The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British abroad territory, positioned within the north of the Caribbean Sea to the east of each Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. They’re a part of the Leeward Island chain. The approximate co-ordinates are 18° 20′ N 64° 40′ W. The archipelago of the Virgin Islands archipelago is made up of the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
The British Virgin Islands take pleasure in a sub-tropical local weather, moderated by the commerce winds. Temperatures stay pretty regular 12 months spherical with a every day most of round 29°C in the summertime and 25°C within the winter. The BVI averages about 115 cm of rain per 12 months, though that is increased within the hills and coast is drier. The wettest months are September by way of to December. The British Virgin Islands are in an space that may see hurricanes from June to October and this successfully limits the crusing season to November – Could.
Amongst the various points of interest on the British Virgin Islands are the; quite a few white sandy seashores; the baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkelling on the coral reefs close to Anegada; the well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke Island.
The British Virgin Islands embody the primary islands of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and Virgin Gorda along with over fifty different smaller islands and cays. The smaller islands embody; Beef Island, Cooper Island, Ginger Island, Nice Camanoe, Nice Thatch, Guana Island, Mosquito Island, Necker Island, Norman Island, Peter Island, Salt Island. Just some fifteen of the islands are inhabited. The BVI are principally volcanic in origin and have a rugged, hilly terrain. Anegada is the exception and is a flat island composed of limestone and coral. Tortola is the most important island, roughly twelve miles lengthy and three miles vast. Highway City, on Tortola, is the capital of the islands. The British Virgin Islands have a complete inhabitants of round 22,000 individuals.
The Virgin Islands have been first settled by Arawak Indians from South America round 100 BC and inhabited the islands till the fifteenth century when Carib Indians from the Lesser Antilles Islands displaced them. The primary European sighting of the Virgin Islands was in 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas. He referred to as them Santa Ursula y las As soon as Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins); this was shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins).
Within the early sixteenth century the Spanish Empire acquired the Virgin Islands and developed copper mining on Virgin Gorda. Subsequently the English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Danish all sought management of the Virgin Islands. They turned a infamous pirate hang-out. Throughout the strategy of European colonisation the native Amerindian inhabitants was all however worn out.
In 1648 the Dutch established a everlasting settlement on the island of Tortola. The British captured Tortola from the Dutch in 1672, and the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda adopted in 1680.
The Virgin Islands have been thought-about principally a strategic possession, however have been additionally planted when there have been beneficial financial circumstances. The British launched sugar cane that turned the primary crop and supply of overseas commerce. Slaves have been introduced from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations and the islands prospered till the growth within the sugar beet crop in Europe and the US decreased sugar cane production considerably.
In 1917, the US bought St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, renaming them the US Virgin Islands and the British renamed the islands they managed because the British Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands have been administered both as a part of the Leeward Islands Colony or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an administrator representing the British Authorities on the Islands. Separate colony standing was gained for the British Virgin Islands in 1960 and so they turned autonomous in 1967.
Since this time the BVI have moved away from an agricultural financial system in direction of tourism and monetary companies and have develop into one of many richest areas within the Caribbean. Politically tourism is the extra essential of the 2 using giant numbers of the native inhabitants and most of the companies are regionally owned. Nevertheless, economically, the monetary service sector is by far the extra essential and offers almost 50% of the Authorities’s revenues within the type of licence charges for offshore firms.
The Terrance B. Lettsome Worldwide Airport, also referred to as Beef Island Airport, has common connections to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Saint Thomas, USVI. There are additionally flights from many of the main islands within the Caribbean, Antigua and Saint Martin. It’s positioned on Beef Island, simply off the japanese tip of Tortola. Virgin Gorda and Anegada have smaller airports. The islands are a well-liked vacation spot for cruise ships within the Caribbean and so they use the British Virgin Islands important harbour in Highway City on Tortola. The official forex of the British Virgin Islands is the US greenback. Main bank cards are honoured on the bigger BVI institutions however don’t count on to make use of them at small eating places.
The standard music of the British Virgin Islands known as fungi after the native cornmeal dish with the identical identify, usually made with okra. The particular sound of fungi is because of a singular native fusion between African and European music. The fungi bands, additionally referred to as “scratch bands and use an excellent number of devices. Fingi is a type of festive dance but in addition accommodates humorous social commentaries and is a supply of BVI oral historical past.
The British Virgin Islands are one of many Caribbeans hottest yacht constitution locations and Tortola is home to the world’s largest fleet of constitution yachts. Potential charters can select between Skippered or bareboat constitution. Motor or crusing vessels. Monohulls or catamarans. The quick distances between the islands, usually solely 2 to three hours, make the BVI excellent for the primary time yacht charterer and for households with younger youngsters. There are lots of flights to the BVI making entry straightforward. On the draw back the BVI can develop into crowded at peak intervals; Christmas; Presidents Week and the Easter holidays. The primary two weeks of July are additionally extraordinarily busy as a result of Puerto Rico’s vacation schedule. Constitution Yachts require a Nationwide Park Allow; ask your constitution firm for extra particulars.
Moorings are more and more well-liked all through the British Virgin Islands to forestall anchors dragging on the underside and damaging the essential coral reefs. Though the cynics will let you know it is also about income elevating and at $30 per night time it’s arduous to not sympathise with this viewpoint. In a single day moorings are on 18” white balls. Different mooring buoys will probably be encountered whereas crusing within the BVI and are color coded as follows;
Orange – Non-diving, day use solely.
Yellow – Business dive vessels solely.
Giant Yellow – Business vessels or vessels over 55′ in size
White – Non-commercial vessels, for daytime dive use solely.
Blue – For dinghy use solely
Additionally observe that there’s a 90-minute time restrict on all moorings.
The foremost harbour within the British Virgin Islands is at Highway City, on Tortola. And most charters will begin and finish right here. Village Cay Marina is without doubt one of the full service marinas accessible in Highway Harbour providing gas, water, ice, provisioning, laundry, shower services, magnificence salon and spa. There’s a contemporary water pool and a waterfront restaurant and bar. Different marinas in Highway City Harbour embody Fort Burt Marina and Internal Harbour Marina. There’s additionally one other full service marina in Nanny Cay that provides one other place to begin for yacht charters. The Nanny Cay Marine Centre has facilities together with showers, water, reward store, laundry, ice and gas, provisioning, storage lockers and two eating places. There are additionally a dive store, mechanical repairs, refrigeration, welding and a 24 hour chase boat service. Permit time initially or finish of your yacht constitution to discover Tortola. Driving across the island’s steep and winding mountain roads gives some breathtaking views. A number of the best seashores in all the BVI are positioned at Cane Backyard Bay and Lengthy Bay, on Tortolas’s north shore. Eating places on Tortola are held in excessive regard all through the Caribbean. Buying and nightlife are usually low-key, however a choice of small golf equipment taking part in native music might be present in Highway City and within the seashore bars across the Tortola.
West Finish is proven on the charts as Soper’s Gap, a protected harbour mendacity between Frenchman’s Cay and Tortola. The Soper’s Gap Wharf and Marina gives a full vary of companies positioned in charming vibrant homes. The Pusser’s Touchdown options waterfront eating in two eating places and bars, an outdoor terrace and the corporate retailer 제주도호빠.
Jost Van Dyke Island was named after a Dutch pirate. It has lovely seashores, nice meals and music. Jost Van Dyke is the home to the well-known “Full Moon” events held at Cunning’s and Sidney’s Peace and Love Bar.
Anegada Island is understood for its lovely pink, sugar sand seashore and snorkelling with age-old shipwrecks and coral reefs. Anegada’s Reef Lodge is famend for the native lobster. The eating room and bar are immediately on the seashore. If you happen to go ashore on Anegada carry bug spray with you. You could have been warned!!!
Moorings can be found and anchoring is feasible all alongside the coast of Virgin Gorda. Or you will get a berth on the close by Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, a marina with docking for 110 vessels, the place the ferry arrives for land travellers. Outlets are concentrated across the Yacht Harbour space, particularly on the Courtyard. Virgin Gorda Island is known for The Baths, a day crammed with cave exploration and water holes inside this distinctive rock formation. Dinghies are not allowed on the shore right here and you have to swim from a dinghy mooring to the seashore. The Bitter Finish Yacht Membership is positioned in North Sound and is a superb place choose up a mooring. You’ll be amongst among the lovely yachts within the BVI right here. The small abandoned island of Prickly Pear is a superb lunch and snorkelling spot and is only a dinghy trip from the Bitter Finish Yacht Membership. Spanish City on the southwest facet of Virgin Gorda is a well-liked cease over for procuring and provisioning.
Norman Island or “Treasure Island” because the locals know it’s home to the pirate ship “William Thornton”. Legend suggests this to be the fabled website of Lengthy John Silvers treasure trove. Norman Island lies near the boundary line separating the BVI from the US Virgin Islands. Though uninhabited it’s alive with tourism. The caves listed below are probably the most well-liked vacationer points of interest within the BVI. This can be a well-liked in a single day anchorage and plenty of charterers will take dinner aboard the Willy T, a 100′ metal schooner.