Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EXPLORING DESERTED “TREASURE ISLAND”
6
Across Drake Channel from Tortola lies
Norman Isle. Although it used to be a
pirate den with treasure ships at anchor
in the 18th century, it is now deserted
except by seabirds and small wild ani-
mals. Legend has it that Norman Isle
was the inspiration for Robert Louis Ste-
venson's Treasure Island, first published
in 1883. You can row a dinghy into the
southernmost cave of the island—with
bats overhead and phosphorescent
patches—where Stevenson's Mr. Fleming
supposedly stowed his precious treasure.
Norman Isle has a series of other caves
that are some of the best-known snor-
keling spots in the B.V.I., teeming with
spectacular fish, small octopuses, squid,
and garden eels, and featuring colorful
coral. Intrepid hikers climb through
scrubland to the island's central ridge,
Spy Glass Hill.
There is talk of making the island
more accessible through regular trans-
port, but nothing definitive has been
decided. In the meantime, a private boat
rental is the only way to reach Norman
Isle. To cut costs, ask three or four other
people to go with you. Contact Moor-
ings Limited, P.O. Box 139, Road Town,
Tortola ( &   888/952-8420 or 284/494-
2331; www.moorings.com). They rent
32- to 46-foot catamarans that range
from $1,090 to $1,400 per day for a
3-day minimum rental. A skipper
onboard is optional for an extra $200 a
day. Or contact Travel Plan Tours (see
above) about their sailing tour.
You can spend the good part of a day exploring a re-creation of a Caribbean
town at Wickham's Cay II, with the West Indian-style buildings with red tin
roofs. For lunch, there are various restaurants serving Caribbean cuisine and
fresh seafood. Most of the activity centers on Village Cay Center ( &   284/494-
2711 ), with slips for boats, ice for sale, a small spa, and various shops catering
to yachties. From this point, sightseers can take day sails aboard the White
Squall II , an 80-foot schooner that docks here. Also at the ferry dock is Crafts
Alive Village, with a collection of small shops selling local crafts for the most
part. There is also a colorful farmers' market every Saturday morning. Islanders
sail in on boats from the neighboring islands to hawk home-grown farm products.
From Road Town, head southwest along the coastal road, passing the capital's many
bars and restaurants. You'll also pass St. Paul's Episcopal Church (established in 1937)
and the Faith Tabernacle Church. Less than 3.2km (2 miles) away on your left is the
sandy peninsula containing:
2 Nanny Cay Marina and Hotel
There's an attractive restaurant here called Pegleg Landing (p. 212) and the
opportunity to view some fine yachts bobbing at anchor.
Along the same road, 4km (2 1 2 miles) southwest of Road Town, you'll get
panoramic views of 8km-wide (5-mile) Sir Francis Drake Channel, which is
loved by yachters throughout the world as the heart of sailing in the Virgin
Islands. It is a beautiful stretch of water filled with some of the most expensive
yachts in the Western Hemisphere. The white triangles of their sails against the
incredible blue sea is one of the great scenic experiences in the Caribbean.
Irregularly shaped islands (most of them uninhabited) appear on the south side
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