White Bay

Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

White Bay is the BVI’s most recognisable social beach, a bright curve of sand where the day slips easily between swimming, coming ashore from a boat and settling in for a long, unhurried afternoon. Even when it is lively, it still feels unmistakably island-shaped rather than overbuilt, because many visitors arrive by water and the setting remains firmly tied to the bay itself. Its strength is the way atmosphere and scenery reinforce one another. Some beaches in the territory are quieter and others are more remote, but few express the BVI idea of arriving by sea and staying put for hours quite so clearly. White Bay is especially rewarding for travellers who want the archipelago’s barefoot, sociable side without giving up clear water and a genuinely beautiful shoreline.