Attractions
Tortola's main attractions are its pristine white beaches, which
provide the perfect setting for swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing,
and occasionally surfing in the perennially warm waters of the
Caribbean. Popular beaches like Cane Garden Bay, Lambert Bay,
Trellis Bay and Long Bay are all good locations for relaxing and
watersports.
Scuba divers only need to go 6 miles (10km) off the island to
reach the Chikuzen, a wrecked Japanese refrigeration ship covered
in extensive coral reefs that offer some of the best underwater
photography opportunities in the world. Other good dive sites in
Tortola include Smuggler's Cove and Brewer's Bay Pinnacle.
If you can drag yourself off the beach, sightseeing in Tortola
can be rewarding, as there are a few interesting ruins and cultural
sites that hint at its colourful past. You can view the ruins of
the St. Philips Church, the grand William Thornton Estate, and the
remains of a fort known now simply as 'the Dungeon'.
Road Town has a number of markets and museums, including the
Virgin Islands Folk Museum and the HMS Prison. It's also the centre
of Tortola's nightlife, with a variety of restaurants, cafes, bars
and clubs ranging from romantic garden restaurants to laid-back
beach bars.
Cane Garden Bay
The island's most popular beach, Cane Garden Bay is a favourite
anchorage for sailors and the beach of preference for sunbathers,
swimmers and watersports enthusiasts. It is also the centre of
Tortola's nightlife, featuring seaside bars, restaurants and
Caribbean-style entertainment, and the curved bay...
see full detailsJ.R. O'Neal Botanical Gardens
The splendid two-hectare (four-acre) gardens in the centre of
Road Town are a must for those interested in the tropical flora of
the Caribbean islands. Pathways wind beneath floral pergolas,
through a mini rainforest and past a lush variety of exotic
indigenous plants, waterfalls...
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