British Virgin Islands

Accommodation in the BVI spans the range from bareboat charter berths to some of the most exclusive resorts in the Caribbean, though genuine budget options are scarce. On Tortola, Nanny Cay Resort and Marina is the best base for sailors, with rooms from around $200 per night and full marina facilities. Long Bay Beach Resort on the north shore offers beachfront rooms and hillside villas from $250 to $500.

In Road Town, Village Cay Hotel sits right on the harbor and is functional if not luxurious, from around $180. Virgin Gorda is where the luxury resorts concentrate. Rosewood Little Dix Bay, founded by Laurence Rockefeller in 1964, is the grande dame of BVI resorts, with rates starting around $800 in high season.

Oil Nut Bay on the island's eastern tip is a newer ultra-luxury development with villas from $1,500 per night. Fischer's Cove in The Valley offers a more affordable Virgin Gorda experience from around $200. On Jost Van Dyke, options are limited and charmingly rustic - White Bay Villas and Ivan's Stress Free Guest House offer basic beachfront accommodation from $150 to $300.

Anegada has a handful of small properties, with the Anegada Reef Hotel being the most established at around $200 per night. For many visitors, the best way to stay in the BVI is aboard a charter yacht, which serves as both transportation and accommodation - a crewed catamaran for a couple starts around $3,000 per week all-inclusive. Villa rentals across the territory range from $250 to $2,000 per night depending on size and location.

BVI dining reflects island life: fresh seafood, casual settings, and a few standout spots that reward the effort of finding them. On Tortola, Brandywine Estate on the south coast is the territory's finest restaurant, serving Mediterranean-influenced dishes with local ingredients in a candlelit terrace overlooking Sir Francis Drake Channel - dinner for two runs $120 to $180.

The Dove in Road Town offers upscale Caribbean-French cuisine in a restored West Indian house. For casual eats, D'Best Cup in Road Town serves excellent local lunches of oxtail, stewed chicken, and fungi (a cornmeal-based side dish pronounced "foon-gee" that is the BVI national dish) for under $15.

Cane Garden Bay's beach bars, particularly Myett's, serve solid fish and chips, jerk chicken, and grilled lobster with your feet practically in the surf. On Virgin Gorda, CocoMaya blends Caribbean and Asian flavors in a stylish beachside setting at Leverick Bay, and Restaurant at The Baths serves reliable seafood right at the national park entrance.

Jost Van Dyke is all about beach bar culture - beyond the Soggy Dollar's Painkillers, Foxy's Tamarind Bar is a BVI institution where Foxy Callwood has been entertaining sailors with improvised calypso songs since the 1960s. Sidney's Peace and Love serves a set lobster dinner on the beach at Little Harbour that requires advance booking. On Anegada, lobster is king. The Anegada Reef Hotel, Big Bamboo at Loblolly Bay, and the Wonky Dog each serve whole grilled spiny lobster for around $45 to $60, always best ordered by mid-afternoon for an evening cook.

The BVI's peak season runs mid-December through April, delivering temperatures in the upper 70s to mid-80s Fahrenheit with steady easterly trade winds of 15 to 20 knots - perfect sailing conditions. This is also the driest period, with rain limited to brief passing showers.

Hotel rates and charter prices peak between Christmas and New Year's, when the harbor at Jost Van Dyke fills to capacity for the famous New Year's Eve party at Foxy's. Shoulder season in May and early June offers warm weather, lighter crowds, and rates that drop 25 to 35 percent.

The BVI Spring Regatta in late March or early April is the territory's marquee sailing event and draws crews from around the world. Hurricane season runs June through November, with September and October posing the highest risk. The territory was severely impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017 but has been fully rebuilt. Summer months bring calmer winds, warmer water for diving, and the deepest discounts.