Tortola

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Introducing Tortola

Among Tortola’s sharp peaks and bougainvillea-clad hillsides you’ll find a mash-up of play places. Guesthouses and mountain villas mingle with beachside resorts. Bon Appetite cooks make island dishes next to elderly Mrs Scatliffe, who prepares them from her garden. You even get your choice of full-moon parties – artsy with Aragorn or mushroom-tea-fueled with Bomba.

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About 80% of the BVIs’ 23, 500 citizens live and work on Tortola, so it’s not surprising there’s a lot of choice here. It’s also the BVIs’ governmental and commercial center, plus its air and ferry hub.

As for the name: in Spanish, tortola means ‘turtledove, ’ which were the birds flying around with distinctive coos when Christopher Columbus came ashore. Most have since flown the coop (except on neighboring Guana Island).

Last updated: Apr 24, 2009

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