The very name of the British Virgin Islands conjures up images of expensive yachts, private tropical islands and exclusive Caribbean beach resorts. However, did you know that the BVI also can be a great and affordable travel destination for families travelling independently with young children?

Tortola is the main island in the British Virgin Islands archipelago. It is easy to reach from other Caribbean Islands, including Puerto Rico. A trip to Tortola with babies, toddlers or young children can be a great introduction to this laid-back and welcoming Caribbean nation. Visiting Tortola with toddlers, babies or children can be relatively inexpensive (if you know where to go).

What’s more, is that hundreds of cruises ships stop here every year so many families find themselves on Tortola with small children looking for family-friendly activities to do. We spent an amazing week on Tortola with a toddler and a baby. Here are our top tips for having a great time and not breaking the bank.

What to do in Tortola with a toddler

Here are the top 4 family-activities to do in Tortola with kids. Keep reading for more details on our own tried-and-tested recommendations.

• Spend the day at the beach
• Explore the mountainous interior
• Meander around Road Town
• Take a boat trip to another nearby island

The Best Beaches to visit in Tortola with Toddlers

Cane Garden Bay

Cane Garden Bay is an absolutely beautiful beach on the northwest coast of Tortola. However, it is very popular. If there are cruise ships in town it can get very crowded so keep an eye on the schedules.

That said Cane Garden Bay is popular for good reason as well as fine white sand and clear turquoise waters it also is home to great beach bars and useful amenities. It is easy to rent any waterport equipment that you need from snorkels to paddle boards.

It’s about a 20 minute rather hilly drive from Road Town. Don’t worry if you don’t have transport as there are normally lots of taxis waiting here.

Brewer’s Bay

If you have your own transport, we highly recommend heading over to the more chilled out but equally as stunning Brewers Bay. Although it’s less developed than ever-popular Cane Garden Bay, there are amenities including toilet facilities and a beach bar. We really liked the amount of shade (provided by palm trees). The little ones loved playing in the sand and we knew that they weren’t directly in the sun. Bring your snorkel gear (or hire it there) as there’s great snorkelling right off the shore.

Two other beaches worth exploring with young children are:

Long Bay West ( a mile-long stretch of white sand with a resort where you can eat and hire watersports equipment)

Smugglers Cove (a local favourite. It doesn’t have many amenities but it doesnt have the crowds either. Be warned the steep, windy road to the beach can be trechorous)

Best Family-Friendly Activities in Tortola

Hiking at Sage Mountain National Park

Set off early in the morning before the heat to explore this wonderful park and home to the Virgin Islands’ tallest mountain. The cafe/ visitor centre is a good place to start. There you can buy maps and refreshments.

If you’ve brought the child-carrier with you then you’ll find a great family-friendly walking trail here. The trail is mostly flat and has lots of shade. Although it’’s not challenging, it is recommended that you wear sensible, covered footwear (no flip flops!).

Explore laid-back Road Town

We loved exploring Road Town with young children. It’s a very peaceful but interesting colonial town. You can meander along the back streets to explore the historic buildings and gorge on a plate of fish and chips at a traditional British pub.

The J.R O’Neal Botanical Gardens were a great place for the little ones to stretch their legs and have a run-around. Tortola Pier Park is also a relaxing park to stroll with toddlers. There are restaurants and shops as well as beautiful views over the harbour.

Take a day trip to another island

Sail to Jost Van Dyke Island for beach time (and strong cocktails for mum and dad!)

It’s easy to reach Jost Van Dyke island from Tortola either as part of a tour or by local ferry. There’s a beautiful white sand beach with amazingly clear waters at White Bay. There’s a coral reef close to the shore so bring or hire snorkel gear to explore this colourful underwater world. For parents, this is an opportunity to visit Soggy Dollar Bar. A bar famous throughout the Caribbean for its strong “Painkiller” cocktails and great kid-friendly atmosphere.

Clamber over the giant boulder at The Baths, Virgin Gorda

If you’re looking for a unique experience in the British Virgin Islands, head to The Baths on Virgin Gorda Island. Located on the North shore of the island, you will find an incredible geological phenomenon. Over hundreds of thousands of years, mammoth granite boulders have formed. Constant erosion by the sea has created a maze of caves, grottoes and rock pools. Great for exploring with kids. Look out for fish, shells and other sea creatures living in the pools.

There is a great kid-friendly walking trail that leads through the boulders to Devil’s Bay Beach. It has safety ropes and steps so it is safe for supervised young children. Make sure that you take your swimming gear and snorkel kit for the chill-out time at the beach.

Take the ferry over to St Thomas and explore the US Virgin Islands

Don’t limit your Caribbean adventures to the British Virgin Islands. Although leaving this beautiful nation may be hard! Pop over to the US Virgin Islands on one of the regular ferries. The journey takes about 50 minutes and the port is right in the heart of Charlotte Amalie.

The US Virgin Islands are like the big, brass, commercialised cousins of the calm British Virgin Islands. Bumpy rough roads are replaced by paved highways and there’s definitely more of a ‘buy me’ vibe and a faster pace of life. We highly recommend a visit to the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum in Charlotte Amalie.

Be inspired by our post on 8 Amazing St. Thomas Excursions with Kids: US Virgin Islands

TRAVEL TIP: Non-US citizens will need to apply for an online ESTA before arrival in the US Virgin Island. You may already have a valid one if you’ve flown via the United States or Puerto Rico.

Where to eat in Tortola with kids?

Beach bars. There is nowhere more kid-friendly than a ‘toes-in-the-sand’ cafe right on the beach. Bring the bucket and spades and the whole family will be entertained for hours. Our favourite was Quito’s Gazebo at Cane Garden Bay (gorgeous mahi-mahi burgers) in a relaxed beachfront restaurant.

We also recommend trying traditional roti in Road Town and of course, some fish and chips at a very British pub like Pusser’s Pub on the waterfront. Highchairs are available in most restaurants.

Where to stay in Tortola with kids?

There are many expensive resorts in Road Town, you can take your pick on Booking.com. We prefer staying in apartments. In the case of Tortola, we totally recommend using a site like Airbnb. Treat yourself to some right Caribbean hospitality and interact with the wonderfully friendly local community. We stayed in a gorgeous 2-bed apartment high in the hills with magnificent views over the harbour. Our hosts were helpful, friendly and kind. Their daughters and our kids became buddies and had a great time playing together.

Getting around Tortola with kids

Central Road Town is easily walkable. Bring a stroller or carrier for toddlers and babies. You will need transport to explore further afield.

As we were staying out of town in the hills, we hired a car. We find hiring cars with toddlers is a great way to see more. We purchased a BVI local driving licence for US$10 as part of the car rental agreement. If you’re only visiting for the day, there are many taxis and open air safaris available downtown and at the cruise port for tourists to use. Always agree on fares beforehand.

If you’re interested in island hopping in the British Virgin Islands and US Virgin Islands, the best way to do that is with ferry service. Ferry docks are located around Tortola in Road Town (Central Tortola), Soper’s Hole (West End) and Beef Island (East End). There are regular ferries to most BVI and USVI islands.

Intrigued by the idea of a family-friendly holiday in the Caribbean? Find out how we independently travelled around Jamaica with toddlers and how we saved lots of money house-swapping.

Our top 10 tips for a great holiday to the British Virgin Islands with toddlers

⦁ Stay in an apartment- the locals are SO friendly. Our host even supplied us with a Christmas tree to decorate. Our children made some great friends.
⦁ You do need a car to access many of the beaches.
⦁ Bring beach toys with you. Amazingly, we couldn’t find a bucket and spade to buy in Road Town!
⦁ If you are there for Christmas, we recommend Cane Garden Beach. All the local expats go there and the atmosphere is great.
⦁ The supermarkets are well stocked- you can even find Waitrose Essentials! Self-catering is easy.
⦁ If you’re flying from Europe definitely break up your trip especially if flying with young kids. We met a family who took a 5 leg flight with 2 under fours. They had delays, theft and luggage loss and were frazzled. We minimised this kind of disaster by stopping in Puerto Rico on the way there and back.
⦁ Prepare for mosquitoes. Lots of them. Bring good repellent and wear long sleeves.
⦁ Try and tempt your little ones to try exotic fruits. There are so many and most are delicious.
⦁ Be warned that on days when there are cruise ships in port, most places will be crowded.
⦁ It’s really easy to fly and sail between the US and the British Virgin Islands so take your time and explore the whole archipelago.

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