16 Best Sights in Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Once a sleepy village, Cane Garden Bay has become one of Tortola's most popular destinations. Stay at a small hotel or guesthouse here, or stop by for lunch, dinner, or drinks at a seaside restaurant, or popular nightspots like Quito's and Paradise Club. You can find a few small shops selling clothing and basics such as sunscreen, and one of Tortola's most popular beaches is at your feet. Myett's offers hotel rooms almost directly on the beach, while the newer Quito's Inn has smartly appointed rooms. The roads in and out of this area are dauntingly steep, so use caution when driving.

The official government residence until 1997, this gracious building now displays a nice collection of artifacts from Tortola's past. The rooms are filled with period furniture, hand-painted china, books signed by Queen Elizabeth II on her 1966 and 1977 visits, and numerous items reflecting Tortola's seafaring legacy.

A beautiful, palm-fringed beach, Smuggler's Cove is down a pothole-filled dirt road. After bouncing your way down (a four-wheel-drive rental is highly recommended), you'll feel as if you've found a hidden piece of the island. You probably won't be alone on weekends, though, when the beach attracts snorkelers and sunbathers. There's a fine view of Jost Van Dyke. The popular Nigel's Boom Boom Beach Bar has grilled food and the requisite Painkillers; the extremely informal Patricia's beach bar is next door. Follow Long Bay Road past Long Bay Beach Club, keeping to the roads nearest the water until you reach the beach. It's about a mile past the resort. Amenities: food and drink; parking. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Along with nearby Little Apple Bay and Capoon's Bay, this is your spot if you want to surf—although the white, sandy beach itself is narrow. Sebastian's, a casual hotel, caters to those searching for the perfect wave. Otherwise, there's nothing else in the way of amenities. Good waves are never a sure thing, but you're more apt to find them in January and February. If you're swimming and the waves are up, take care not to get dashed on the rocks. Amenities: none. Best for: surfing; swimming.

Nobody is really sure how long rum has been made at the Callwood Distillery, but it's been at least 200 years, and one thing is certain: it houses the longest continuously operated copper pot still in the Caribbean. Located on a side street in Cane Garden Bay, the ancient distillery offers tours and tastings of its uniquely flavored rums, made directly from the juice of pressed sugarcane, not molasses or refined sugar. For a true taste of the BVI, it doesn’t get more authentic than Callwood’s barrel-aged spirits.

The Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park is the point of disembarkation for cruise ship passengers visiting the island. This Road Town development has a cigar bar, pizza joint, Caribbean-fusion restaurant, an outpost of Myett's bar, and an ice-cream parlor. Diverse shopping options include jewelry stores, art galleries, and clothing boutiques. You can rent a car here or join in one of the frequent festivals and special events held at the complex. Public restrooms are available as well.

The most intact historic fort on Tortola (that's not saying much, however) was raised by the Dutch in the early 17th century to safeguard Road Harbour, then rebuilt by the British. It sits on a hill at the western edge of Road Town and is now the site of a small hotel (also named Fort Burt). The foundations and magazine remain, and the structure offers a commanding view of the harbor.

An unrestored but largely intact 17th-century Dutch fort sits amid a profusion of tropical greenery on the grounds of the Fort Recovery Beachfront Villas and Suites. The most interesting thing to see here are the remains of a martello tower, a type of fortification used to make up for the site's lack of elevation; it's rarely found in the Caribbean. There are no guided tours, but you're welcome to stop by and poke around.

Road Town’s formidable prison was constructed in the mid-19th century and went on to hold prisoners in relatively primitive conditions for more than a century before closing in 1997. The prisoners confined to the humid barred cells were lucky compared to those who were hung in a creepy chamber, where the gallows claimed its last victim in the 1970s. Informative, docent-led tours offer insights into island history and the administration of justice from the colonial period into the early 21st century.

This 3-acre showcase of plant life has sections devoted to prickly cacti and succulents, hothouses for ferns and orchids, gardens of medicinal herbs, and plants and trees indigenous to the seashore. A boulevard of royal palms was previously one of the most prominent features, but a number of these were felled in the 2017 hurricane. Otherwise, the gardens have recovered quite nicely.

Home to a Wyndham resort, Lambert Beach is a palm-lined, wide, sandy beach with parking along its steep downhill access road. The road to the resort is gated, but the beach is free to all. The main attraction here is peace and quiet, but there is a bar and restaurant at the hotel. Turn at the sign for the Wyndham Lambert resort. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming.

This beach is a stunning, mile-long stretch of white sand; have your camera ready to snap the breathtaking approach. The entire beach is open to the public and is often used by people staying in villas in the Long Bay/Belmont area and at the Long Bay Beach Resort. The water isn't as calm here as at Cane Garden or Brewers Bay, but it's still swimmable. If you're coming from the southern part of the island, turn left at Zion Hill Road, then travel about half a mile. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

If this beach wasn't located right next to the airport, it probably would show up on lists of the Caribbean's most beautiful strands. Long Bay on Beef Island has superlative scenery: the beach stretches seemingly forever, and you can catch a glimpse of Little Camanoe and Great Camanoe islands. Just keep your eyes out to sea and not on the runway behind you. If you walk around the bend to the right, you can see little Marina Cay and Scrub Island. Swim out to wherever you see a dark patch for some nice snorkeling. Turn left shortly after crossing the bridge to Beef Island. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The remains of an 18th-century sugar plantation can be seen here. The windmill structure, the last one standing in the BVI, has been restored. You can also see the ruins of a factory with boiling houses, storage areas, stables, a hospital, and many dwellings. It's a nice place to picnic and reflect on the island's history.

Egbert Donovan, the “shell man” of Carrot Bay, entertains passing buses full of tourists with tunes on his guitar and welcomes those who tarry longer to visit his museum crammed with thousands of sea shells, gathered over the course of almost 30 years from the nearby waters and shoreline. Donovan’s shell-gathering boat was a victim of Hurricane Irma, so now he spends more time showing off his shells and serving bush tea and turtle soup to visitors.

On this little island connected by a causeway to Tortola's western end, you can find a marina and a captivating complex of pastel West Indian–style buildings with shady balconies, shuttered windows, and gingerbread trim that house art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, including the popular Pusser's Landing West End and Omar's Coffee House.