Off the beaten path
The Virgin Islands is a sailor’s fantasyland freshened by balmy trade winds and dotted with coconut palms.
Many of its attractions have become world famous in recent decades: The Baths, Cane Garden Bay and Foxy’s, to name a few.
As a visitor, you can stick to these attractions and have a fabulous vacation. Or you can go off the beaten path.
Unexplored seascape
Colourful underwater scenery abounds in VI waters. Most tourists visit a local dive shop to sign up for trips to the Wreck of the Rhone, the Painted Walls and other aquatic destinations.
But there is one rewarding dive site you won’t find in any guidebook. To get there, travel west from Road Town until you reach a sign that says, “Warning: sewage outfall.” Then don an air tank and mask, together with an underwater biohazard suit, and slip into the cloudy water.
A couple hundred yards from shore, you’ll find a nutrient-rich landscape of virtually unexplored terrain packed with sights other tourists never dreamed of. Mutant crabs? You bet! Dead stuff? Absolutely! Poop? For sure! Three-eyed fish with tumours? Probably. Other tourists? Never!
Bring along a generous supply of disinfectant with which to douse yourself when you emerge.
Rating: *****
The ghut
Many Road Town visitors walk through the capital wondering about the origin of the unique odour that often perfumes the area. Few take the time to find out more. In fact, the culprit runs directly beneath their feet: The main sidewalk is built atop The Odorous Ghut of Road Town.
The ghut is most accessible near the traffic lights, where it opens into a palm-lined canal where saltwater mixes with runoff, grey water and a touch of raw sewage. If you have an inflatable kayak, you can paddle from the heart of town to the ocean in an afternoon.
Or, if you’re truly adventurous, find a resident with heavy machinery and ask for help accessing the covered portion of the ghut further upstream. You’ll be richly rewarded with a spelunker’s paradise.
There is much to see underneath Road Town’s sidewalks, but don’t go alone.
Rating: ***
Hidden treasure
Road Town also holds another hidden treasure that is easy to miss. The structure still known as the “new hospital” is difficult to find — it is tucked away behind the Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly — but it is well worth a visit.
To get there, walk to the western end of Main Street, climb the pothole-riddled hill on your right, and find a gap in the chain link fence large enough to crawl through. Then you’ll be free to explore the structure to your heart’s content.
Senior citizens say that the building originally was meant to be a hospital — thus the origin of its name — but today it is an empty shell, and most residents have forgotten it exists.
Highlights include the tower at the very top: Rumour has it that former Premier Ralph O’Neal dreamed of moving his office there for a bird’s-eye view of his domain.
Visit soon, because the facility will be overgrown with weeds before you know it.
Rating: ***
Tortola’s ghost buildings
There are many beautiful homes scattered across the VI’s luxuriant hills. Unfortunately, their owners often don’t appreciate tourists showing up uninvited.
There is another option: Tortola is dotted with unfinished abandoned homes. Touring these buildings is a little eerie, but it provides the tourist with a good idea of what it’s like to live in splendour on a Tortola mountainside — and what it’s like to default on a loan.
The best way to reach these sites is to rent a car. Make sure it’s a fast car, though, in case an owner shows up.
Rating: **
The Burn Pile
Picturesque Virgin Gorda also has its share of secrets. Perhaps because it’s the highest point on the island, Gorda Peak has a somewhat overblown reputation as a must-see attraction. The views from the top are indeed splendid, but most tourists don’t even realise that a quick downhill stroll from the entrance leads to an equally impressive attraction: The Burn Pile.
This barren hillside brings to mind a moonscape. A fiery glow and the odour of burning trash and hazardous chemicals sustain the illusion of interplanetary travel.
Visit at night for an awe-inspiring view of smouldering embers. Don’t forget to tell the kids they’re walking on a volcano — which technically is probably not a lie, as the island was formed from volcanic activity a really long time ago.
If you’re lucky, you may even come across some of the stray dogs or cats that are often abandoned in the area in spite of a sign warning against the practice.
Rating: ****
Mud bogging
VG’s South Sound boasts the seldom-visited Great Mud Pit. The site originally was designed to be a location for greenhouses. Today, no one knows what it’s for, but it sure does have a lot of mud. Rent a four-wheel drive jeep and go wild.
Rating: **