Flying into Tortola Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in Tortola keeps the region at your fingertips, with neighboring islands just a short ferry ride away. The airport sits on Beef Island, linked to Tortola by a short bridge, and from there winding hill roads lead to every corner of the largest British Virgin Island. Tortola feels unhurried and green, with steep mountains, quiet bays, and a harbor full of sailboats.

Ways to fill your days on Tortola: - Wander Road Town's waterfront and the brightly painted shops on Main Street - Swim and eat grilled fish at Cane Garden Bay on the north shore - See rum made the old way at the Callwood Distillery near Cane Garden Bay - Hike the trails of Sage Mountain National Park, the highest point in the British Virgin Islands - Snorkel at Smuggler's Cove on the island's western tip - Browse the colorful shops of Soper's Hole on the West End - Charter a sailboat for a day and drift between the islands

Because Tortola is an island, ferries and boats do the work that highways do elsewhere. Virgin Gorda is a short ride away, with the giant granite boulders and sea pools of The Baths. Jost Van Dyke is even closer, and its Soggy Dollar Bar on White Bay claims to have invented the Painkiller, a creamy rum drink topped with nutmeg. Norman Island has snorkeling caves straight out of pirate legend, and St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is about an hour by ferry from the West End. Come in late July or early August for the Emancipation Festival, then let Tortola set your pace.