Sailing in Tortola

Map of the best ports and anchorages

Tortola, the main island of the BVIs

Tortola’s early days were shaped by sugar, and the ruins of the 18th-century Callwood Rum Distillery, tell tales of the once-flourishing sugar cane plantations. Rum is still distilled here using traditional methods, a chance to sip rum where it’s been made for over 200 years. Pirates, naturally, couldn’t resist these waters, and Tortola was no stranger to buccaneer visits. It was a prime hideaway for the likes of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, who found the island’s secluded bays perfect for stashing loot or plotting their next raid. Soper’s Hole, a picturesque harbor today, was once one of their hideouts. You wouldn’t know it now, with its colorful marina and restaurants, but every now and then, you can almost imagine the ghost of a pirate ship drifting into the cove.

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