Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport: where to stay, areas and…

Terrance B. Lettsome International, still often called Beef Island after the name of the small island on which it sits, linked to Tortola by a bridge, is the main airport of the British Virgin Islands: from here you also depart for Virgin Gorda and the other islands, reachable by ferry from Trellis Bay or the Road Town Ferry Terminal. Those staying on Tortola's north-east coast, near the airport, have a 10-minute transfer; those heading for Road Town, the capital, should count 20-25; those wanting the postcard beaches of the West End, such as Long Bay or Apple Bay, must allow 30-45 minutes, nearly one end of the island to the other.

East End, near the airport

Airport area · About 5-6 km from the terminal, 10 minutes by car or taxi along the north-east coast; the Booking listing places the hotel in Road Town, but its real location is much closer to the airport.

Best for: Those wanting the island's shortest transfer, with a real beach rather than just a stopover hotel.

Pros

One of the shortest transfers in the BVI, useful for those with just one night before a flight or a ferry
A beach almost a mile and a half long, among the longest on Tortola, with little else around

Cons

An area isolated from Road Town: for restaurants other than the resort's own you need a car
Little independent nightlife, almost everything revolves around the resort itself

Recommended hotels in this area

Wyndham Tortola BVI Lambert Beach Resort: A 50-room resort on Tortola's north-east coast, about 10 minutes from the terminal, with one of the largest pools in the BVI and over 1,600 feet of private beach; despite the Booking listing linking it to Road Town, it's much closer to the airport than to the capital.

See more hotels in this area →

Road Town

Neighbourhood · About 12 km from the terminal, 20-25 minutes by car or taxi.

Best for: Those wanting the capital, the cruise port and the ferry to the other BVI islands just steps from the hotel.

Pros

Cruise-ship port, shops and the ferry terminal for Virgin Gorda and the other islands within walking distance
More independent restaurants than in the island's resort areas

Cons

A harbour bay, not a beach: for the sea you still need to travel
A longer transfer than the east area, near the airport

Recommended hotels in this area

Fort Burt Hotel: Hilltop hotel on the remains of a seventeenth-century Dutch fort, with views over the port of Road Town; a 5-minute walk from the cruise terminal.
Moorings Yacht Club: Hotel on the Road Town marina, designed for those chartering a sailboat with The Moorings or stopping for just one night before setting sail.

See more hotels in this area →

West End and Apple Bay

Neighbourhood · About 22 km from the terminal: 30 minutes to Long Bay, up to 45 to Apple Bay at the farthest points, nearly from one end of Tortola to the other.

Best for: Those seeking Tortola's most beautiful beaches and the surf at Apple Bay, accepting the island's longest transfer from the airport.

Pros

Beaches among the island's best, from Long Bay to Smuggler's Cove
Ferry to St Thomas and St John from the West End Ferry Terminal, handy for those also visiting the US Virgin Islands

Cons

The island's longest transfer from the airport, best avoided with early-morning flights
A more isolated area, with few independent restaurants outside the resorts

Recommended hotels in this area

Long Bay Beach Resort: 37 rooms on Long Bay beach, in the West End, 15 minutes from the ferry to the US Virgin Islands; in-house spa and pool.
Sebastian's on the Beach: Hotel on Apple Bay beach, a surfers' enclave on the north-west coast; the Booking listing places it generically in Road Town, but it's at the opposite end of the island, about 45 minutes from the airport.

See more hotels in this area →