The British Virgin island of Tortola is still an oversea territory & its capital Road Town is smarter than most island capitals we've seen. The much trumpeted Cane Garden Bay IS probably a lovely beach, if you could see any of it through the rows of packed sunbeds filled with cruise ship passengers.
Just a few miles further south was Long Bay, a fabulously empty beach fringed with coconut palms & just one little hotel with a nice beachfront restaurant. There were more diving pelicans than people & the soft sand & warm water were a double joy after visiting Cane Garden Bay.
Down at the island's tip was the smart & elegant Soper's Hole marina which could have been transported from one of America's northeast coastal islands - smart open fronted bars, boardwalk with little shops & a host of sailing boats bobbing in it's marina.
Just a few miles further south was Long Bay, a fabulously empty beach fringed with coconut palms & just one little hotel with a nice beachfront restaurant. There were more diving pelicans than people & the soft sand & warm water were a double joy after visiting Cane Garden Bay.
Down at the island's tip was the smart & elegant Soper's Hole marina which could have been transported from one of America's northeast coastal islands - smart open fronted bars, boardwalk with little shops & a host of sailing boats bobbing in it's marina.
Tortola is a very wealthy island, plenty of huge houses & little evidence of poverty. The Callwood Rum distillery is a rare historical treat that still works the way it did in the 1800s & it looks like it.
Rubbish is a big problem on small islands & a group of ecologically minded individuals (GreenVI) recycle glass and make useful objects & gifts from waste.