Copy My Trip: Island hopping through the British Virgin Islands

Lonely Planet writer Chamidae Ford just returned from five blissful days in the British Virgin Islands. Here, she shares a swimming-filled itinerary and tips for experiencing the most of this stunning destination.

On my recent journey to the BVI, with the help of MMGY and the British Virgin Islands Tourism Board, I joined a group of travel writers where we spent five days sailing between its various islands, eating fresh fruit straight from the source and swimming in turquoise waters. 

What was your route?

Near Puerto Rico lies an archipelago known as the British Virgin Islands. During my five days, we cruised through the Caribbean, exploring four of the territory’s countless islands. We began at Guana Island, which is just a quick boat ride from the island of Tortola. Here, we relaxed, enjoyed farm-to-table cuisine and swam at their various beaches. From there, we returned to Tortola, the BVI’s main island, where we hiked, swam and dined at some local favorites Quito’s Gazebo and 1748. 

We then boarded a catamaran and visited Anegada Island, a sparsely populated coral and limestone island (the only one in the BVI not formed from volcanic origin) known for its flat terrain. We also stopped by Cooper Island. 

Mostly undeveloped beyond the Cooper Island Beach Club, this is a popular mooring destination for catamarans and an ideal lunch spot when making your way through this part of the Caribbean. 

In Anegada, we visited the Conch Mounds and ate our weight in lobster. On Cooper, we toured the BVI’s only microbrewery and enjoyed their Turtle IPA, which donates one dollar of every sale to BVI turtle conservation. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon jumping into the ocean off the catamaran.

Where did you stay? What was the vibe?

Since we were bopping around, we stayed at a few different places. The stunning Long Bay Beach Resort managed to weave beachy aesthetics with a chic and inviting design. We also spent time onboard a Moorings Catamaran, which was spacious and surprisingly comfortable – is there anything better than waking up on the water? 

But my favorite part of the trip was our time at Guana Island. Every room had killer panoramic views, and things couldn’t have been more peaceful and serene – we were at the only hotel on this private island. I could have stayed forever.