An Archipelago Made for Island-Hopping
The Virgin Islands are an archipelago in the north-eastern Caribbean, lying east of Puerto Rico and known for sheltered sailing waters, white beaches and a patchwork of territories. Politically they divide into the British Virgin Islands, the United States Virgin Islands and the Spanish Virgin Islands, which belong to Puerto Rico. Together they include more than a hundred islands and cays, from busy St Thomas and Tortola to uninhabited reef-ringed islets. Christopher Columbus named them on his second voyage in 1493, and the name has stayed ever since.
That mix gives the region unusual variety. Danish colonial towns on St Croix and St Thomas, English-language sailing culture on Tortola and Virgin Gorda, and quiet Spanish-speaking beaches on Culebra and Vieques all sit within a day's sail. Calm waters between islands make short hops simple, and the trade winds are steady. Travellers drawn to one corner often add another: the British Virgin Islands for charter sailing, the US Virgin Islands for national park walks, and Puerto Rico for city and rainforest.
Beaches, Reefs and Sailing Anchorages
The archipelago's greatest asset is its coastline. St John's Trunk Bay and Virgin Gorda's granite Baths are famous, while Jost Van Dyke's White Bay and Anegada's long barrier reef reward those who go further. On the Spanish side, Flamenco Beach on Culebra is often cited among the best curves of sand in the Caribbean, and Vieques adds bioluminescent bays, a natural wonder of glowing water. Snorkellers find coral gardens at almost every stop, and divers have wrecks, walls and turtle-filled sites to explore.
Sailing is the unifying thread. Bareboat and crewed charters thread through Sir Francis Drake Channel and the sounds around St Thomas and St John, and the distances between anchorages are short enough for an afternoon's sail. Ashore, restaurants serve fresh fish, lobster, roti and island-style sides in relaxed beachfront settings. A tourist board for any of the three territories can use the shared geography to tell a bigger, more inviting story, with each island offering a different reason to land.
Read the full The Virgin Islands guide on Visit Travel Group, or see TheVirginIslands.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.