Spa Guide

British Virgin Islands

Quieter and more laid-back than the U.S. Virgin Islands, this territory of Great Britain has consciously held tourism at bay by decreeing that no building can be higher than the surrounding palm trees and offering no direct flights to the United States mainland. Those that do make it to the B.V.I., however, are not disappointed. Many of the hotels and resorts are so spaced out you'll feel you have an entire tropical island to yourself.

Made up of a group of 50 islands (the largest are Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Jost Van Dyke), the B.V.I. was once a retreat for pirates and Deadman Bay is the spot where Blackbeared reportedly left 15 men with only a bottle of rum, inspiring the well-known ditty. Today the territory attracts many sailing enthusiasts.

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