Go Beyond British Virgin Islands’ Beaches and Explore What Awaits Within and Beneath

Sure, Caribbean islands draw travelers to their white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and calm shorelines, but these features often make the islands indistinguishable from one another. However, when visitors delve deeper into each island and beneath the waves around it, a new identity emerges.

Such is the case with the British Virgin Islands, where lush landscapes, hidden underworlds and more await. So while you can still soak up the sun and sea, be sure to add these other experiences to your list when on the British Virgin Islands:

Hike the Islands

Take a guided trek through spectacular scenery at national parks and lookout spots to see the islands from a different perspective. You’ll gain a greater appreciation for the flora and fauna on the island through this slower-paced activity. Tours are available with Hike BVI.

© British Virgin Islands Tourist Board

Paddle Through Mangroves

Book a paddleboard experience with Magic Mangroves Paddle and wander through the mangroves of Beef Island. You may even spot turtles, stingrays and baby sharks beneath the surface.

Ride an ATV on Jost Van Dyke

Salt Life Adventures offers ATV tours through the terrain of Jost Van Dyke, one of the main islands in the British Virgin Islands. At just 3 square miles, an ATV ride is the best way to experience every inch of the island.

Go Birdwatching

Companies like BVI Eco-Tours offer guided birdwatching tours, as well as island tours and other immersive nature experiences. The British Virgin Islands have a total of 209 species of birds, including flamingos, mangrove cuckoos, Antillean nighthawks, Antillean-crested hummingbirds, sandpipers, brown boobies, ospreys, herons and egrets.

Zip Above Tortola

Soar over the trees and landscapes of Tortola on a zip line, available with Original Virgin Canopy Tours.

Sharkplaneo © British Virgin Islands Tourist Board

See Shipwrecks

If you’re licensed in scuba diving, you can see some of the most fascinating shipwrecks off the coast of the British Virgin Islands, including Sharkplaneo, RMS Rhone and Wreck Alley. Dive operators include Sunchaser Scuba, Dive BVI and Jost Van Dyke Scuba.