12 Best BVI Photo Ops

When you visit the British Virgin Islands, you'd be silly not to bring your camera. Even if you're an amateur, smartphones are such good quality these days, there's no excuse not to return from paradise with dozens of beautiful shots, sights, and memories captured in a photograph. Surrounded by vistas of mountainous archipelagos painted on the horizon, the British Virgin Islands offer gorgeous natural backdrops and unique man-made attractions for original photo-ops to add to your collection of Caribbean vacation pics.

1. Boulders at The Bath’s - Virgin Gorda

The Bath's National Park is home to the notorious, mysterious giant boulders which decorate the southern shore of Virgin Gorda between Spring Bay and Devil’s Bay. This area features a white sandy shore, turquoise water with prime snorkelling, a beautiful restaurant and swimming pool, as well as tons of spots to take photos with wildlife and nature. If you’re up for the challenge, climb on top of a boulder when the tide is low with a clear ocean background.

2. The Bubbly Pool - Jost Van Dyke 

Just a short distance from Long Bay on Jost Van Dyke, directly beside Diamond Cay, lies another geological wonder known as “The Bubbly Pool”. Down nature trails, around the salt pond and through wild sage bushes, the rock formation creates a bath area which acts as a natural jacuzzi when there's enough wave activity. If you're lucky and there are large waves crashing against the shoreline, snap a pic in this natural jacuzzi.

PHOTO BY NOELLE CAMPBELL

3. Sunsets at Cane Garden Bay - Tortola

Dusk is the most beautiful time to be on Tortola’s post popular beach, Cane Garden Bay. The chaos dies down as day-visitors return to their ships and the local beach bars play live music to accompany their happy hour specials. Stay a little longer, as it's the spectacular vistas of the neighbouring Virgin Islands, painted on a backdrop of orange, purple, and red sunsets which make for a truly unbelievable photo-op. 

 4. Island Hopping

Each of the BVI’s islands boasts its own unique beauty and character with a variety of attractive Instagram-worthy snap shots. What’s unique about the Virgin Islands from elsewhere in the Caribbean is the close proximity of the islands to one another. This means mountainous isles painted on the horizon for picturesque backdrops in all of your photos. Take the most memorable inter-island snaps with a group of friends while sailing and enjoying sunshine, music, and mimosas as you cruise between destinations.

5. Hammocking at White Bay - Jost Van Dkye

Who doesn’t want to Instagram a sweet shot of themselves lounging on a giant hammock resting between two coconut palms? Nestled in the shade between the rowdy beach bars and the alluring water with power boats moored at the shore, White Bay offers its day visitors space to relax, snooze, or simply take their next profile-picture on the famous wicker hammocks. You can’t go to the bay which is ‘home to the legendary painkiller’ and not enjoy island life the way it is meant to be enjoyed.

6. Views from West End - Tortola

High in the hills overlooking Tortola’s West End, the communities of Belmont Estate and Long Bay offer expansive views of Jost Van Dyke, from Sandy Cay extending to Cane Garden Bay. The most magnificent photo-op occurs right at dawn, when an intoxicating sunrise can be caught sneaking up behind Spyglass Hills illuminating the homes decorating the mountain against the morning scenery.

7. The Caves at Devil’s Bay - Virgin Gorda

A trip to The Bath’s at Spring Bay, is not complete without an in-depth exploration of The Cave’s between Spring Bay and Devil’s Bay. The natural trail is formed between the gigantic boulders, creating many tiny wading pools with natural light flooding in from the gaps, challenging explorers to climb and make their way to the other side. These gorgeous formations are a photo opportunity like none-other to add to your BVI album.

8. Underwater Snorkelling - All islands

Snorkelling is fantastic in the Caribbean and the BVI is no exception. Be sure to bring a go-pro or underwater camera to document the fact you’ve snorkelled in the British Virgin Islands, be sure to capture the rare coral and aquatic life.

9. Full Moon Parties at Trellis Bay - Beef Island

Each month, the BVI celebrates the Full Moon in locations throughout the major islands. At Trellis Bay off Beef Island at the East End of Tortola, the Fireball Full Moon parties are a favourite for both locals and visitors, as the bay is lined with artisans selling handmade treasures, and barbecue vendors offering local Caribbean cuisine. The entertainment includes live music, stilt-walkers, fire dancers, and at midnight, a giant fireball is set ablaze in the bay.

10. Necker Island

Sir Richard Branson’s gorgeous private hideaway, Necker Island, is open to the public to tour with certain companies, and the visit is well worth it! Beautiful architecture, tropical vegetation, and rare exotic animals make this paradise the ultimate place to take pictures. The stunning vistas looking out to the ocean provide breathtaking backdrops, and you must take a photo with one of the lemurs or the giant tortoises.

11. The Willy T

The Willy-T is a legendary floating bar and restaurant which looks like an old pirate ship, anchored in The Bight on Norman Island - Norman Island is the believed to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, Treasure Island. Things can get a little crazy onboard the The William Thorton, but if you can handle it, a snap of you jumping off a pirate ship into the clear Caribbean waters is a profile pic waiting to happen.

12. Scrub Island

Scrub Island Resort and Marina is a luxury place to spend a day, week, or maybe even a lifetime. The views from the infinity pool, overlooking the neighbouring islands include Beef Island, Marina Cay, and Great Canoe. These exclusive vistas make for wonderful pictures, as does the silver ‘Scrub Island’ sign, visible as you approach the island.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Charley is a writer and editor, with a passion for travel and a love for the Caribbean culture. Born a tropical baby at heart, she sought employment in the British Virgin Islands after graduating university and landed a position as the Editorial Coordinator for a luxury lifestyle magazine. Currently, Lauren resides at her home in Niagara-on-the-Lake working as a freelance copywriter for North American and Caribbean publications.