capital

Road Town

British Virgin Islands · North America

Score

103

Difficulty

1.00

Lit count

Verified count

Loading map…

Capital and the largest city of the British Virgin Islands

About Road Town

Road Town, located on Tortola, is the capital and largest town of the British Virgin Islands. It is situated on the horseshoe-shaped Road Harbour in the centre of the island's south coast. The population was about 15,000 in 2018.

Top travelers for this city

No verified travelers yet. Be the first to light Road Town.

Scarcity

0 travelers have lit this city.

0 are strongly verified.

Capital city bonus applies.

Selected city attractions

No selected P0 attractions are linked to this city yet. Admins can correct city links after import.

History

On 1 August 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act was read at the Sunday Morning Well. In 1853, a town-wide fire destroyed nearly every building in Road Town. The fire spread because of angry rioters who protested an increase on the cattle tax. Rioters eventually set fire to most of the plantations across the island. On September 4, 2017, the most intense tropical cyclone to hit the British Virgin Islands, Hurricane Irma, hit and devastated the islands, leaving behind multiple casualties and most islanders homeless.

Climate

The British Virgin Islands enjoy a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am), bordering a tropical savanna climate (Aw) and a relatively dry tropical rainforest climate (Af), moderated by trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. In the capital, Road Town, typical daily maxima are around 32 °C (89.6 °F) in the summer and 29 °C (84.2 °F) in the winter. Typical daily minima are around 24 °C (75.2 °F) in the summer and 21 °C (69.8 °F) in the winter. Rainfall averages about 1,250 mm (49 in) per year, higher in the hills and lower on the coast. Rainfall can be quite variable, but the wettest months on average are September to November and the driest months on average are February and March. Hurricanes occasionally hit the islands, with the hurricane season running from June to November.

Transportation and tourism

Road Town is one of the principal centres for bareboating (self-hire yacht chartering) in the Caribbean. Many successful yacht-charter businesses operate from Road Town. Cruise ships can be often seen docked here as well. The Harbour is a popular jumping-off point for many of the ferries servicing the island. The ferry terminal is located at the north-west end of Road Town. Ferries run during the day every day of the week, but rarely at night: it is important to consult an up-to-date ferry timetable in advance. Road Town is served by the British Virgin Islands' only major airport, Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (IATA: EIS, ICAO: TUPJ), at Beef Island, within a short drive of the city. Only short haul flights are available from this airport, long-distance flights are served by Cyril E. King Airport in the US Virgin Islands (IATA: STT ICAO: TIST). …