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Cane Garden Bay – a Tortola Beach
‘I hear it gets better, that’s what they say,
As soon as we sail on to Cane Garden Bay.’
So says the song Manaña and, whether you sail to it, drive
to it or walk to it, there is no denying that things do get better in Cane
Garden Bay, undoubtedly one of the British Virgin Islands’ most popular
beaches.
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If you arrive at the bay by road, surprisingly close to
Road Town over the mountain, then the wide, sweeping sands spread out in front
of you will take your breath away. If
you are sailing, there is a spacious anchorage, protected at its entrance by
reefs. There can be some north
swells, especially in the winter months, and the wind off the mountain might
shift a little but there is plenty of water.
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If you come ashore by dinghy, then there’s a dock next to Quito’s
Gazebo – more about that later! – to enable you to dock there rather than
going onto the beach itself.
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Cane Garden Bay really is something special.
A favorite for sailors, sunbathers, swimmers, water sports fans – even
horse riders – this palm tree-lined beauty represents the Caribbean beach to
perfection. In addition, some of
the island’s very best eating places and beach bars can also be found here,
situated in colorful buildings dotted around the beach and nestled into the
dense brush beside the sand.
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Donna at Cane Garden Bay
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The swimming in the azule, pristine waters is truly
memorable – there might be a little wave action in the winter but it’s
predominantly calm – and, with little or no undertow, it’s a good spot for
youngsters. Because the bottom of
the bay is sandy there’s not too much for snorkelers to get over-excited about
– unless they head off to the southern side of the bay, where they can find an
enormous school of sprats, which dart all around you in the perfectly clear sea. |
| It’s around here that you’ll also see pelicans diving in spectacular
fashion. |
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For the active vacationer there’s plenty in the way of
kayaks, paddleboats and water toys to rent – it’s also possible to rent out
powerboats here as well as get scuba diving tours at the ‘We Be Divin’ Scuba
Center’. For the more relaxed and
sedentary, there’s plenty of beach chairs to go round – and plenty of space
for you to chill in peacefully. |
The
only time the beach might be really crowded is when a hundred or so cruise
passengers might descend on the bay but, hey, they’ll be gone in a couple of
hours and the beach will quickly be tidied up so that it’s as immaculate as it
was first thing in the morning!
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But, as promised, back to Quito’s Gazebo – a bar,
restaurant and night club where the eponymous owner, a well-known local singer
of soulful reggae tunes, will probably be amongst those entertaining you in the
evening. There’s also nightly
entertainment at Myett’s, a bar and restaurant snuggled into the beach’s
leafy backdrop. |
There are several
other atmospheric beach bars and restaurants where you can enjoy your fresh fish
and a glass or two of the local rum – produced at the Callwood Distillery in
Cane Garden Bay since the mid 1700s.
As we started with a couple of lines from a song, let’s
end that way, too.
One of Quito’s has the lines, ‘home man, home man,
home, home, home – take me, take me to my paradise.’
Spend some time at Cay Garden Bay beach, and you’ll know
just what he means.
Return
to Tortola Beaches 'Beach' page from Cane Garden Bay.
Return
to Tortola Beaches 'Home' page from Cane Garden Bay.
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