Saba Rock Resort

Saba Rock Resort

At five o'clock every evening, the tarpon feeding at Saba Rock Resort draws a crowd, timed to land inside the Sunset Bar's four-to-six happy hour, on this one-acre island moored in the North Sound off Virgin Gorda. Getting here means a boat ride rather than a taxi, which sorts out who stays: divers, kiteboarders and sailors who have used this stretch of water for fifty years, not travellers wanting a drive-up lobby. The resort holds nine rooms, with no elevators, plus three larger suites named Starfish, Seahorse and Turtle that run from 1,200 to 3,000 square feet, each with its own terrace, minibar and Molton Brown toiletries, built for groups of four or a couple in no rush to leave. What sets it apart from other BVI stops is the nautical museum built into the property, a working collection of old boat engines, diving helmets, Spanish coins and cannons, plus an anchor dated to the 1500s, tracing back to the resort's start as diving pioneer Bert Kilbride's base more than fifty years ago. Days run on water sport facilities, billiards, a spa treatment studio and gardens strung with hammocks; evenings move to the Main Restaurant's seafood and the Sunset Bar's happy hour, with live music on Sundays. Free Wi-Fi and concierge service cover the practical side, and a USD 750 deposit is taken per stay. Anyone wanting nightlife beyond the island or a pharmacy down the street should look elsewhere. Anyone happy to let the tide set the schedule will not want to catch the last ferry back. Saba Rock Resort is a one-acre island in Virgin Gorda's North Sound, reachable only by boat, with nine rooms, three spacious suites, a nautical museum of salvaged artifacts, and a daily 5pm tarpon feeding. It suits divers and sailors more than anyone wanting nightlife beyond the dock.