If there were ever a place to be called Heaven on Earth, I'm rather certain it would be found somewhere in the British Virgin Islands. We had an absolute blast and were able to bask in the beauty of the BVIs. Our journey started out with a bit of doubt as Tortola was not exactly what we were expecting. Before we arrived, I was torn between exploring the beaches on Tortola and island hopping. I'm happy to say we decided to go island hopping, and it was the best decision we could have made!
We spent a day on Jost van Dyke sipping creamy painkillers and spicy dark and stormies all day long.
The next island on our list was Virgin Gorda and the Baths for which they are so very well known. The sandy beach at the baths is rather course and full of shells. The view and the caves are totally worth a little bit of exfoliation.
In my rush and excitement to leave for our trip I left all my reading materials at home. This meant I had plenty of time to look for tiny treasures on the beach.
We went spelunking throughout the many trails and openings between the huge boulders on the island. It was not all fun and games, I may have left the island with a few bruises and scratches, but it was all worth it.
About twenty seconds after the photo below was taken I was washed into the rocks surrounding me by a wave.
After spending the majority of the day exploring, climbing, ducking, and crawling we made the trek back to the top of the beach and rewarded ourselves with some drinks and snacks. The view from the Top of the Baths restaurant is awe-inspiring.
We headed back to Tortola that evening and caught a gorgeous sunset along the beach where we stayed.
The next day we made our way over to Peter Island. As soon as we arrived we realized that this would be the spot we would stay next time we visit the islands. Peter Island is a private resort island that has a ferry that will pick you up so you can visit for the day. We spent the entire day on Dead Man's Beach.
Peter Island Resort has service down to perfection. All you need to do is raise your little flag and a server will come and bring you whatever you need. Jared may have mentioned putting one of these in our house... Good thing he was only joking.
Once we returned to our island, we started on our way to what we were told was the best restaurant on Tortola. As we were climbing the mountains in our little Suzuki, the sun was setting and very distracting as Jared ran over a huge rock only missing the side of the mountain by a few inches. Our tire promptly deflated and we were stuck, on an island where neither of our phones had service. It's a good thing he can change a tire and quickly because no one stopped to help or make sure we were ok. All part of the adventure!
The next day was spent reading and napping as Jared got a migraine at breakfast. After he felt a little better we grabbed some lunch and headed to the beach. We really weren't impressed with many of the beaches on Tortola, I guess they just can't compare to St. John (
Oppenheimer,
Cinnamon Bay,
Solomon's).
We were, however, impressed with the views. The Bananakeet Cafe's views are unparalleled for dinner. They even offer "sunset shots" as the sun dips below the horizon and past Jost van Dyke.
After a fantastic meal and a good night's sleep, we awoke the next morning ready for the trip back home. Before we could leave the island, I had to get a quick picture of Bomba's Shack. We never made it to the place after dark, but it's still pretty impressive during the day. It's right next the beach and boasts decent swells out back. There were more than a few surfers catching a wave that morning.
Before we made it to our ferry, we stopped by D' Best Cup and had a fantastic breakfast. The croissants on the island were as good as Paris, which was a happy surprise to me. The food on Tortola in general was delightful, and we've already had cravings for more than a few dishes we were treated to while there.