Caribbean (Fodor's, 2011) - Fodor's Travel Publications [26]
WHERE TO STAY
Sandcastle.
$$–$$$ | VACATION VILLAS | This four-cottage two-room hideaway sits on a half-mile stretch of white-sand beach shared by a half-dozen beach bars and restaurants. Pros: beachfront rooms; near restaurants and bars; comfy hammocks. Cons: some rooms lack air-conditioning; beach sometimes clogged with day-trippers. | White Bay VG1160 | 284/495–9888 | www.soggydollar.com | 2 rooms, 2 1-bedroom cottages, 2 2-bedroom cottages | In-room: no a/c (some), no TV. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, beachfront | MC, V | EP.
White Bay Villas & Seaside Cottages.
$$–$$$ | VACATION VILLAS | The verandahs of these hilltop one- to three-/four-bedroom villas and cottages offer beautiful sea views. Pros: walking distance from Great Harbour and White Bay; incredible views; friendly staff. Cons: steep uphill climbs; delicate septic system. | White Bay VG1160 | Box 3368, Annapolis, MD 21403 | 410/571–6692 or 800/778–8066 | www.jostvandyke.com | 7 villas, 3 cottages | In-room: no a/c (some), kitchen, DVD, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: beachfront | AE, MC, V.
NIGHTLIFE
Jost Van Dyke is the most happening place to go barhopping in the BVI. In fact, yachties will sail over just to have a few drinks. All the spots are easy to find, congregated in three general locations: Great Harbour, White Bay, and Little Harbour (Where to Eat). On the Great Harbour side you can find Foxy’s, Corsairs, and Ali Baba’s; on the White Bay side are the One Love Bar & Grill, and the Soggy Dollar bar at the Sandcastle Hotel, where legend has it the famous Painkiller was first concocted; and in Little Harbour are Harris’ Place, Sydney’s Peace & Love, and Abe’s by the Sea. If you can’t make it to Jost Van Dyke, you can have a Painkiller at almost any bar in the BVI.
SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
Abe & Eunicy Rentals
(Little Harbour VG1160 | 284/495–9329) offers three types of vehicles—two-door Suzukis ($60 a day), four-door automatic Jeeps ($70 a day), and four-door automatic Monteros ($80 a day)—that will allow you to explore by land, or a fiberglass dinghy with a 15-horsepower engine ($60 a day) or inflatable dinghy with a 25-horsepower engine, radio, and CD player ($100 a day) for traveling around by sea. There’s pickup and drop-off service from anywhere on the island.
JVD Scuba and BVI Eco-Tours
(Great Harbour VG1160 | 284/495–0271 | www.bvi-ecotours.com) lets you see the undersea world around the island with dive master Colin Aldridge. One of the most impressive dives in the area is off the north coast of Little Jost Van Dyke. Here you can find the Twin Towers: a pair of rock formations rising an impressive 90 feet. A one-tank dive costs $70, two-tank dive $110, and four-hour beginner course $120.
Paradise Jeep Rentals
(Great Harbour VG1160 | 284/495–9477) offers the ideal vehicles to tackle Jost Van Dyke’s steep, winding roads. Even though Jost is a relatively small island, you really need to be in shape to walk from one bay to the next. This outfit rents four-door Suzukis for $65 per day and Grand Vitaras for $80. The vehicles are at the gas station in Great Harbour. Reservations are a must.
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ANEGADA
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Fodor’s Choice | Anegada lies low on the horizon about 14 mi (22½ km) north of Virgin Gorda. Unlike the hilly volcanic islands in the chain, this is a flat coral-and-limestone atoll. Nine miles (14 km) long and 2 mi (3 km) wide, the island rises no more than 28 feet above sea level. In fact, by the time you’re able to see it, you may have run your boat onto a reef. (More than 300 captains unfamiliar with the waters have done so since exploration days; note that bareboat charters don’t allow their vessels to head here without a trained skipper.) Although the reefs are a sailor’s nightmare, they (and the shipwrecks they’ve caused) are a scuba diver’s dream. Snorkeling, especially in the waters around Loblolly Bay on the North Shore, is a transcendent experience. You can float in shallow, calm