English is universally spoken throughout the British Virgin Islands. Those who work with tourists will speak quite clearly, but older natives have a thick and distinctive West Indian accent that, when spoken quickly, can be very difficult to understand. Because of the influence of British culture, a stronger emphasis is placed on politeness and decorum. It is generally expected to begin any conversation with a "Good morning," or whatever time of day is applicable, rather than the common American English habit of simply beginning a conversation without salutation.
Tortola is also visited by cruise ships.
The '''Tortola Ferry''' moves between Tortola and St. Thomas. In actuality, there is a group of several different ferry companies that provide service between the two islands. These ferries are what connects the people of the British Virgin Islands with the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The ferries link the city of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas with either Road Town or the West End of Tortola.
The ferry is one of the more popular ways to reach Tortola from the U.S. This is due to the fact that Americans can reach Tortola via only one direct flight and then a short ferry ride. This will no doubt save the traveler several hundred dollars, since a second flight would not be necessary.
You can catch one of the ferries, almost anytime of day. After 5:00 pm most of the services are shut down for the evening. The ride lasts about 50 minutes depending on the weather. The scenery is well worth the price of the ride.
'''Costs'''
'''Times'''
Vary greatly between companies. Some of the companies even alternate their schedules between themselves and another company. For a current list take a look at this page's ferry schedule [http://www.vacationtortola.com/Tortola-Ferry.html].
'''Tips'''
Many travelers find it easier to just buy two one-way tickets from different companies instead of one round-trip ticket with the same company. Since ferries from different companies are coming and going constantly, you should be able to catch a ferry at any time during the day. Often times one company will be convenient upon arrival, but not upon departure. Just check the schedule to find out if this will be the case for you, if not then by all means, buy the round-trip ticket and save a few bucks.
There are many small independent auto rental businesses, all with relatively comparable rates. Prices range from $50 per day and up, as demand is usually high. Driving in the BVI can be very difficult, as many winding mountain roads and cliffs, washed-out roads, and roaming livestock compound the difficulty of driving on the left side of the road. Driving can be a good way to see the entire island of Tortola at your own pace, but so can a readily available taxi tour, and drivers know all the spots. Taxis are abundant on Tortola, and so long as you drive with a legitimate taxi association driver, prices will generally allow you to travel anywhere you'd like for less than the cost of renting a car.
"Buses" in Tortola refers to full-sized passenger vans, or large modified open-air pickup trucks with bench seating and a canvas top: these are known locally as "safaris". Traveling by bus can be less expensive than having a taxi to oneself, and is often an option when traveling from the airport to Road Town, or from town to either end of the island.
Hitch-hiking is still fairly common in Tortola during the daytime, as crime is fairly uncommon. Rather than the American "thumb" technique, Tortolan hitch-hikers will point with the index finger from an arm extended in the direction they wish to travel. Pickup trucks will often stop to allow riders in the back, and many drivers on this still-personable and friendly island will stop to give a ride.
'''Long Bay, Beef Island''' is just minutes from the airport, a long, curved stretch of beach that is one of the more secluded and little-used beaches. There are no amenities available.
'''Lambert Bay''' is a very long beach, with moderate surf, and less clear water than several other beaches. There are two well-sign posted roads, one for the hotel and one for the beach. The hotel is very welcoming of lunch and dinner guests.
'''Josiah's Bay''' is a surfer's beach popular with natives as well. It's another good-sized beach with heavy surf when in season, and a strong undertow at the corners of the beach. However, many swimmers enjoy this beach, and the waves, simply by swimming away from the corners of the beach and at a safe depth. The beach extends very gradually, allowing swimmers to range far from the shore. There are two bar/restaurants at Josiah's Bay. The Grape Tree offers excellent food at moderate prices, and the larger bar, with a large stock of alcoholic beverages, offers food as well. Neither are fine dining establishments but rather casual beach bars.
'''Brewer's Bay''' is the only non-white sand beach on the island. The sand is a dark gold! The bay offers snorkeling opportunities in calm weather, but because of the runoff routes from the mountains, the water is often murky after even moderate rain. Development around the island has circumvented nature's natural filtration systems, such as salt ponds, and as a result most beaches are not attractive after heavy rains because of runoff from roads that zig and zag up the mountainsides, and home development sites cut harshly into the sides of the mountains as well. That said, Brewer's Bay is an excellent place to go if you want good snorkeling right off the beach, decent food, friendly locals, reasonably warm water (late April), and some peace and quiet. Watching the pelicans diving into the watch for fish is fascinating, but can be a little unnerving when they plunge in near where you are snorkeling! These pelicans and other predators (nothing scary) are after the large schools of small "feeder fish," which will let you swim along in their midst. If you take some bread or bagels with you in a plastic bag, the smaller fish will almost eat right out of your hand. A taxi from Road Town was only $28 each way ($7 each if you share a ride with 3 others). The drivers are happy to narrate what you are passing and will stop high above the harbor for a nice scenic photo opportunity. thumb|Brewer's Bay, Tortola, BVI
'''Cane Garden Bay''' is the most popular, populous, and touristy of the beaches available. Boats moor here, and on the nearly 3/4 mi length there are five restaurants, one bar and two vendors. It is also the only beach where there is a supermarket nearby. Live music is common, especially at Quito's, where local guitar legend Quito Rhymer often plays. There are two parts to this beach and one half, before Quito's dock, has no bars or restaurants and so mostly deserted.
'''Apple Bay''' is a surf and party area, and does not offer much in the way of swimming. It is here that you will find the "Bomba Shack," a main party site for the island's full moon parties. During these parties the street is often flooded with native and tourist party-goers, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, which are legal to possess and use in the BVI, are readily available. Users should state a preference for fresh, live mushrooms if available. Apple Bay and Josiah's Bay are the two surfing areas of the island. There are several good restaurants here, Sugar Mill (fine dining), Coco Plum, Sebastian's and Bomba's. On Fridays there are fish frys under the two huge banyan trees.
'''Long Bay - West End''' Not to be confused with Long Bay - Beef Island, this beach at the western end of the island is easily accessible, very large, and has good swimming and moderate surf. There are several restaurants and bars, however, they sit back from the beach rather than spill onto it, as in Cane Garden Bay.
'''Smuggler's Cove''' Difficult to access but worth the effort, Smuggler's Cove lies at the extreme western tip of Tortola. Accessible by narrow and bumpy dirt roads, this is a small oasis used mostly by expatriate workers who reside in Tortola. There is a restaurant and bar and several small stands selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
'''Brandywine Bay''' is a recently man-made beach, one of the only on the island's south shore. It is generally not used by locals or tourists, as natural beaches abound.
While Tortola has many of the things you would expect from one of the Virgin Islands like scuba diving, boating and fishing it also has a host of other great things to do like:
With favorable trade winds and near perfect weather, Tortola has become one of the more popular '''sailing''' destinations in the world. Thousands of travelers every year raise anchor from Tortola traversing all over the Virgin Islands. Their experience levels range from the professional all the way to the novice (land-lover). Don't think that sailing is just for high rollers, many charter boat companies offer boats for rent as low as $200 per day in the low season [http://www.vacationtortola.com/Yacht-Rentals.html].
In fact many people fly in to Tortola just to hop on a yacht and spend their entire vacation on the vessel. These people will often sail to some of the smaller neighboring islands in search of an uninhabited island where they can have the beach all to themselves. Others set sail to enjoy the great snorkeling or fishing. Anegada is a popular destination because of it's bountiful coral reefs. At night there are plenty of moorings (anchorage balls) available in the larger bays.
If you're a novice and entertaining the thought of taking the boat out for the day, don't worry there are classes available for beginners at just about every marina. If you don't have that kind of time, just hire a captain for the day. They usually only cost about $150 per day. Many times you can hire a cook for the day for about the same price.
Truth be told, this is not an island for the lover of malls or entertainment complexes. If you're not offshore partying on a yacht, you could be lying on a beach meditating on the beautiful turquoise waters, or SCUBA or snorkeling looking at the corals and tropical fish, or maybe you're onshore partying at a bar. There's not a heck of a lot to do after you've taken the obligatory tours of the above-listed "attractions", although the original architecture of little wooden houses and Cockroach Hall built on a huge rock on Main Street is not be missed.
So let's talk party.
'''Alcohol''' is immensely popular in the BVI, both beer and island cocktails, most notably rum. For beer, dark beers are rare. Red Stripe and Carib are the local beers, and other popular beers you'd expect to see are available as well. Roadside stands offer ice-cold beer for two or three dollars each, and bars offer beer at a comparable price to what you'd pay in an average-guy bar in the U.S. Rum Punch and Painkillers are two popular drinks. It is not at all unusual to chat up strangers and both buy and receive drinks. Remember to say "Cheers."
Restrictions on alcohol are very light. Bars usually stay open as long as business is booming, frequently about 3 a.m. on weekends. It is acceptable to leave a bar with your beer, and if you know the bar well, not too unusual to walk in with one, either. Smoking is absolutely taboo in every business and public area in the BVI and cigarettes, though sold in the supermarkets are kept in locked cabinets since a recent law in July 2007. Drinking and driving is strictly illegal and although police generally do not stop cars until they have crashed, if you are found to be drunk you will be prosecuted for it. However, out of a basic moral obligation to your fellow human beings, it would be wise to not abuse this lack of enforcement.
'''Marijuana''' is very frowned upon by authorities, so much so that immigration and visitation by Rastafarians was once regulated by legislation in the BVI. Being caught with even a small personal amount of marijuana will almost certainly lead to a stiff fine usually in the region of $1,000 and instant deportation.
'''Mushrooms''' are legal in the British Virgin Islands. The native species grows in the hills and is available after rains, which occur throughout the year. Mushrooms are available at full moon parties, the right bars, and from casual purveyors. Although they are legal, many non-trippers frown on their use and it would be gauche to roam the town asking strangers for mushrooms. Rather, have a few drinks with a native or expatriate who seems to be of the right attitude and bearing before bringing up the topic.
Other good bars and party spots: Bomba Shack in Apple Bay, The Bat Cave in Baugher's Bay (Hottest nightclub, and Italian dining), Quito's in Cane Garden Bay. In Road Town: the Virgin Queen is a sports bar and serves pizzas, Pussers, next door to Le Cabanon offers wild happy hours, ladies' nights and its own blend of rum and rum-based drinks and also draught beer (the food is no better than the service though). To the east of the island is the Last Resort (best dining on the island and often parties) situated on a small islet off Trellis Bay in the East End (free water taxi on request).
H.Lavity Stoutt Community College
Work permit needed to work on the island.
'''Outside of Road Town''', there is Palm's Delight in Carrot Bay also the very strange North Shore Shell Museum which has home-grown soursop daiquiris, good barbeque and a very large number of shells although not much variety in them. In Cane Garden Bay, Stanley's serves burgers and chicken at a budget price and lobster at quite a bit more. The Camp Ground in Brewer's Bay has a very limited menu, but its not expensive.
'''In Road Town''' and its environs, '''Nexus''', '''Village Cay Marina''', '''the Pub''', and '''Le Cabanon''' have good but unremarkable food at mid-range prices. Le Cabanon and Village Cay Marina are more popular as loud and fun bars.
Tortola is one of the premier destinations for bareboat sailing charters. However, in the BVI, sailboats are not required to have holding tanks for sewage storage, as they are in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Instead, each boat pumps its raw sewage into the surrounding water. There are rules against flushing the head (toilet) in a marina, but it appears to be unenforceable.
Road Town collects its sewage and pumps it without further treatment into the Sir Francis Drake Channel, several hundred yards offshore.
Toilet paper is not allowed to be flushed from boats. Instead, used toilet paper must be disposed of in the trash can next to the toilet.
Ferries sail to St. John and Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands many times daily. Also available is a once a week ferry to Anegada, the only coral island in the BVI. Several airlines operate daily flights to all the islands of the Caribbean between Trinidad and Puerto Rico.