LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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A GUIDE TO VISITING CANE GARDEN BAY FROM TORTOLA CRUISE PORT.

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If your cruise itinerary includes a stop in Road Town, you’ll quickly realise that choosing which beach to visit is the biggest decision of the day. Tortola has several beautiful beaches within easy reach of the cruise port,

but after some research (and a little instinct), we chose Cane Garden Bay.

In this guide, I’ll cover whether Cane Garden Bay is worth visiting, how to get there from the cruise port, what facilities to expect, and some great alternatives if you fancy something different.

Is Cane Garden Bay worth visiting?

When you arrive at Tortola cruise port, you’ll see shuttle buses heading in different directions, each promising the “best” beach. One popular option is Long Bay, but we noticed that the vast majority of cruise passengers were heading there. That immediately put us off.

At a very basic level, we chose Cane Garden Bay because it looked the prettiest in photos, and thankfully, it lived up to expectations.

Cane Garden Bay is ideal if you’re looking for:

• Calm, swimmable water in a horseshoe-shaped bay
• Sunbeds and umbrellas
• Beach bars and casual restaurants
• A relaxed, Caribbean feel rather than a polished beach club scene

The sea here is usually very calm, making it great for floating, paddling, or just cooling off. There are limited watersports available, such as paddle boards and jet skis, but this isn’t a high-adrenaline beach.

That said, the beach is not particularly deep and as a result does feel crowded on cruise days. We found the sun loungers were quite crammed in too.

Overall, though, we thought Cane Garden Bay was beautiful and we’d happily return.

Getting to Cane Garden Bay from Tortola cruise port

The easiest way to get to Cane Garden Bay is by taking one of the shared shuttle buses waiting just outside the cruise terminal.

These are open-sided “safari” style vehicles, shared with other cruise passengers and honestly, they’re part of the fun.

What to expect:

• Cost: $12 per person (return)
• You’ll receive a wristband for your return journey
• Journey time: Around 20–25 minutes

The drive itself is surprisingly exhilarating, with steep hills, tight bends, and some fantastic views across Tortola.

Most passengers board between 09:00–09:30, and return shuttles typically run every hour on the hour. The most popular return time is around 14:00, with 16:00 being the latest sensible option if you want plenty of buffer before all-aboard.

Facilities at Cane Garden Bay

Cane Garden Bay has basic but perfectly adequate facilities, just don’t expect luxury beach clubs.

Along the beach you’ll find:

• Casual beach bars and restaurants
• Drinks and food served directly to your sunbed
• A small souvenir market

One thing that surprised us was the price. We expected Tortola to be expensive, but we managed to buy a bucket of six beers for $25, which was cheaper than anything we found on other islands.

If you want to sit at a bar rather than on the sand, Rhymer’s Beach Bar is one of the most popular spots.

There’s also a public toilet near the shuttle bus stop, which is useful – many of the beach bars don’t have customer restrooms.

Watersports at Cane Garden Bay

There are a few watersports options available, though it’s not a huge setup.

You can rent:

• Jet skis – around $140 per hour
• Paddle boards – $25 per hour
• Kayaks – $25–30 per hour
• Snorkelling gear

The rental hut is located at the far left-hand side of the beach, next to the Cane Garden Bay Beach Hotel.

Sunbeds at Cane Garden Bay

Sunbeds are rented by independent vendors who walk up and down the beach, so prices can vary quite a bit.

We were quoted $25–35 for two sunbeds and an umbrella. With a bit of polite negotiation, we managed to get two beds for $20. If you’re price-sensitive, it’s worth walking along the beach before committing.

Tip: The sea often reaches the front row of sunbeds, especially later in the day. The middle rows are actually better and if you do choose the front, keep your shoes and bag on the bed!

What else to see nearby

One of the best reasons to visit Cane Garden Bay is its proximity to Callwood Rum Distillery, just a five-minute walk from the beach.

This small, old-fashioned distillery produces Arundel Rum, and it’s well worth a visit.

You can:

• Take a short tour for a few dollars
• Sample four rums for just $1

Naturally, we couldn’t resist. The tasting was excellent , especially the infamous “panty dropper” rum (dangerously good).

Important note: The distillery is cash only. Rum is much cheaper here than at the cruise port, although you can buy Arundel Rum duty-free back at the terminal if needed.

Alternatives to Cane Garden Bay

If Cane Garden Bay doesn’t quite appeal, there are several other beaches at a similar distance and price point from the cruise port (around $12 return):

• Long Bay – Restaurants, watersports, and beach chairs, but often very busy
• Brewers Bay – Smaller and more laid-back, with a restaurant and chairs
• Josiah’s Bay – A more rugged beach with a bar, restaurant, and surf school

Sailing shore excursions in Tortola

If a beach day isn’t your thing, Tortola is one of the best places in the Caribbean for sailing, after all, the British Virgin Islands are considered the sailing capital of the region.

From the cruise port, you can book:

• Half-day sailing trips (like this sailing trip to Norman Island.)
• Full-day catamaran excursions
• Island hopping adventure

Many include drinks, snorkel stops, and pickup directly from the terminal.

Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

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