After our boating adventures, we opted for a few days of pure relaxation. As much as we love sailing, it is nice to end with a hot shower, air-conditioning, and a little pampering. We found the perfect place at Frenchmans on the West End of Tortola.

Frenchmans has 7 villas with full kitchens, lots or privacy, and splendid decks overlooking the water.

There is a main open-air pavilion that houses a fantastic restaurant with fresh fish and a Mediterranean flair (the chef is from Spain).

They are on a little point on the Western end of Tortola (near Soper’s Hole). There is a calm side (Frenchmans Cay), with a dock and snorkeling, and a more rugged side on the Caribbean Sea, with a natural rock-ledged saltwater “pool” and private beach. The beach umbrellas are spaced at just the right spots so you never really see another guest. Sigh.

The place is run by Peter, who is Irish and full of stories. He has been in the BVIs for years and started out as a chef on private yachts (including for kings!).  At one point, he also ran The Last Resort (the little island where we ate in Trellis Bay our last night on the boat). He has seen it all. He hosted a cocktail party our first night, where we met the other guests – amazingly, all of us had a South Carolina connection! Everyone was either coming from or going to a sailboat charter so we had lots of fun comparing notes.

We had fleeting thoughts of maybe exploring this end of the island. But we think there is a very good possibility we may just stay right here. Check back and see!