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Road Harbour
PORT OF ENTRY—Road Harbour, the main town and harbor on the south side of Tortola, is the only port of entry in the British Virgin Islands for all vessels. Soper's Hole, at the west end, is a limited port of entry. The harbor is exposed southeast, but the other sides are surrounded by high hills with their spurs reaching the shores. Road Town, on the west shore of Road Harbour, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands.
The approach to Road Harbour with the Government Building and Cruise Ship dock ahead.
Dining in Road Town
Shopping in Road Town
Road Town has the most extensive shopping in the British Virgin Islands, but it is still limited. For those used to the fully stocked aisles of the major big box stores in the U.S. or Europe, Road Town does not offer the same selection. Looking to purchase beach toys and sand pails? The selection is limited at best. The selection is small for electronics and cameras, so bring them with you. Or, visit Charlotte Amalie before your trip, where the latest electronics and camera equipment are available in many shops on Main St. or at Havensight. However, for less esoteric items, the best places to shop are the stores around Wickham’s Cay. Check out Bolo’s department store, located next to Bobbies Market. Most marine-related stores are on Wickham’s Cay II. Any taxi driver can help you find the best places for what you need. —MB
There are a number of very good restaurants in the Road Town area easily reached by cab or within walking distance from your moorage. Cab service is ubiquitous and increases your dining options. Consider Skyworld with its dramatic view of the islands or Brandywine Bay Restaurant for its casual ambience but elegant menu.
The British Virgin Islands restaurants are all pretty good. There is a local restaurant cooking school and the business community knows the charter guests often have a choice—they could cook on board! The choices run from French Cuisine and Bistro cooking (Brandywine Bay and Capriccio Di Mare) to Italian food (Spaghetti Junction). There is also pub food on the water (The Pub in Fort Burt) to more high end dining with a great view of Sir Francis Drake Channel (The Watermark at Frenchmans Cay). You have a good choice of restaurants within walking distance of all of the charter bases or a short cab ride away. One option is to use your dinghy instead of a cab to reach eateries in Village Cay, Fort Burt, the Moorings Marina or the main Road Town commercial area. The waterfront areas have plenty of dinghy moorings around the harbor. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight as you may be returning after dark.
J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens
While in Road Town, visit the J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens. It is located on the grounds of the ruins of the old Agricultural Station. There are a variety of palms, orchids and herbs, representative of the flora and fauna of the BVI. In addition there are turtles and parrots roaming through the gardens. The gardens are open from dawn to dusk with a nominal charge for admission.
Village Cay Marina
Located where the past of the West Indies meets the present of the BVI, Village Cay Marina offers superb services that cater to the most discerning guests, while retaining a casual Caribbean ambiance. 106 slips for yachts up to 190' with 11' draft; fuel dock; water, telephone, DSL, cable; up to 308 volts, 3-phase power; 22-room luxury hotel; dockside restaurant & bar; New York-style deli; provisioning; swimming pool; 24-hour security surveillance; Oasis Salon & Spa.
VHF 16
1.888.IGY.MARINAS • 284.494.2771
Fax: 284.494.2773
www.igy-villagecay.com
(forwarded from Contact Us)
Hi Mark, I was just down in the BVIs last month for the first time in my life. What a magical place! I can't wait to go back. Friends of ours who are not sailors chartered a 50 ft Beneteau and I got to be captain for a week with our 2 families onboard. They chartered through Conch Charters in Road Town. When we got onboard there were several different resources of information for helping us make our way around to explore the BVIs, plus ones we'd brought ourselves. I found Cruising the Virgin Islands- 2nd edition- by you and Joe the best resource by far! I loved the detailed information and it's user friendly quality. The maps of the mooring fields were particularly useful for us. Anyway, I am already saving my pennies to go again. In the meantime, I was thinking of buying a copy of this guide for myself. Who knows how many more years it will be until I return but I thought it would be fun to pour over it every now and then. The only thing is that I was wondering if there is a 3rd edition in the works? If so, I may choose to wait and purchase that upon it's release. Cheers from Yarmouth, Maine where we have 3 ft of snow on the ground! Tammy
Tammy,
(forwarded from Contact Us)
Hello.
We (8 guys from germany) are going to have a sailing trip in the BVI.
We already chartered a 44 feet Salina Catamaran in Tortola. We will have our trip from 04.March - 18. march 2011.
We planned to spent the first week into the BVI to get familiar with weather, waves and painkiller ;-).
The end of our trip will be in St.Maarten , where we will leave the boat and flying back home again.
Do you have any tips and information for us,which location in the BVI would be the best to do that long trip to St.Maarten ? I guess it would be Virgin Gorda, but which bay would be the best? And are there any other things to keep in mind for that trip ?
Thanks for a answer :-)
Greets
Michael
Michael