The BVI are primarily a sailing and snorkelling destination rather than a sightseeing one — the landscape is the attraction, and most of what is worth seeing is above and below the waterline. The handful of genuinely unmissable cultural and natural sights are spread across the islands, all reachable in a day's circuit from any anchorage in Sir Francis Drake Channel.
The Baths, Virgin Gorda
A National Park at the southern tip of Virgin Gorda: enormous granite boulders — some the size of houses — piled along the shoreline and into the sea, forming sea caves, grottos, and pools of clear water. The Baths are unique in the Caribbean and worth the standard BVI charter circuit that includes them. The trail through the boulders from the main beach to Devil's Bay takes about 30 minutes and involves some scrambling and swimming through pools — it is one of the most unusual coastal walks in the Atlantic.
Mooring buoys are available off the main Baths beach; anchoring is not permitted. Arrive early — by 0900 in high season — before the day trip boats from the marina arrive. The path through the boulders is narrow and the experience is significantly better without 200 other people in it.
Copper Mine Point, Virgin Gorda
The ruins of a 19th-century copper mine on a windswept headland on the eastern shore of Virgin Gorda — the only copper mine ever operated in the British West Indies. The stack, boiler house, and cisterns are largely intact and managed as a national park. Entry is free. The walk from the Baths to Copper Mine Point along the southern peninsula takes about an hour and gives views of both the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of the island. The ruined engine house on the cliff edge is one of the more atmospheric spots in the BVI.
Callwood Rum Distillery, Tortola
The oldest functioning rum distillery in the Caribbean — still operating with equipment and processes largely unchanged since the 18th century. The copper pot still, the fermentation tanks, and the ageing barrels are all in the same stone buildings that have been on this site for over 200 years. Informal tours run when the family is in — the distillery is a working operation, not a tourist attraction, which gives it a character that the more commercial rum operations lack. The rum is excellent. Located in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola — mooring buoys available off the beach.
Sage Mountain National Park, Tortola
The highest point in the BVI (523m) and the location of a small patch of original cloud forest — the largest surviving area of indigenous forest in the Lesser Antilles. The trail system runs through mahogany, elephant ear, and tree fern, with views over both the North and South Sounds in clear conditions. The park is cool and shaded even in the middle of the day. Access by hire car or taxi from Road Town; no direct dinghy access.
Norman Island — The Caves and Treasure Point
Norman Island is believed to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island — allegedly the site of a buried Spanish treasure from the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in 1750. The snorkelling at The Caves on the western shore of Norman Island is the best free-diving in the BVI — three sea caves accessible by dinghy, with schools of fish inside and along the cliff faces outside. The William Thornton floating bar and restaurant is moored in the Bight anchorage on the north side of the island; the BVI Willy T has been part of the sailing circuit here for decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there an entrance fee for the Baths National Park?
A: There is a small fee collected on the mooring buoy (included in the mooring charge, around $30). Entry to the trail through the boulders is included. The park is managed by the BVI National Parks Trust.
Q: Is Sage Mountain worth the detour inland?
A: For a half-day break from sailing, yes — the forest is genuinely different from anything else in the BVI and the views from the summit are outstanding on a clear day. Combine with a morning's sailing and an afternoon at Cane Garden Bay.