ArcaMax

By Victor Block

It had been two decades since my wife, Fyllis, and I visited the British Virgin Islands. On that visit we checked out the inviting beaches, visited historic and nature-made sites, and oohed and aahed at the magnificent scenery.

During our recent return trip there, we relived those experiences. We also enjoyed others that make this a welcoming destination for those seeking to combine a typical sun, surf and sand vacation with opportunities to delve into intriguing touches of Caribbean culture.

What's missing in the BVI? High-rise hotels, gambling casinos, chain restaurants and the commercialism found at many Caribbean destinations. Available in large quantity are almost vertical mountainous hills over which roads rise and fall, twist and turn. With many stretches that are more pothole than pavement along with the fact that vehicles drive on the British side, we recommend taking taxis and tour buses rather than renting a car.

Many visitors head first for beaches, which come in sizes and amenities to meet most tastes. Cane Garden Bay combines a swath of inviting sand with a wide choice of water-based activities. Smuggler's Cove is fringed by cactus and palm trees and offers good snorkeling far from shore.

A good place to delve into BVI history is Road Town, the islands' capital. The Virgin Islands Folk Museum brims with pre-Columbian artifacts that were used by people who once inhabited the islands. Stories it tells also include tales of pirates and buccaneers who found a home base for seeking quick treasure as well as British colonists who came to stay.

The J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens is an oasis of tropical plants that represent the different habitats of the BVI. Given the lush foliage that proliferates everywhere, even such a magnificent garden seemed almost redundant.

One hidden gem that many travelers miss is the Jenesis Studio. It showcases paintings of BVI life, some of which also decorate a mural that stretches along a roadside wall nearby. Some aspects of life in the BVI decades ago are represented in lifelike dioramas. Behind the building is a garden of tropical herbs and medicinal plants with signs indicating what ailments each has been used to treat.

We also took time to visit three of the other inhabited islands of some 60 that comprise the BVI. Because of its coral and limestone topography, contrasting with the volcanic origin of the others, Anegada is rimmed by sparkling sand beaches. It is surrounded by colorful reefs and old shipwrecks that make it a popular dive and snorkeling destination.

Virgin Gorda offers remnants of early African, Spanish and Indian settlements but is best known for a geologic formation called "the Baths." This is a collection of large granite boulders piled on a beach which form a series of scenic grottoes.

Jost Van Dyke, said to be named for a Dutch privateer, makes up in attractions what it lacks in size (about 3.5 square miles). It is dotted by the ruins of early sugar mills and laced by early explorer footpaths. But the worldwide reputation of this tiny enclave also rests upon the Soggy Dollar Bar, a nondescript but inviting beach watering hole that reputedly is the birthplace of the highly popular local beverage known as the Painkiller.

The name of the establishment came from the fact that before a road had been built, people docked their boat nearby, swam to shore and paid their bar bill with wet paper money taken from their pockets.

Those folks were early participants in an activity for which the BVI is world-famous. Along with the usual leisure pursuits expected in the Caribbean -- sunning and swimming, snorkeling and diving, and much more -- the British Virgin Islands are known as a virtual paradise for boaters. The first visitors came by sea, and since then, the consistent trade winds, clear water and countless islands close enough to navigate by sight have combined to make the archipelago known as the sailing capital of the Caribbean.

For many people, the islands serve as a stopover before they rent a catamaran or sailboat and head out. Seafaring visitors can discover tucked-away coves, deserted beaches and other attractions unavailable to landlubbers.

Even so, we highly recommend spending time on the islands. Each has its own scenic appeals, variety of activities and intriguing chapters of history to relate.

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WHEN YOU GO

Our stay at the Wyndham Tortola Lambert Beach Resort introduced us to much that the BVI offers. Room rates begin at $220 a night. A favorite food find was the Coconut Lounge in Road Town, which overlooks the harbor. Personal favorites were the coconut-crusted shrimp and seafood pasta: wyndhamhotels.com and bvitourism.com.

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Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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