Tortola, British Virgin Islands

We visited the US Virgin Islands in 2021. Because this was the end of the pandemic, travel to the British Virgin Islands was almost impossible. Now, everything is opening back up and we were able to explore the BVIs for our Spring Break. It is a little difficult to navigate getting between the islands, so I’m hoping this blog series will help with your travel needs if you plan to visit.

We stayed in a VRBO in Apple Bay on Tortola. We flew from South Carolina to St. Thomas. Before traveling, we arranged a taxi (Ali and Sons in St. Thomas) to meet us at the airport and transport us to Red Hook marina where we then took a ferry to West End, Tortola. We also pre-arranged for our rental car company to pick us up from the ferry terminal and take us to their place of business where we would get our rental car for the week. The property manager for our VRBO also met us at the rental car business and showed us the way to our “home” for the week.

A few tips that may be helpful for your transport from your home state to Tortola.

-There are now flights that fly in to Beef Island which is located on Tortola, this might be a better option if it is available with the airline you use.

-If you are taking a ferry from Red Hook to West End Tortola, when you get to the marina, go around the first line you see. That line is for ferries to St. John, ferries to BVIs are around that line and to the left at the end.

-For the ferry service we used, we purchased roundtrip tickets and had to pay an additional fee for luggage, depending on weight.

-Make note of the ferry times before traveling, the last one out is usually around 5PM and they ask that you purchase tickets 45 minutes in advance of ferry departure. I also saw a note that said the ticket booth closes 10 minutes prior to ferry departure.

Once we purchased our ferry tickets in Red Hook, we were able to wait in the marina with a Painkiller and Bushwacker, and then we were on our way to Tortola.

After we checked out our accommodations, we headed to the local grocery store to buy a few items. We traveled over with packs of crackers, peanut butter and jelly, veggie straws, coffee, granola bars, and a few other foods. When we visited St. Thomas, we remembered how expensive the grocery prices were, and how limited the supplies are. We didn’t plan to eat out for every meal so we made sure to pack a few things that we could eat but then also planned to buy others. At the grocery store we bought a few gallons of water and a pack of bottled water. Although the water is technically safe to drink, it is not recommended as it is from collected rainwater and stored in cisterns. It is fine to use for bathing, brushing teeth, and washing dishes, but we used bottled water for everything else. We also bought bacon, eggs, pancake mix, syrup, bread, juice, and of course rum. We were able to use our provisions to last us the entire week. We typically made breakfast at our VRBO, and took PB&J sandwiches and veggie straws for our lunch, and then had snacks with us as well. For dinner, we ate out almost every night. One night we did purchase some burgers that we made on our charcoal grill, along with macaroni and cheese, and mixed vegetables.

Once we made it back to our place, it was getting late and we were starved. We walked down to Sebastian’s. I had the grilled snapper with a lemon butter sauce, it was served with steamed vegetables, and plantains. Bill had the local catch of the day which was wahoo with the same sides. The service was incredibly slow, but that seems to be typical almost everywhere in the BVIs. As Americans, we are used to quick service, this was not quick. The food was good and the staff were friendly and kind but it was not our favorite restaurant during our trip.

The next day we spent the day on Cane Garden Bay. It’s rated as the best beach on Tortola. We were able to take the beach chairs and umbrella that our host provided and we made a day of it. The drive over is winding and steep. I would imagine most rental cars would require four wheel drive, but if yours doesn’t, get one that does. We had a Jimny. It was a bit rainy on the way over and we were afraid we wouldn’t make it over the switchbacks, our tires were spinning over the wet areas. After much prayer, we finally made it up and over and to the beach (whew!). The beach is quite nice. We got there early and were the first ones to set up. We did pass Callwood Distillery on the way in, and tried to visit but they were not open. It was a Sunday, I found out later they are only open Monday-Friday. Supposedly, they have $1 rum tastings. After a little while, the beach bar opened up and we enjoyed some mango daquiris. There was a sweet little island pup that kept wandering around the beach. He had on a collar, so he belonged to someone. He was very friendly and just stopped by for a visit now and then.

For dinner we went to Pusser’s West End in Soper’s Hole. We didn’t expect much, as it appeared to be more of a quick service restaurant. Boy, were we surprised! We did not make reservations so we were seated under the awning near the bar, however there was a beautiful sunset about to take place, so we asked our server if we could sit outside by the water. She agreed without hesitation. We were treated to a gorgeous view for dinner. The food was also very good. We shared the conch chowder. For entrees, I had the grilled mahi sandwich with fries, Bill had coconut mahi with rice and beans and steamed vegetables.

The following night we made 6:00PM reservations for Bananakeet. We were told that the sunset views were to die for. That day the sun set at 6:30PM, and they were right, the sunset was stunning. We had a bushwacker while we waited for our appetizer (conch fritters) and for an entree I had the special, which was grouper with rice and vegetables.

Our last full day in Tortola, we went to Smuggler’s Cove. It was a very low key beach. On the drive over, the road runs out and you drive the rest of the way over bumpy dirt roads, hence why it’s more secluded. Once there, there is Patricia’s or Nigel’s, we had been told to visit Patricia, so we headed around her amenities and down to the perfect spot, right under two palm tree. We spent the day on the beach and made dinner reservations for Tropical Fusion. For an appetizer we had salt fish fritters, for entrees I had mango wahoo with scalloped potatoes, vegetables, and plantains. Bill had the pina colada shrimp with rice and beans, vegetables, and plantains. For dessert, we had the chocolate cake. The meal was delicious. We did sit by the water, and there was a view of the sunset, but it wasn’t as amazing as others we had seen while on Tortola, as it was a bit obstructed.

To travel back home, we had to take a ferry (remember those roundtrip tickets?) from West End to Red Hook. Again you have to pay for your luggage. In order to leave the BVIs, everyone has to pay a departure tax, for non-residents it is $20 per person. You cannot get on the boat without proof of payment. It made a brief stop in St. John where we had to go through US customs. We grabbed our luggage and were on our way to Red Hook. Again, we used Ali and Sons taxi service to take us to the airport. There were very long lines at the airport, and it is very small, which means it gets crowded very quickly. Make sure you arrive early so you have plenty of time to check in and go through security. At the airport, you first check in to get your checked luggage tagged. Then you take your luggage into another line. Once you go through customs and immigration (for us, again) you put your checked luggage on a conveyor belt and you proceed through security. It’s a little different than in the states where the airline takes it away for you. We saw several people take their luggage with them through security only to have to turn around and take it back to be checked and then return to the line for security. After you make it through security, best of luck finding a place to camp out while you wait for your plane. I can almost guarantee you won’t find a spot. There are a few quick service snack bars and one restaurant with exorbitant prices and unfriendly staff. We chose to get some food to go from that spot, but in the future, we might go with one of the snack bars. The food was good, but when i returned to get a fork I was told I wasn’t allowed to take any, so make sure you get what you need when you pay.

We had so much fun visiting some of the other islands in the BVIs, so make sure you check back in as we Goforth and Explore Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, and Anegada!