Norman Island
The Caves, The Indians, and a floating beach bar — a classic day-sail from Road Town.
Cays, wrecks & private worlds
Other islands
Dozens more, some barely named
The BVI is not four islands. Norman Island, rumoured inspiration for Treasure Island, hides sea caves you can swim into. Cooper Island Beach Club is a solar-powered inn with a house reef. Salt Island holds the graves of the RMS Rhone, lost in the 1867 hurricane and now one of the Caribbean’s great wreck dives. Peter Island is a private-resort island with Deadman’s Bay. Necker Island is Richard Branson’s. In between: Ginger, Guana, Scrub, Eustatia, and uninhabited cays you will only see from a boat. The whole chain is a national park system as much as a destination.
Highlights
Cooper Island
A low-key eco inn, a perfect lunch stop, and snorkelling off the dock.
RMS Rhone
A royal mail steamer in 20–80 feet of water off Salt Island. Clear, historic, unforgettable.
Sandy Spit
A thumbnail of sand and palms between Jost Van Dyke and Tortola. The postcard is not exaggerated.
Beaches
All beachesIconic
Sandy Spit
A tiny uninhabited sandbar with a handful of palms. Boat access only.
Quiet
Deadman’s Bay
Peter Island’s signature beach: a long palm-lined crescent facing the channel.
Where to stay
Other islands · All-inclusive
Peter Island Resort
$$$$A whole island, Deadman’s Bay, and the feeling that the rest of the BVI is a day-sail away.
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Other islands · Luxury resort
Scrub Island Resort
$$$A marina resort just off Tortola’s east end. Spa, hillside suites, and easy hops to Trellis Bay.
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Featured partnerOther islands · Boutique hotel
Cooper Island Beach Club
$$$Solar-powered rooms on a reef. Famous kitchen, house-made rum, snorkelling off the dock.
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Other islands · Luxury resort
Guana Island
$$$$A wildlife sanctuary with a small inn. Seven beaches, hiking trails, and almost no cars.
Check ratesThings to do
Snorkelling
The Indians, The Caves, Monkey Point, Anegada’s reef. Water clarity here is the point of the climate.
Dive the RMS Rhone
A royal mail steamer lost in 1867, now a national park in 20–80 feet off Salt Island.
Getting there
Almost everything here is reached by yacht, day charter, or water taxi. Cooper and Peter have scheduled or resort boats; Necker is by invitation or stay.
Full travel info
