About Tortola

A mountainous island with steep hills that slope down to stunning white beaches, Tortola has a bit of everything, and that’s why many BVI residents love it. With a population of close to 24,000 and an area of approximately 21.5 square miles,Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Islands. With the peak of Mount Sage at 1,740 feet, Tortola is also the highest of the British Virgin Islands. Tortola’s shape on a map is reminiscent of an exotic sea creature. Manta ray? Flamingo-tongue snail? Definitely something magical.

Road Town, Tortola, the capital of the BVI, has a population of 9,400 residents and is the financial hub of the British Virgin Islands. Road Town includes law offices, accountancy firms, trust companies, hedge fund managers, and offshore companies. Many residents move to the Territory to work in financial services. Others relocate to work in hospitality. But jobs in financial services or hospitality are available all over the globe–the real reason these job seekers stay in Tortola is for the benefits when you’re not working. If you like to exercise, you can hike, surf, dive, kite, sail, windsurf, snorkel, swim, and run or play sports such as tennis, squash, basketball, cricket, rugby, or football. Or if you prefer to relax, you can navigate a boat to unpopulated coves for a quiet picnic or get cocktails delivered beside your lounge chair at the more popular spots. A tea and a crossword puzzle under a canopy of sea grape trees on your own private balcony could also be how you unwind. No one’s going to pressure you in Tortola. Everyone (and every donkey) moves at their own pace.

Other than the capital, popular places to live on Tortola include the centrally located Nanny Cay on the south side of the island or Cane Garden Bay on the north side. Though geographically different, both villages have a lot in common. They are both popular spots for sailors; they have numerous restaurants with welcoming customer service; they offer a friendly neighborhood atmosphere; and they have popular coffee shops and outdoor bars for residents and tourists alike. Nanny Cay is smaller than Cane Garden Bay but is home to the BVI’s most popular marina and offers all marine services from haul-outs to upholstery. Cane Garden Bay is a popular mooring site with a beach nestled at the bottom of sweeping green hills. Cane Garden Bay is also home to the island’s best (though least consistent) surf break, a mysterious sunken barge to snorkel, and a plethora of palms and tropical fruit trees. Other surfing beaches include Josiah’s Bay, Apple Bay, and Carrot Bay. Slaney Hill, MacNamara, Havers, Pasea, and Oleander are family-friendly neighborhoods with large houses and apartments close to town.

The neighborhood of Belmont on Tortola’s West End is one of the most exclusive and established neighborhoods of Tortola. Private roads snake up and down the hillside and lead to sprawling, well-appointed villas and estates overlooking Long Bay, West. The hillside of Little Bay to the East is comparable with newer-built villas, and all roads lead to the jewel of Little Bay beach at the bottom. Next to Little Bay is Lambert Bay, a resort with apartments, houses, villas, a hotel, a restaurant, and a pool beside a curving, white-sand beach bordered with sea grape trees.

In between Belmont and Little Bay are dozens of unique hideaways for you to discover—Shannon, Luck Hill, Trunk Bay, Sage Mountain, Brewers Bay, Ballast Bay, Chalwell, and don’t forget the little gems on the outskirts, islands and cays of their own connected by bridges—Beef Island’s Well Bay and Long Bay East, and Soper’s Hole on Frenchman’s Cay. Each neighborhood has its own character, climate, and charm.