Tortola National Parks

Tortola’s beaches and coves are, justifiably, regarded as their crowning glories, but one mustn’t forget that there are four Tortola National parks that are well worth spending some time in while you’re here. 

The BVI National Parks Trust is currently maintaining 17 parks on the islands – as well as the specially designated national park site around the wreck of the rms Rhone - and Tortola’s Sage Mountain National Park was the very first of these, awarded its status as far back as 1964.

The Sage Mountain Park, which covers 92 acres in total, has much to attract visitors. Prime amongst these attractions is that the peak of Mount Sage, at 1716 feet, is the highest point in the whole of the British and American Virgin Islands. Most of the park is above 1,000 feet which means that it is almost always cool and damp here – so the air here can be a welcome relief on the hottest of days. Do make sure you come prepared for it to be much cooler than the coast, though. 

Some of the forest in sage Mountain Park has been completely untouched for over 500 years and you can see several rare and endangered plant species at home here. The native trees here include West Indian mahogany, elephant ear vine, bulletwood and Manilkara bidentata. As you walk through the park you’ll hear many resident birds and the sound of the bo-peeps, the resident tree frogs. There are shelters erected at various points on the trails and a picnic spot on the North Trail. You can pick up a map and further information on your way into the park.

The second oldest of Tortola’s National Parks is the Queen Elizabeth II National Park, which was officially recognized in 1974. The Queen Elizabeth Park can be found on the seaward side of the road at McNamara in Road Town, and is completely different in almost every way from the vastness of Sage Mountain. The Queen Elizabeth Park is a popular place of relaxation and recreation for the people of Road Town and its neighbors. 

The park is actually divided into two distinct areas, The park and the Playground. In the Playground there are swings and similar amenities for children and a peaceful gazebo for parents to sit under when they’re supervising. The grassy lawns of the Park are fringed by native trees, which offer visitors shade, and the whole environment presents a perfect place for informal picnics or birthday parties. At the far eastern side of the park are the remains of the 19th Century Customs House.

The J R. O’Neal Botanic Gardens, on the site of a former agricultural experimentation station, provide a perfect place to escape from the constantly busy town center. The four acre gardens offer a perfect display of exotic and native flora. Arriving down the stately avenue of Royal Palms – there are 62 species of palm in total here – you can follow pathways that wind gloriously beneath floral pergolas, past waterfalls and ponds amongst tropical birds and red-legged tortoises. 

There’s an impressive display of cacti in the Cacti gardens, as well as collections of ginger, heliconias and anthuriums in the lush rain forest section of the gardens.

The last of the Tortola National Parks is the Mount Healthy National Park, overlooking the north shore of the island. Again, this is a very different type of park, giving a wonderful insight into life at the time of the sugar plantations in the BVI. An 18th Century windmill has been restored and you can see the remains of a Boiling House, the Overseer’s Quarters, storage areas, stables, a hospital and several other dwellings. Occupying less than an acre in total, Mount Healthy is a fascinating place to visit – and a relaxing place to picnic.

Tortola’s National Parks, all totally different to each other, can present you with an unexpected side to life in Tortola. I hope you can manage to get to see at least one of them during your time on this wonderful island.

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