Me, my wife and kids (age 5&6) will be on Tortola at the beginning of Nov. for a port day on our cruise. The kids have been snorkeling in pools and are pretty good at it.

Which beach would be better for them for calm waters/less crowded/good snorkeling? They will have flotation vests on, if it matters. I've heard good things about both, but want to have a plan before I arrive. Also, does Smugglers have a bathroom? Thanks for your help in advance!

I did a reef survey at Smuggler's Cove 9 years ago. It was a neat drive down a chuch-hole filled, narrow, dirt road bordered on both sides by Flamboyant Trees. An old man with a white beard managed an open-air, pavilion-type bar/snack shop there. My wife, daughter, and I were the only three people at Smuggler's for a half day, until a couple found the place. The white-bearded owner never showed up, but a cigar box layed on top of a picnic table in the pavilion, with a hand-written note: "Food's in refrig behind bar; just leave money in cigar box..thanks, the mgt." I went behind the bar, squeezed past a freshly caught, and still bleeding shark blocking the door to the back room, and fetched 3 hot dogs and cokes from the refrig, and dropped $5 in the cigar box. An old 60's Lincoln Continental lay inside the pavilion, which drove Queen Elizabeth aroung Tortola on one of her visits. Old underwater artifacts (cannons) graced the sandy grounds around the pavilion. The beach was beautiful, and there are shallow waters, which I snorkeled in. Id'd off Smuggler's Cove all types of parrot fish, a few barracuda, one small Caribbean Reef shark, dozens of Caribbean squid, one octopus, damselfish, spiny lobsters, a few filefish, Nassau & Tiger groupers, sargeant majors, trumpet & coronet fish. That was a decade ago. Hopefully, land developers didn't "modernize" (ruin) the ambience of this place, and your children will feel it when you go there. Robert

We went to both last May. The surf was kind of rough the day we were at Smugglers so we didnt snorkel. There were quite a few people there. I would say over 20 couples. There was a nice man making drinks with a blender powered by a car battery and a lady selling lunch (barbecue).

We snorkeled twice at Brewers. Its much easier to get to (paved road). Its a calm bay, and there is a nice little beach bar that has reasonable food and drinks.

The snorkeling was very easy with an expansive reef and easy entry. We saw tons of stuff. There was never more than four couples the both days were were there.

My vote would be for Brewers. But Smugglers is worth a stop for a nice swim.

Hope this helps. Enjoy. Peace, Greenie

We are going early Nov. as well and from what I read both are great for snorkelling but Brewers is just a bit better .

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Looks like we can't go wrong with either, but will lean toward Brewers for now. Thanks!