DK Travel : Virgin Islands : Virgin Gorda & the Outer Islands

Thickly forested Virgin Gorda punctuates the string of volcanic islands that make up the USVI and BVI. Named the “Fat Virgin” by Christopher Columbus, the 8.5-sq mile (22-sq km) island with 3,000 inhabitants is the most populous of the 60 or so outer islands. Anegada sits 15 miles (24 km) to its east, a flat atoll fringed by a spectacular reef and home to only 173 hearty souls. Jost Van Dyke, to the west of Tortola, has 200 folks on its 3 sq miles (8 sq km). Many other islands are occupied by exclusive hotels and private homes. The rest are unpopulated, waiting for sailors to drop anchor at their harbors. Except for Virgin Gorda, access is difficult. But if you want some peace on a truly tropical idyll, it’s well worth the effort.

For more on the BVI outer islands (seeSailing in the British Virgin Islands) The Wreck of the Rhone was used to film the 1976 movie, The Deep, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte

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Hiking

For great views from the top of Virgin Gorda’s Gorda Peak, take the 15-minute hike off North Sound Road. Many outer islands have trails leading to their peaks.
Jost Van Dyke

Home to a handful of hoppin’ bars, some guesthouses, and a few small stores sitting along its sandy lanes, Great Harbour is the island’s main settlement. If you’re sailing and haven’t cleared Immigration in Tortola, visit the BVI Customs and Immigration office on the waterfront. If you want a change of scene, take a stroll west to White Bay, the next bay over and home to Sandcastle hotel and restaurant (seeSandcastle, Jost Van Dyke). Head off to the east to Little Harbour, which offers more bars and restaurants.
Kayaking

Most hotels in Virgin Gorda and the outer islands provide free kayaks. If not, rent one at Virgin Gorda’s Leverick Bay Water-sports (seeBoating, Virgin Gorda).
Learn to Sail, Virgin Gorda

The Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda has a 3-day program that gets you ready to handle bare boats.
Marina Cay

This island served as the setting forTwo on the Isle , a 1960s movie starring Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes, which was based on a 1930s book by Robb White. The 8-acre Marina Cay is now home to a Pusser’s Hotel and Restaurant (seePusser’s, Marina Cay). Take the complimentary ferry from Trellis Bay, Tortola, and spend a day visiting the bar and the beaches, snorkeling, or taking a stroll around the island. The home White built has been restored as a reading room and book exchange.
Norman Island

A mostly unpopulated island, Norman Island was reputedly the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson’s bookTreasure Island . The island’s main harbor, the Bight, draws sailors to its Pirates Bight, a bar and restaurant located on the beach, and the floating William Thornton bar and restaurant. Around the Bight sits a series of caves that make for great snorkeling. The anchorage can get busy with dinghies going to and fro, so be careful while in the water.
North Sound, Virgin Gorda

A handful of small resorts fringe North Sound’s shoreline. Most are reached only by complimentary boat service from Gun Creek or in the case of Biras Creek Resort, from Beef Island (seeBeef Island). The majority welcome day visitors to their restaurants and shops. Protected North Sound serves as one of the BVI’s hottest sailing destinations. Sailors on week-long charters out of Tortola and the USVI drop anchor here and head for the easy camaraderie of the bars.
Salt Island

Islanders still harvest salt from the three natural ponds that dot this tiny cay. You’re welcome to come ashore to inspect the salt ponds, stroll the beach, and enjoy the solitude. A popular dive site, the Wreck of the Rhone National Park sits just offshore. TheRhone, a 310-ft (94-m) royal mail ship, split in two when it hit Salt Island during an 1867 hurricane. The captain and most of the crew perished.
Sandy Cay

An unpopulated speck off Jost Van Dyke perfect for those who love solitude, Sandy Cay is ringed with a desert-island style beach. With no protected harbor, it is best used during the winter season as a day sailboat anchorage or stopping spot for power boats. When calmer summer weather arrives, it makes a fine overnight halt. Swim in limpid water, sun on the gorgeous white beach, and stroll through the greenery that covers the interior of the island.
Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda

Breathtaking is the best word to use when describing this lengthy stretch of luscious white sand. The hillside overlook, just as you start down toward the beach entrance, provides terrific photo opportunities for shutterbugs. Pack a picnic lunch and bring plenty of water and sunscreen, as there are no facilities. While it’s easy to reach and just a short drive from Spanish Town, the beach sees few visitors.