Jost Van Dyke and White Bay day trip

Ferries leave West End, Tortola, several times a day for Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke's main settlement, a crossing of about 25 minutes. Taxis wait at the dock to run people over to White Bay, or you can walk it in 15 to 20 minutes over a rocky hill with views across St John to St Thomas. Wear shoes; people who try it barefoot tend to regret it halfway.

White Bay takes its name from its bright white sand, split in two by the rocks of Black Point and sheltered by a reef, though strong currents can build up. Beach bars line it, the Soggy Dollar Bar among them, the one that made the Painkiller famous (dark rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice, nutmeg on top). It is a favourite stop for yachts and day boats from Tortola and the US Virgin Islands, and small cruise ships call too, so expect company. Back at Great Harbour, Foxy's and the other bars along the sand are the island's other draw. With time and a swell running, the Bubbly Pool on the northeast shore, a rock pool that fizzes when waves break into it, is an easy walk from Foxy's Taboo near Diamond Cay.