12 Reasons We Love the BVI

The view alone is enough to make the trek out to this Virgin Gorda gem. Hog Heaven’s patio is perched high in the cliffs of the island, and offers stunning views over Bitter End, Mosquito Island, and Necker Island. This casual restaurant serves delicious ribs, barbeque pork, and fresh fish for lunch and dinner along with a long list of beer, wine, and cocktails.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to sail like one, especially if you reserve a yacht charter. Most of the ships from Yachts and Friends come with a captain and crew, meaning all you and your traveling companions have to do is show up and relax. Services are available all over the world, but are more prevalent in warm-weather destinations where boating is a popular pastime—places such as the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and the Southern Mediterranean. The biggest benefit about cruising this way is that itineraries are almost completely flexible; while you have to embark and disembark in set spots, in between you can do whatever and go wherever you’d like. What’s more, if you’re traveling with a large group of friends, a handful of outfitters afford the option to reserve a flotilla of boats that can travel together.

This property is currently closed for hurricane-related repairs.

After a week of migrating from gorgeous beach to gorgeous beach on Virgin Gorda, my traveling companions and I were ready for a change of pace. That is, heading to a gorgeous beach only accessible by water, via a 15-minute, complimentary ferry. I am, of course, talking about the lovely little strip of sand at the Bitter End Yacht Club on the northeast part of the island. Let’s be honest here: They had me at “free ferry.” To step onto the shore at the BEYC is to enter a kinder, simpler era. The classic architecture of the place wraps around you like a hug, and the staff and yacht clubbers alike are relaxed and incredibly friendly. (It’s not a stretch of the imagination, considering this place is a living “Destinations” feature from the Robb Report, 1965.) We were content to relax the day away, angling our faces toward the sun and watching kite boarders flying into the air off North Sound. The Crawl Pub turned out to be a great spot for a casual lunch, offering the “best pizza in the Caribbean.” And there was no shortage of amusements, from the collection of life-size, wooden carved figures in the Clubhouse, to the multitude of yachts and sailing craft floating by. If this is what the Bitter End is like, sign me up.

Scrub Island is one place where being shipwrecked might actually be a good thing—pity that dockside boat slips abound. Located on a volcanic speck just 75 miles east of Puerto Rico, Scrub Island Resort is the ultimate tropical idyll, with a spa, marina, and three restaurants. Its 52 suites and villas sit on 230 pristine acres, complete with neutral, colonial–style interiors (think four-poster beds, marble baths with soaking tubs, and floral curtains) that intensify the ocean views. Charter a boat to explore hidden coves or test your nautical skills at the resort’s sailing school. You can always forget what you know once the time comes to lift anchor and head for the mainland.