(Page under construction)

We have left a notebook, among our paperbacks, describing some of the activities.

Various sized sailboats and small motor boats are available for rent, as are windsurfers. Good windsurfing instruction and equipment is available at Nanny Cay. There are also lots of great day trips from Tortola. Peter Island, St. John, Jost Van Dyke and "The Baths" at Virgin Gorda can be reached in minutes.

Number one because of my dad loves to run and you don't find 5 mile run more beautiful than the West End Loop anywhere. More than half the loop is directly along the ocean and the rest is through the hills with spectacular views of St. Johns, Jost Van Dyke and the smaller islands surrounding Tortola. Shorter loops, such as to Apple and Carrot Bay (entirely along the water's edge and you can watch the surfers in Apple Bay, even early in the morning) are also excellent options.

The British Virgin Islands are known for absolutely wonderful diving. If you remember the movie The Deep, all underwater scenes except for the shark scenes (which were filmed in Australia) were filmed in Tortola. You must have your certification cards with you or plan on at least a week or so to get certified there. In addition to the coral reefs and beautiful locations such as the Indians (a chain of small, half-submerged teeth), there is excellent wreck diving at the Rhone. There are several dive shops on the island, Baskin' in the Sun (where my dad and I got our advanced open water certifications) is nearby at Soper's Hole and if you're an advanced diver or want to pursue advanced certification while you're on vacation, Baskin' leads excellent deep dives and night dives. The night dive of the Rhone is incredible.

Tennis is available at the Long Bay Hotel right below us and in Road Town at the Prospect Reef Hotel. Long Bay also has lights so you can play at night.

Don't be upset if you're not a diver, there is excellet snorkeling in Tortola. In addition to local favorites, such as Smuggler's Cove, you can rent a boat to many of the same locations people dive at, such as the Indians. You can also arrange boat charters to hidden snorkeling spots at many of the small islands that no one lives on.

There are two main surfing spots on Tortola, Apple Bay and Josiah's Bay. Apple Bay, one bay over from Long Bay and five minute walk, is more famous, as it's where they hold the BVI surfing competitions and it has an extremely consistant break, pretty much directly in front of The Bomba Shack. While Apple is very popular with experienced surfers, Josiah's Bay is much better for beginner and more intermediate surfers. Josiah's is on the North Shore, and is pure sand beach with multiple breaks, so you can choose the size of your waves. There aren't many rocks and it's shallower, so you can stand on sand at Josiah's while you wait for the waves, which if you'll appreciate if you're a beginner. This is where my sister and I learned to surf and they rent boards both in road town at the surf shop HiHo,and at the beach bar right when you walk into Josiah's. HiHo also has surfing instructors who can give you lessons.

Windsurfing lessons are available at Nanny Cay and there is a nice protected channel there to practice in so you don't have to worry about getting too far off shore.

Kayak rentals are available on Tortola and can provide a very nice way to paddle around some of the different beaches. Stay conservative with your distances unless you have a guide with you.

If it's not windy, there are reasonably priced boat rentals over in Cane Garden Bay. If you're not an experienced boater, you may want a boat with a guide. Check the marine forecast and if calm weather is expected, renting a powerboat and motoring around the islands is an excellent way to spend a day. The photo on the left is of a little snorkeling site on a small island off the north side of Tortola which is only accessible by boat. We stopped by when we rented a boat ourselves last year. It's also a great way to get to smaller islands, such as Jost Van Dyke (where we stopped for lunch on the same trip). Load up on the sunscreen though, whether you spend the day at a small private beach or bounce around the islands, it's a ton of sun.

If it is windy, or you're just more of a sailor, it's easy to charter a sailboat for the day. The sailboat guides are very familiar with the good snorkeling and swimming spots and you can find yourselves spending a few hours at a small, uninhabited island with your own private beach. The boat captains also are usually quite talented bartenders and will take good care of you.

Jost Van Dyke is accesible either via ferry from West End or by boat rental or sailing charter. There are three small areas to visit. On the west end of the island is a small beach that usually has very few people on it. In the middle, where the ferry comes in, is Foxxy's and the central little strip of restaurants and stores. On the east end are the two little restaurants, both with dock access, in the picture to your right.

Marina Cay is an easy day trip as there is a free ferry daily to this little island just east of Beef Island on East End. The island is small, with a house from the 1930's (now a small library) on the top of the hill and a Pusser's restaurant down by the beach. Best to get there early to get one of the fixed umbrellas.