Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tortola
POP 19,600
Includes »
Why Go?
Among Tortola's sharp peaks and bougainvillea-clad hillsides, you'll find a mash-up of play
places. Guesthouses and mountain villas mingle with beachside resorts.
Bon Appétit
cooks
make island dishes next to elderly Mrs Scatliffe, who prepares them from her garden. You
even get your choice of full moon parties - artsy with Aragorn or mushroom-tea-fueled with
Bomba.
About 80% of the BVI's 25,000 citizens live and work on Tortola, so it's not surprising
there's a lot of choice here. It's also the territory's governmental and commercial center, plus
its air and ferry hub. And for all the sailors out there: Tortola is the Caribbean's charter boat
capital.
Beyond busy Road Town, Cane Garden Bay's turquoise water and music-fueled nightlife
beckons. Surfers will find plenty of groovy beaches and to top it all off, Tortola's funky West
Indian settlements add local character to the scene.
When to Go
Mid-December through April is the prime weather high season, when visitors from northern
climes descend and set sail in charter boats. Big bashes take place in spring and summer,
including the BVI Spring Regatta (early April), BVI Music Festival (late May), HiHo wind-
surfing races (late June) and the year's biggest bash: the Emancipation Festival (late July to
early August). Tortola also gets busy each month during the full moon when the parties at
Bomba's and Aragorn's fire up the night.
