TEXAS LIFESTYLE | Jet Setter Islands (Continued from page 33)
The BVI National Park Service calls The Baths on Virgin Gorda a “geological wonder comprised of awe-inspiring granite boulders, which form sheltered sea pools on the beach's edge.” An easy hike down a sand path opens onto the pristine bluewater-protected Devil’s Bay. If you can bring yourself to leave its refreshing water, meander through the 40-foot boulders in sometimes waist-deep rock pools, then scale a series of ladders and ropes that deposit you at the Bath’s white-sand beach with beach bar and thatched-roof palapa shops. Make your way back up the trail for lunch at The Top of the Baths. While waiting for your lobster salad and conch fritters, take a dip in the pool with its panoramic Caribbean vista.
The northernmost island in the BVI chain, Anegada’s nearly flat elevation is in stark contrast to the other islands’ peaks and outcroppings. Surrounded by 18 miles of coral reef, Anegada’s beaches offer calm swimming in crystalline waters. Like many visitors, we rented scooters for a day of exploring those beaches. Our first stop was an overlook platform, from which visitors can view the island’s Caribbean flamingoes which make the island’s salt ponds their home. From there, stop in the open air Cow Wreck Beach Bar where your pina coladas are on the honor system. Join a young local for a spirited game of Guests and first mate prepare to darts, linger in one of the colorful Adirondack chairs moor in the evening’s anchorage. along the beach and take a dip in the beckoning water. Be sure to visit the gift shop down the sandy path, where you’ll find photos of recent visitors like to the beach, and return when you’re ready for pick up. You can even St. John-resident and BVI-supporter Kenny Chesney. use the Beach Board to order ahead, and have your drinks waiting for No visit to Anegada is complete without a lobster meal, so plan lunch at the Anegada Beach Club. The open air restaurant is adjacent to the resort’s pool, and just a short walk to another beachfront bar alongside the resort’s “glamping style” palapa rentals. Word of caution: the roads on Anegada are a mix of deep sand and asphalt and can be challenging to navigate on scooters, especially if the island has had little rain. For a less-challenging option, jeep rentals are also available.
Known as the home of the original Painkiller – the BVI’s concoction of rum and juices topped off with nutmeg – the Soggy Dollar is back in operation after extensive hurricane damage. Charter boats claim their anchorage early in the day (by 11 am, the harbor was full) for swim-in access to this popular beach bar. Grab a picnic table or Adirondack chair, and settle in for an afternoon of fun. No room to anchor? Your charter captain can dingy your group directly
32 Texas Lifestyle Magazine | Fall/Holiday 2018
you on arrival. While the setting offers lots to do including its infamous Soggy Dollar Ring Game – the best part of this afternoon can be simply doing nothing.
An uninhabited and quiet island may be just the antidote to a day at the Soggy Dollar. With its 14 acres of nature preserve land originally donated by the late philanthropist Lawrence Rockefeller, Sandy Cay delivers solitude and untouched beauty. Sandy Cay lies between Tortola and Jost Van Dyke. A sandy but well-maintained trail rises from the palm-tree lined beach to the island’s cliffs where you’ll be treated to a breathtaking 360-degree view. The island is home to several species of trees, shore birds and reptiles, and even leatherback sea turtle nests in some years. But not all its beauty lies ashore. If time allows, don your snorkel gear for a glimpse at Staghorn and Elkhorn coral and an array of fish which inhabit the reef just off the shoreline.