Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

It’s been said that Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands is the way the Caribbean once was. Unspoiled, lightly developed, a little rugged and a bit secluded. 

Development has come with a light touch to this small island. In 1958, American businessman, financier and conservationist Laurance Rockefeller purchased a few hundred acres of a crescent-shaped beach and, in the 1960s, had an eco-friendly resort built before environmentally minded development was a movement. Other resorts followed at a measured pace. 

Virgin Gorda is one of the major islands of the BVI archipelago. ‘Major,’ however, is a relative term. The population is fewer than 5,000 and the island is only eight square miles. It is accessible by ferry service and air service at its regional airport. 

The main settlement and principal harbor of Virgin Gorda is Spanish Town, a noted yachting destination. Less than three miles south is the island’s most celebrated wonder, the Baths. This collection of giant granite boulders at the water’s edge forms a maze of crevices, pools and grottos that allow for endless hours of swimming and exploring. 

All beaches in Virgin Gorda are public although many are so quiet one is unlikely to see more than another soul or two. Superb sailing, snorkeling and wreck diving are reasons to love the island Christopher Columbus is said to have named it for a curvy woman’s shape. 

On land, adventurers can explore the ruins of an old copper mine, hike through nature sanctuaries or climb up to Gorda Peak, the highest point on the island for spectacular views.  

Virgin Gorda offers property buyers hillside estates, homes carved into bluffs, marina villas and beachfront homesites. Some enclaves have the feel of a private island. Among international buyers, most hail from the United States or Britain.