Here are some of the best attractions the B.V.I. have to offer:
- Visit a Tropical Park: If you'd like to explore mountainous landscapes that look the way they did when Christopher Columbus first landed, head to Sage Mountain National Park on Tortola. Although it gets only 254 centimeters (100 in.) of rain a year, the park has the appearance of a primeval rainforest.
- Ponder the Mystery of the Baths: The most celebrated site on the island of Virgin Gorda is the Baths, on the island's southwest shore, where huge granite rocks are strewn along the beach. Granite is rarely found this far south, and according to ancient island mythology, the rocks were placed here by a race of giants. Or they were moved south by some ancient glacier. Most scientists favor the explanation that they were spewed up by volcanic activity. The important thing is not to solve the mystery but to explore the cavelike passages between the rocks and to seek out the hidden pools, which are just right for a quick dip.
- Explore Remote Anegada Island: Anegada is easy to miss -- it covers only 38 sq. km (15 sq. miles) and stands only 8.2m (26 ft.) above sea level at its highest point. Because of the treacherous coral shelf nearby, more than 300 ships have sunk just offshore. Here's the good news: The entire island is surrounded by white-sand beaches, and the population is only about 250 people, so you can often walk for miles without seeing anyone. You'll feel like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe.
- Exploring Deserted "Treasure Island": Legend has it that tiny Norman Isle, south of Tortola and east of St. John, was the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. The sea caves on this island are some of the best snorkeling spots in the British Virgin Islands. To cut costs, ask three or four other people to rent a sailboat with you to go over for a day's adventure.
