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Volcanic Islands |
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Volcanic islands, like emerald jewels lay scattered across the horizon surrounding the ferry as it growled through the azure waters of the Caribbean. The hills of the British Virgin Islands were in bloom with the tangerine blossoms of a tropical tree, called the Flamboyant. I leaned over the railing, peering out at islands too numerous to count, whose story book names took me a week to match with each distant silhouette. We cruised past Norman Island, said to be the location of Robert Louis Steven’s Treasure Island. Next came Dead Chest where locals insist that Blackbeard left his fifteen men with a Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of Rum. Beyond us lay islands with imaginative names like Fallen Jerusalem and Virgin Gorda. My husband and I were looking for a quiet, safe and affordable corner of the Caribbean and we found it on the British Virgin Islands, the lesser known little sisters to the east of the more prominent U.S Virgin Islands. The BVI, as locals call them, are well known to scuba enthusiasts for world class diving yet they remain untrammeled by the thousands of cruise ship tourists who converge on St. Thomas a few miles away. We were pleasantly surprised to find a small archipelago of islands that were easy to explore by ferries, affordable to stay on and offered clean, uncrowded beaches with average temperatures between the seventies and the eighties. It rained very little, only at night and the humidity was tempered by cool breezes and proximity to the sea. Most of our time was spent on Cooper Island, a mooring haven for travelers on yachts circumnavigating Tortola. At one mile long, with only a twelve room inn and a couple residential homes, Cooper is hardly the smallest of the many islands but it is one of the most isolated, free from cars, phones and other reminders of home. Room twelve of the Cooper Island Beach Club, had a view of the Manchioneel Bay and the surrounding islands we will never forget. We admired crimson and violet sunsets from our balcony, went to sleep each night to the musical rhythm of waves and woke each morning to the gentle warmth of sunlight. Ten steps from our balcony lay a private patch of sand where I lounged on a chair and read Mitchner’s book Caribbean. Three feet out into the water we snorkeled above a kaleidoscope of purple sea fans, orange brain coral and schools of stop light colored parrot fish. One morning as I swam above a glade of sea grass, I was delighted to spot a foot long conch inching its way along the bottom. I momentarily considered diving down to scoop it up and deliver it to the chef to prepare for my evening meal. Food at the Beach Club restaurant was prepared at an open air grill. My husband and I dined each night at sunset on the patio bordered by the beach. I became a great fan of conch fare, from conch Creole to conch fritters dipped in ranch dressing. My husband stuck to the BBQ ribs and porkchops rosemary. When we were ready for dessert it would be dark and I could not resist ordering the Flambéed banana custard just to see the blue flame dance around the bowl. On Tortola, capital of the BVI, we were entertained by the colorful carnival celebration that coincided with our stay. The week long festival which takes place annually between the last week of July and the first week of August, commemorates the 1848 emancipation of slaves in the British Empire. The highlight for camera toting onlookers was the festival parade with convertible cars full of beauty pageant contestants waving and smiling, followed by marching steel bands whose members wore brightly colored T-shirts. My husband dove into an oncoming army of orange T-shirts snapping away like a National Geographic photo journalist as the band pounded away on their cymbal like drums. Milling around the fairgrounds later that night offered us an opportunity to mingle with locals, drink Caribe beer and learn more about a unique culture which reflects both British and Caribbean influences. On a day trip to Virgin Gorda, an elongated island shaped like a reclining nude and strewn with voluptuous boulders, we visited the Baths. This beach of salt white sand and aquarium clear waters fringed by a crescent of coconut palms, came closer to representing the perfect 10 than any other beach I had ever seen. We clambered between a maze of house sized granite rocks to a beach called Devil’s Bay where we splashed around on our backs in shallow Jacuzzi warm waters. On the way back to the ferry, an open air bus took us on the scenic route up and down curvy roads past electric blue and lime green houses. The arid landscape of cactus and bougainvillea reminded me of Arizona next to the ocean. After a week of Caribbean therapy we were reluctant to leave this small corner of the former British Empire and contemplated ways that we could stay forever. We consoled ourselves with the knowledge that the islands weren’t going anywhere and we could always return when the crowds had thinned and the prices had dropped in anticipation of another slow, leisurely summer season. Getting there Leaving and arriving in the BVI is best enjoyed by ferry from St. Thomas, although there is a small airport on Beef Island, connected to Tortola. USAir and American Airlines both have flights to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. USAir flies direct from several east coast cities and American Airlines flies through Puerto Rico. From St. Thomas you can catch a ferry to Tortola or Virgin Gorda. I liked the Native Son ferry line which was convenient and reliable. The cost to Tortola round trip is about $30 and takes 40 minutes. Where to stay Always check the Internet for the latest rates. The BVI has several sites listing condos, villas and hotels. Tortola
Virgin Gorda Leverick Bay Resort has a 14 room hotel, 1 and 2 bedroom condos and 30 private homes available. Hotel rates are at $119 a night during summer and $149 a night for winter . Condos are a 5 night minimum and start at $800 a week during the summer and $1150 a week during winter. The resort is located on a bay with a sandy beach in the north of Virgin Gorda. Tennis, a pool and restaurant are available. Phone:(800) 848-7081; fax: (809)495-7367. On Cooper Island The Cooper Island Beach Club is a 12 room hotel. Double rooms are $95 a night during the summer, and $155 during winter. Meal and dive packages are available. Rooms have a kitchette which you need during the summer because the restaurant only serves lunch and dinner. The twice daily ferry to Cooper Island leaves from Prospect Reef Resort. Phone: (800)542-4624; Fax: (413) 863-3662.
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