There are always plenty of things to do in and around the water on the British Virgin Islands. Boating and sailing are always popular sports, and there are several companies that will rent anything from a small motorboat to a full-size yacht (see Getting Around for more information). If you do not know how to sail and want to learn, there are also sailing schools that offer lessons (Bitter End, Full Sail, Offshore Sailing, Sea Dog and Upper Bay are just a few). Most of them are found on Tortola, the main island. Places that rent equipment for other water sports (such as surfing) are Boardsailing BVI, Cane Garden Bay Surfboards, and Last Stop Water Sports. Smuggler’s Cove, once a hideout for pirates, is now considered one of the premier spots in the Islands for snorkeling.

The waters around the Islands are also great for fishing. In fact, there are several fishing competitions throughout the year, including the Spanish Town Fisherman’s Jamboree on Virgin Gorda in March, Fishermans Day on Beef Island in May, and a Thanksgiving Game Fish Challenge on Virgin Gorda.

A few of the many great beaches in the Islands are Apple Bay Beach (Tortola) for surfing, The Baths (Virgin Gorda) for snorkeling and Deadman’s Bay (Peter Island for yachting.

Many of the smaller islands have been declared national sanctuaries or parks, so you can visit these places to see some regional wildlife. There is West Dog, located near Virgin Gorda, a nesting site for many seabirds. Diamond Cay on Jost Van Dyke is also a bird sanctuary and a nesting place for the endangered leatherback turtle. Tortola also has a few national parks, notably the Queen Elizabeth II Park and Sage Mountain National Park.