There is no shortage of excellent restaurants and inns serving local and international dishes. Most food is imported but local island specialities are often available. In addition to the hotels, eateries can be found on Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke.

National specialities:
• Seafood dishes, including lobster (the Anegada lobster is reputedly the best in the Caribbean), fish chowder, snapper, whelks, mussel pie, conch stew and shark.
• Roti (a flavourful East Indian flat bread, filled with meat or vegetables).
• Paté (a dish baked or grilled, containing spiced meat, seafood or vegetables, stuffed into pita bread).
• Fungi (not actually related to the mushroom but instead refers to a delicious mixture of cornmeal and okra, usually served with seafood and probably closest to Italian polenta in flavour and consistency).
• Delicious local fruits such as soursop, papaya, mango, pineapple, guava, sugar apple, passion fruit and tamarind.

National drinks:
• All kinds of rum punch and cocktails.
• Local spirits include Pusser’s Rum (originally produced for the Royal Navy’s pursers).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: All hotels add a 10 to 12% service charge.

Many hotels have special nights with live music or dancing. There are several bars offering live music and/or DJs on both Virgin Gorda and Tortola. A full moon party takes place on the beach at Apple Bay, Tortola every month. There is one cinema (on Tortola). The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board publishes details of all forthcoming events in its publication, The Welcome, which appears every two months (website: www.bviwelcome.com).

Special purchases include carved wooden items, straw-work, jewellery made from conch (pronounced ‘konk’) shell, rum, local spices and sauces and the attractive batik material, designed and made locally.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700.