Overview

About The Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands, consisting of nine main islands and some 75 islets, were explored by Columbus in 1493. They were originally inhabited by the Carib Indians. Since 1666, England has held six of the main islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Peter Island, and Anagoda); the remaining three (St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John), as well as about 50 of the islets, were eventually acquired by Denmark, which named them the Danish West Indies. In 1917, these islands were purchased by the U.S. from Denmark for $25 million.

U.S. Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are made up of three larger islands and many small islands. The three main islands include St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. St. Thomas is the most commercialized of the islands and is home to most of the large hotels and resorts in the US Virgin Islands. 3 miles away from St. Thomas is St. John but it feels a world apart. St. John is the least developed of the US Virgin Islands and two-thirds of it's tropical hills remain protected as a U.S. national park. The largest of the US Virgin Islands is St. Croix which is 40 miles south of St. Thomas. Go to St. Croix if you like history. The island has ruins of old plantations and Christiansted National Historic Site contains and old fort and other Danish-era remnants. St. Croix is not the place for a back-to-nature vacation.

British Virgin Islands

First settled by the Dutch in 1648 and later annexed by the British in 1672, the British Virgin Islands are a total of 33 islands, with 5 major ones: Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Peter Island and Anegada (15 miles or 24 km to the north of Virgin Gorda).

20 of the 33 islands are uninhabited. The coral islands are flat, whilst the volcanic islands are steep and hilly. The highest point is Mount Sage, Tortola, at 521m (1684ft). Its people are of mixed origins, though primarily of African descent. Rainfall levels are moderate (1150mm p.a. or 45 in), and the vegetation ranges from lush tropical vegetation in the hills to more sparse scrubland on the flatter, more exposed islands.

All of the British Virgin Islands are beautiful and offer a plethora of sites to visit. Take-in the beauty of the islands through numerous snorkeling sites, excellent shopping, unforgettable hiking trails, and decadent food and island drink selections.