These Are the Hidden Gems of the British Virgin Islands, From Norman Island to Prickly Pear

You leave Tortola behind, the boat slicing through the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and suddenly it’s like stepping through a secret door. The water gets quieter, more translucent. The breeze softens. The sun takes its time. These are the hidden places — and beaches —of the British Virgin Islands — not the ports, not the polished resorts, but the off-grid oases for those who dig a little deeper.

Cooper Island, Norman Island, Marina Cay, Great Camanoe, Sandy Cay, Prickly Pear. They’re not destinations, they’re invitations. And if you follow them, they’ll show you a different side of the BVI — one of rum bars and uninhabited beaches, of turtle-dotted coves and long, slow sunsets.

This is the BVI you never knew you needed.

Cooper Island

The moment you set foot on the dock at Cooper Island Beach Club, it feels like time folds in on itself. That’s how I felt the first time I came here, before the storms, and then after. I’ve come here on a boat and stayed at the hotel, and it’s always memorable. There are no cars here, no cruise ships, just a boutique eco-resort and a perfect beach facing west. The rum bar has one of the best selections in the region, and when the sun starts dropping behind Tortola, you’ll understand why everyone’s sitting silently, Painkiller in hand, just watching. The snorkeling here — especially around Cistern Point — is unreal, with coral gardens that seem painted into the sea.

Norman Island

You anchor here because you know what to look for. This is the island that supposedly inspired Treasure Island, and the legend hasn’t faded. The caves at The Bight are still alive with phosphorescent magic. But there’s more: hikes up to high ridges, secret beaches with no names, and water so still it reflects your thoughts. Norman is wild, yes — but there’s a serenity underneath it. A kind of freedom.

Marina Cay

You pull up to Marina Cay and it’s like finding a memory you didn’t know you had. It’s small — impossibly small — and framed by brilliant blue shallows. Now it’s home to something new: the Marina Cay Bar and Grill, a fun, colorful watering hole and lounge run by the owners of Scrub Island. This is the kind of place where you spend the afternoon with your feet in the sand, reading a weathered paperback, sipping something tropical and cold. At sunset, everything turns gold, and for a moment, it feels like the world has slowed to your speed.

Great Camanoe

Tucked just north of Marina Cay, Great Camanoe is one of those places that hides in plain sight. Most sailors pass it by. But if you drop anchor near Indigo Plantation or snorkel the reef off Cam Bay, you’ll find a kind of quiet that’s increasingly rare in the Caribbean. There are private homes here, but almost no development. The hills are wild and green. The beaches are often empty. And from certain spots, it feels like you’re hovering between the BVI and nothing at all.

Sandy Cay

You’ve seen postcards that look like Sandy Cay, but here’s the thing: Sandy Cay is real. This speck of an island — just offshore from Jost Van Dyke — is pure fantasy. White sand, tall palms, and nothing else. No bars. No buildings. Just you, the sand, and the sea. There’s a short trail that runs through the brush, but most people don’t make it that far. They come to beach, to breathe, to remember what a Caribbean beach used to feel like. Unspoiled. Unsponsored. Perfect.

Prickly Pear

It’s not just the name — Prickly Pear feels like something out of another story. Off Virgin Gorda, this quiet slice of wild beach and dune is protected parkland, home to rare birds and far-flung boaters. There’s a beach bar, yes — but it’s more like a beach dream. The kind of place where lunch becomes a nap, and a nap becomes the whole day. The colors here are exaggerated: blue water, golden sand, green hills. It’s one of the last places in the BVI that still feels like an open secret. And if you know, you know.