British Virgin Islands

When Robert Louis Stevenson wrote “Treasure Island”, he spoke of a place in the BVI.
Three hundred years ago, the 50-plus islands of the British Virgin Islands swarmed with pirates, who took refuge in the protected waters and kept guard from secluded mountain look-outs. Some say there is still buried treasure.
The BVIs are peaceful and harmonious. The people are reserved, the hotels refined, the beaches uncrowded and the sports noncompetitive. Development has been slow, helping to preserve the quintessential character of the islands. No building can rise higher than the palms, a limit of two stories.
 
Capital:            Road Town, Tortola
Currency:         US Dollars

Population:      19,000

Area:                59 square miles (152 square kilometres)

Languages:      English
 
Economy:         Tourism
 
Religion:          Churches for main Christian denominations
 
Government:    Independent state within the British Commonwealth
 
Telephone Codes:   - 1 -   284
 
Airport Departure Tax:                 USD$10.00
 
Passport/Visa requirements: Australian Passport holders do not need visas.
 
Health Certificates:      None required. Contact health authorities for latest information.
 
Shopping Hours:          Shops generally are open 9am-5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Banking Hours:            Monday to Thursday, 9am-3pm, and 9am-5.30pm on Fridays.
 
Time Zone:                   13 hours behind Sydney (EST).No Daylight Saving Time is observed.
 
Electricity:                    110v
 
Weather:                      Rainfall usually comes in quick, afternoon bursts in the temperate BVI, with an annual average of just 50 inches/127 cm. Temperatures usually hover between 75F and 85F, with highs climbing into the 90F range in summer months.
 
Transport:                    The ferry services in the BVI are comprehensive, with about a half-dozen major operators to shuttle passengers among the islands. There are also ferries from St Thomas in the USVI. Motoring around the large islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda is cautiously recommended. Although stunning vistas of BVI bays and coves are around nearly every bend, the ups and downs can be stomach-churning, especially since you'll be driving on the unfamiliar left side of the road. Numerous car rental companies are available on the islands; all require that you be 25 or over and pay US$10 for a BVI driver's license.
 
History:                       Arawaks inhabited the BVIs until the warlike Caribs forced them to flee and kept the islands for themselves until the early 1400s. In 1493, Columbus claimed the archipelago for the Spanish throne. He named it after St. Ursula and her 11,000 maidens who were martyred by the Huns.
The islands became a major staging area for pirates when they discovered the multitude of secluded coves from which to prey upon the Spanish galleons returning to Spain laden with precious cargo. Among them was Sir Francis Drake, namesake of the channel that divides the two main groups of islands.
As early as 1621, the Dutch captured and fortified the islands. The ramparts didn't hold, however, and the British took over in 1672, establishing a sugar industry based on slave labor. A populace of Quakers joined the Brits on Tortola for much of the 18th century. The abolition of slavery in 1834 spelled the end of the plantation economy and the departure of most of the Europeans.
In 1956, the chain became a British Dependent Territory. In 1990, Jost Van Dyke had its first telephone installed.
 
Today, the fine sailing and magnificent anchorages still attract sailors from around the world and most visitors still spend much of their time in or on the sea.
There are relatively few dangerous reefs, with the exception of Anegada – a favourite spot for divers and fishermen – so conditions are ideal even for part-time sailors, with safe waters and a constant breeze to fill your sails. Sparkling sandy bays beneath striking cliffs are favourite stopping-off points for beach picnics.
Scuba diving is popular around sunken reefs and wrecks. Among wreck dives, RMS Rhone is reckoned to be the best in the Western hemisphere. Once the pride of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, the Rhone hit Salt Island in a storm in 1867 and sunk. It is now an official marine park.
Snorkellers should visit the four caves at Norman Island, said to be the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Windsurfers benefit from steady winds and calm water.
On land, there are national parks to be explored, including Little Fort, with the remains of a Spanish castle, and the Coppermine ruin on Virgin Gorda. For naturalists, Anegada's 1,100 acre (4.5 sq km)bird sanctuary is a must, as is Sage Mountain, the last remnant of a rainforest on Tortola.
The BVI has only 19,000 inhabitants and more than 30 of the islets are uninhabited. Most of the population of Tortola live in and around the capital, Road Town. The other principal islands are Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost van Dyke. Virgin Gorda can be reached by both ferry and light aircraft, Anegada by light aircraft and Jost van Dyke by ferry.
Throughout the islands, beaches are splendid and the beach bars exceptional. Gourmet cuisine can be found, along with background music of steel pans and guitars, but don’t expect early-hours entertainment – except at festival times and other special occasions when parades and parties rule the islands.
 
No description of the BVIs is complete without a mention of The Baths on Virgin Gorda, where massive granite boulders are strewn about like confetti. The aquamarine sea pools among the boulders create intimate niches. Visit these monoliths during off times (like right before the sun rises) so that you can appreciate them in privacy.
 
Privacy is what the BVIs are all about--they promote it. You can even rent your own fantasy island. But if you should choose one of the inhabited ones, you'll never be disturbed by late-night partiers; the trade winds lull everyone to sleep by 10.