Jost Van Dyke Travel Guide

Named after an early Dutch settler, Jost Van Dyke is a small island northwest of Tortola and is truly a place to get away from it all. Mountainous and lush, the 4-mi-long (6½-km-long) island—with fewer than 200 full-time residents—has one tiny resort, some rental cottages and villas, a campground, a couple dozen cars, and a single road. There are no banks or ATMs on the island, and many restaurants and shops accept only cash. Life definitely rolls along on "island time," especially during the off-season from August to November, when finding a restaurant open for dinner can be a challenge. Electricity arrived to Jost in the 1990s and water conservation is encouraged, as the primary source is rainwater collected in basementlike cisterns. Jost is one of the Caribbean's most popular anchorages, and there are a disproportionately large number of informal bars and restaurants, which have helped earn Jost its reputation as the "party island" of the BVI.