Photos: Victor Block unless otherwise noted
My husband Victor and I are travel writers. Which means when we get to a destination, we explore every aspect, constantly seeking out stories. Until we got to BVI capital Tortola, with a population around 15,000. That didn’t happen. And it was almost like — dare I say the word? — a vacation. But let’s back up a bit.
We are a lot older than our last trip here 30 years ago when my husband had the temerity to actually hazard driving. To put the roads in context, they’re dangerous and sometimes even death-defying. We weren’t trying that again. But to give them their due, as you drive around the harrowing roads (with someone else driving), sometimes the fear subsides sufficiently to ooh and ahh around every turn at yet another spectacular view — clichés abound — and yes, more so on Tortola than other Caribbean islands. It's not unusual to hear someone say, "Don't bother craning your neck — it's just another magnificent view."
Lambert Beach at the Wyndham was a special place to while away hours.
So this time we were greatly limited in our usual practice of exploring every nook and cranny. This time, no crannies. So other options: a guided island tour; a ferry to Jost Van Dyke island; a lobster festival on the island of Anegada. But we still had 10 days left. So we gave ourselves permission to enjoy the beach (above) and pool (below) at the wonderful Wyndham Tortola Lambert Beach Resort up on the northeast coast - the type of indulgence we´d never had time for before.
So, yes, the beach is pristine, the azure sea inviting, the canopy trees enveloping, the chaise unimaginably relaxing. The reggae music in the background is toe-tapping enticing. And I haven't even had my first Painkiller yet — more on that later. I lay cocooned trying to visualize all the other island attractions I've yet to discover. I'm just not sure I want to. Fortunately, I pretty much wasn’t able to.
Later, sitting on my hotel balcony at another rum drink in hand and listening to the madding cacophony of coqui tree frogs singing their nightly repertoire, I couldn't be further away from the ambiance of my usual city life. I was very okay with that.
Although during certain times of year, swimming in the sea is discouraged on Tortola due to unusually powerful undertows, beaches still reign supreme on the island. There are beaches for snorkeling, some for diving, others surfing, secluded spots for quiet reflection, others attract the party crowd. The BVI, comprised of 60 islands and cays - six of them inhabited and most spaced fairly close together - is also the "Sailing Capital of the World," and plenty of sailing charters can be booked to take advantage of that (including a number which can be accessed only by water).
Kevin Oke/Dreamstime.com
One getaway we allowed ourselves was a short ferry ride to Jost Van Dyke, BVI’s smallest inhabited island. White Bay, home of the reknowned Soggy Dollar beach bar (below), lives up to its name. It's said that coming off the boats — the only mode of transportation to the island – people´s money would inevitably get wet on the approach. But the bar — home to the original Painkiller (we're still getting to that) — was willing to accept their soggy dollars....
People come here, of course, for the express purpose of having a good time — and are determined to do so. Painkillers help. These magical drinks — made from Tortola-produced Pusser's Rum (and only Pusser's rum) mixed with coconut cream and fruit juice — were first created at the bar in the 1970s and has since become the signature drink throughout the BVI.
Because of high tides, swimming on Tortola is sometimes discouraged, but the water on Jost Van Dyke (below) is calm and inviting. I was so afraid I was going to go home and have to admit I had spent two weeks in Tortola without going into the sea. Thank you, Jost Van Dyke!
Kevin Oke/Dreamstime.com
Rejuvenated by a swim, we headed out to the second most famous bar on the island — Foxy's (below), named after colorful owner Foxy Callwood, who´s such a character he was even made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. It´s part of a whole even-more commercial open-air market. It makes Soggy Dollar look like a laid-back neighborhood hangout. A large mural dominates the bar area and there's always a party vibe.
Foxy´s Jost Van Dyke
Back on Tortola, we took a taxi 20 minutes down to Road Town, whose "downtown" offers your typical cruise ship fare so the less said the better. Not a dig at Tortola per se — it´s just true of every Caribbean island in this day and age. But right in town, the J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens (below) is a hidden oasis that justifies a trip to town, a nearly-three-acre labyrinth of interlocking paths engulfed in greenery — admittedly a tad redundant since the entire island already blankets you in greenery.
Small, large, low, high and enormous, with leaves the size of surfboards that make you stop and stare. Plants are light, dark, thin, thick, mottled, marbled — a mini-rainforest in the middle of a good-size town.
An another thing about Road Town: the roosters — they're everywhere, either strutting about in their feathered finery or sparking a cringe-worthy pillow on the head during their very early morning greetings — repeated multiple time throughout the day. There’s no stopping them.
Then after several hours bopping around town we returned to our pool and our beachfront. We managed to adjust very well to our new reality. We’ve never had time to read books on a working trip before. We could get used to this…
More information: BVITourism.com.
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