Ecotourism In The British Virgin Islands: How To Travel Lightly By Boat

The British Virgin Islands is the perfect ecotourism destination to visit by boat. The area’s trade winds, weak currents, and few underwater obstacles mean it’s possible to drift around by sail for the majority of your journey, with no engine noise to disturb. Here we reveal how to navigate the region by boat while playing your part for the environment at the same time.

Tread lightly around the British Virgin Islands by joining our eight-day premium Sailing Trip, which takes in Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Guana Island, Tortola and much more.

Sustainable places to shop

The colourful shops in Roadtown make for a great souvenir opportunity

Explore the shops at Wickham’s Cay

Visit the Craft Alive Village

Located in Road Town Harbor just a short walk from the cruise terminal, the Craft Alive Village is filled with rainbow-hued West Indian-style cottages selling arts and crafts made in the British Virgin Islands. Among these shops is Asante Studio, which showcases watercolours and acrylic pieces by local artist Joseph Hodge, Locally Yours, which sells homemade fruit pop “lollies”, and the BVI House of Craft, which sells handmade straw-woven items and other delightful handmade goods.

Sustainable places to eat and drink

Enjoy locally-sourced Caribbean flavours at the Reef House

Located within the Rosewood Little Dix Bay resort on Virgin Gorda Island, Reef House features a menu full of locally-sourced foods, like pickled mango, cured mahi-mahi, and homemade Caribbean jams. The restaurant is located right on the water’s edge, giving you a beautiful view of Little Dix Bay. If travelling by boat, there are marinas available on Virgin Gorda Island a short walk away from Little Dix Bay. The undulating outcrop is also accessible by ferry from Tortola. The ferry terminal is within walking distance of the restaurant, too.

Sustainable activities

Visit the Baths National Park

The Baths National Park is a must for snorkelling enthusiasts visiting the islands

The Baths National Park is among the British Virgin Islands’ most unique natural areas. Located along the southwestern coast of Virgin Gorda, the Baths National Park is filled with an unusual combination of white sand beaches and massive granite boulders. If you look closely, the boulders create hidden pools where marine life may be hiding. If travelling by boat, there are mooring buoys available for day use to ensure moored vessels don’t accidentally damage the reef.

Unfortunately, strong winds in the winter months make the park inaccessible by boat. If travelling on foot, water taxis are available for hire to take you from the Virgin Gorda ferry terminal to The Baths. You may also rent a car or hire a taxi to take you to the top of The Baths, but make sure you come prepared for the 15-minute hike from the parking lot down to the aquamarine waters.

Scuba dive fascinating shipwrecks

The wreck of the RMS Rhone off the coast of Salt Island makes for a memorable scuba experience

Off the coast of Black Point Rock near Salt Island in about 80 feet of water is the RMS Rhone, a British royal mail ship that operated in the area from 1865 to 1867 until the ship was sunk by a late-season hurricane. The shipwreck was used in 1977 to film underwater scenes of Peter Benchley’s The Deep.

When the 310ft (94m) ship sank, the bow separated. The bow now sits in about 80ft (24m) of water near the stern, which is only about 35ft (11m) deep. Today the wreck acts as an artificial reef with schools of fish navigating its cavities and corals cropping up here and there. Other interesting wreck dives around the British Virgin Islands include the Chikuzen, a Korean refrigerator ship intentionally sunk off the northwest coast of Tortola in 1981, and the Kodiak Queen, a ship that survived the Pearl Harbor attack and was recently sunk to create an artificial reef.

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.