With lush tropical shores that melt away into white sands and tranquil waves, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands is beautiful enough for billionaires, and that’s no exaggeration. “People that have enough money to live anywhere on the planet are choosing to live right here,” says Alexander Dobbs, real estate sales manager at Oil Nut Bay, as he gestures around the island’s North Sound and towards Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
- Villas and vacation homes cling to hillsides and grace sandy shores at Oil Nut Bay, embodying the laid-back yet supremely luxurious vibe of the island for a guaranteed hit of a getaway.
- Hemmed in by billionaire-owned private islands, the North Sound of Virgin Gorda features some of the most exclusive places in the Caribbean for sipping cocktails and sailing at sunset.
Best Hotels and Resorts
After spending a decade scouring the Caribbean for the perfect location, Oil Nut Bay visionary David V. Johnson founded a spot so spectacular that it makes Travel + Leisure‘s list of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. This 400-acre property in the exclusive North Sound is villas and vacation homes first by design, giving it a low-density, community-style feel that offers visitors supreme seclusion. However, with water sports on the beachfront, a kids club, exquisite dining options, and the intimate overwater Sundara Spa, there are plenty of ways to enjoy.
Best Restaurants
Nova
Seafood and sushi await at Nova, the open-air, overwater dining destination at Oil Nut Bay’s Marina Village. Tie up the boat and spend the day perusing the surrounding shops, swimming off the dock and from a small, sandy beachfront, and lounging in beach chairs before digging into a new happy hour menu at sunset.
Best Time to Visit
“Virgin Gorda has a unique extended season due to cooling trade winds that keep average temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit almost year-round,” says Emily Oakes, vice president of business at Oil Nut Bay. However, like much of the Caribbean, Virgin Gorda experiences its travel high season from December through April, as most visitors flee colder climates back home. Though resorts and yacht charters are pricier at this time of year, the island enjoys the nicest weather, sunniest skies, and the calmest seas, making it the best time to visit.
