US and British Virgin Islands: The Complete Guide with the Best Beaches, Sailing, Snorkelling and Shopping (Gold Guides)

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze, and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you. The best guide to the islands, updated every year All about St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Peter Island, Anegada, and more Pointers on planning a dive, sail, or charter-boat vacation Beaches, beaches, beaches, plus tennis, golf, and cycling An insiders guide to duty-free shopping Tropical nights -- from salty dog saloons to elegant terraces Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Beachfront resorts, hillside inns, cottages and campgrounds Best bets for johnnycakes, callaloo, pepper pot soup, rum punch, and candlelight romance Fresh, thorough, practical -- from writers you can trust Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 21 pages of maps -- and dozens of great features Important contacts, smart travel tipsFodor's ChoiceWhat's WhereFestivalsBackground essaysComplete indexExcerpted from Fodor's Caribbean '99

This excerpt, from the Pleasures and Pastimes section, gives you a taste of what The U.S. & British Virgin Islands have to offer and the sights and scenes that make them a great place to visit.


Beaches

With their warm, clear days, unspoiled sandy strands, and beautiful turquoise water, the Virgin Islands are a beach bum's paradise. Even if you're not a connoisseur, a day or two at the beach is central to a complete vacation here.


Your accommodation may border a beach or provide transportation to one nearby, but you have other options. You could spend one day at a lively, touristy beach that has plenty of water-sports facilities and is backed by a bar and another at an isolated cove that offers nothing but seclusion. Of course, these beaches are just jumping-off points to the underwater world.


In the USVI, public access to beach waters is guaranteed but land access to them is not, effectively restricting some areas to resort guests. On St. Thomas, Magens Bay is among the prettiest (but also the liveliest) public beaches, and Hull Bay is the only place to surf. St. Croix's west-end beaches are popular, and the calm waters of Isaac Bay, on the more isolated east end, can give you a stretch all to yourself.


Nowhere in the BVI will you find crowds to match those at the most popular USVI beaches, but Cane Garden Bay on Tortola probably comes the closest. Apple Bay and Josiah's Bay, also on Tortola, are good for surfing, and Long Bay (West) is quieter.


Boating and Sailing

With a sailing fleet of several hundred boats, based mostly on St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda, access to island attractions is remarkably easy -- year-round and from all directions. You can sail independently on a bare-boat charter or aboard a fully crewed boat with an experienced captain and cook. The Virgin Islands can match every sailor's wish list: sunny days in the 70° to 80° range; dependable trade winds of 12 to 20 knots from the east--southeast; varied, exotic scenery; protected anchorages that are free and slip and mooring rentals that are affordable; tides of less than 2 ft and generally predictable currents; short passages between islands; and easy access to on-shore sights.


Not for beginning sailors, bare boating is an excellent way to graduate from a boat of 20-odd feet at home to spending two weeks on a 32-ft cruiser. Many sailors quickly move up to the most popular cruising setup -- a 42-ft boat, with six people sharing the cost, the planning, the work, and the fun. Most sailors select a boat and make reservations at least six months in advance for high-season charters (earlier to guarantee holiday dates). Cruising in style costs about the same as staying in a mid-range resort.


If you're not a salty dog, another option is a crewed charter. Costs run between $1,000 and $2,000 per person a week, with all the food, beverages, water-sports equipment, and port fees included. A tip of 10%--15% is appreciated for the captain and crew. Brokers are extremely important when it comes to selecting a fully crewed vessel. Make sure yours attends the annual Caribbean charter yacht "viewing" shows on Tortola and St. Thomas and has actually been aboard the vessels that he or she represents. The best brokers are on a first-name basis with their captains.


Another interesting way to see the islands is by small rental powerboat. Most companies require you to top off the fuel tanks at the end of the day -- remember, marina fuel is very expensive here. Slower boats are safer and more economical, but generally considered not as much fun.


Historic Sites

Columbus, pirates, European colonizers, and plantation farmers and their slaves are among the people who have left their marks on these islands, all of which are benefiting the tourism industry, a relatively recent development.


In Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Fort Christian (1672), Blackbeard's Castle (1679), the Synagogue of Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim (1833), and the Danish Consulate (1830) are some noteworthy sites that give glimpses into the town's past. St. Croix's countryside is dotted with ruins of plantation great houses and sugar mills. St. John, too, has several plantations in varying degrees of decay.


Die-hard sightseers will find less to keep them busy in the British Virgin Islands. Numbering among historic sites, however, are Tortola's Mt. Healthy National Park, an old plantation site, and Copper Mine Point, the ruins of a 400-year-old mine on Virgin Gorda.


Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

Reefs, wrecks, and rife vegetation make the islands as interesting underwater as above. Convenient anchorages, conditions suitable to different levels of ability, and a plethora of outfitters add to the appeal of diving and snorkeling here.


Physical requirements for diving are general fitness and the ability to swim comfortably. You can accomplish the entire 32- to 40-hour open-water certification course in as few as three days of vacation, but it's hard work. Professionals suggest that you take a two-part approach: Do the classroom study and pool exercises (basic swimming and equipment skills) through a dive school or a YMCA program at home. Then, with a transfer form from your home instructor, certified Virgin Islands dive instructors will lead you through four open-water dives and check your qualifications for a C-card.


Scuba diving always requires advance planning; snorkeling, on the other hand, can be a far more casual affair. There's no heavy, expensive, complicated equipment involved. There's usually no need for a boat, since many of the finest snorkel sites are adjacent to a beach. Because most tropical marine life lives fairly near the water's surface, there's no link between the depth of a dive and your enjoyment. The Silent World is even quieter without the hiss of a two-stage regulator.


Few places on this planet are as convenient to snorkel as the Virgin Islands, and many dive shops rent snorkeling gear and offer some training. The dangers of snorkeling are few and easily avoided.