watch boat owners and crews at work maintaining their spiffy yachts. To try out the lifestyle, book a charter at the hotel or rent a power boat for a day on the blue Caribbean waters.

This area gets busy when the ferries from St. Thomas, St. John, and Jost Van Dyke arrive. If you’re arriving from outside the BVI, you’ll clear BVI Customs and Immigration here. The area around the ferry dock has a couple of basic restaurants and convenience stores. Soper’s Hole marina with restaurants and shops sits within walking distance across the harbor. There are small hotels near the ferry dock and the marina.

Put your Jeep in four-wheel drive for a ride down a rutted dirt road to this gorgeous beach. Just keep going past Long Bay Beach Resort (seeLong Bay Beach Resort, Tortola) on the North Coast Road. Taxi drivers will drop you off with a promise to pick you up at the appointed hour. While it’s a bit of an adventure getting there, the pristine beach and great snorkeling await you. Bring a picnic lunch.

The waves sometimes roll at Apple Bay, particularly during the winter season, making this one of the better surfing spots in the Virgin Islands. When it’s calm, the water is fine for swimming. Nearly a mile (1.6 km) in length with white sand as well as some rocks, Apple Bay Beach never gets crowded, so pull over and pick your spot. There are a couple of small but distinctive lodging and restaurant options located at either end of the beach, with the absolutely outrageous Bomba Shack bar (seeBomba Shack, Tortola) near the western end.

The North Coast Road runs right through Cane Garden Bay, a small community that’s home to a handful of guesthouses, and a few casual West Indian restaurants that can really get hopping when music plays. Make a stop at the venerable Callwood Rum Distillery (seeCallwood Rum Distillery, Tortola), where the Callwood family has brewed rum for decades. Boaters like to anchor offshore for a stretch on the long sandy beach and, of course, to enjoy the restaurants and nightlife together with hotel guests.

Make sure your brakes work before you drive way downhill to Brewers Bay. Both Brewers Bay East and Brewers Bay West Roads, leading to the bay, are super steep. The beach itself is a long stretch of sand with calm water that sees few people other than those visiting Brewers Bay Campground. This collection of tents and shelters nestles at the water’s edge. The campground’s small restaurant serves modest meals; but it’s best to bring lunch and snacks because the eatery keeps irregular hours. Excellent swimming and snorkeling are enough reasons to make the trip.

Sometimes called Elizabeth Beach, this is a fine strand of palm- and seagrape-fringed sand where you may see a nesting leatherback turtle crawl up during the spring and early summer months. Take Ridge Road to Lambert Road, then turn left at the sign for Lambert Estates through an area of scattered upscale homes and a small resort. Stop for lunch at the alfresco Turtle Restaurant, located at Lambert Beach Resort.

This small island is home to the BVI’s largest airport, officially called Terrance B. Lett-some International Airport (seeTerrence B. Lettsome International Airport, Beef Island,Tortola) after a former member of the BVI Legislative Council. Pay your 50-cent toll to cross the Beef Island Bridge by putting the money in a cup extended by the toll collector. Beef Island’s long, lovely beach draws numerous swimmers and shellers. Its Trellis Bay is also the jumping off point for ferry trips to smaller islands, and has a small collection of shops and restaurants.