Brewers Bay
Brewers Bay
4.5
About
An exceptional bay and beach area on Tortola's north shore, which is protected by boulder-strewn barrier reefs, making this stretch of water popular for swimming and snorkeling.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
295 reviews
Excellent
168
Very good
95
Average
20
Poor
7
Terrible
5
Matt P
Petoskey, MI275 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
Picked this beach because our boat snorkeling excursion had been cancelled & we hadn’t been to this one yet. A very nice beach. Different than the other beaches so far in that this one is a harder packer sand beach with some rocks & more shells than the other beaches. We were worried that being by the airport there would be lots of noise, but that wasn’t the case at all. There’s a long stretch of packed sand & shells with lots of space to spread out. Quite a bit of free parking along the road too (compared to other beaches that you have to pay for parking or the parking is LIMITED). It also turned out to be a very good snorkeling beach. While there weren’t large school’s of fish, there was a pretty large variety of fish. We also saw several sea turtles and rays. Turned out to be a very good decision to go to the beach. Also, it’s right by the University of the Virgin Islands Csmpus which was neat to walk around.
Written July 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
305soccermom
Miami41 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Stay away! We were horrified by this beach! It Was full of rocks and the lounge chairs that they rent for Rusty and broken. The place looks run down and dirty. We also saw a runoff coming from the Hill side. The dirty water was draining into the beach. We left and went to cane beach, where it was a lot
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Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lara K
5 contributions
May 2022 • Family
Gorgeous warm, crystal-clear water. Amazing reefs for snorkeling, quite close to the surface, so great for beginners. The water stays shallow for a ways out, with the deeper snorkeling areas not too far off, so it’s ideal for families and young children. We had the whole beach to ourselves on a Tuesday morning, and it was an incredible experience!
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dennis S
Fort Myers, FL57 contributions
Dec 2019
We dropped anchor here and spent the day enjoying beautiful water, snorkeling, water sports, scuba diving, and nice beaches. We spent the night there as well. Quiet and peaceful. Nice protection from the surrounding mountains.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunshine33636
Cincinnati ohio1 contribution
I first went to Brewers bay in 1996. My wife and i were on a cruise and tortula was one of the stops . It was one of the nicest ,unspoiled islands we had visited.The people were great and we really had a great time. Two years ago we were able to take our children back with us on another cruise. This was probably our 5th cruise and 2nd trip to Tortula and wow had things changed. The people were much more interested in our money than in letting us enjoy the island.The taxi ride over was almost 60 dollars both ways. We arrived at Brewers Bay and rented snorkel equipment,used equipment really, really used equipment. My family and i snorkeled for awhile untill one of the flippers broke where it had flexed over and over again. So we asked for a different pair of flippers. And were told 'thats why we dont rent to children' also we did not get our deposit back. Hopefully the same people own the little shack we rented from and hopefully they have reaped the rewards for similar shadey business practices as i am shure those flippers were paid for 100 times over. We were and are not to happy with Brewers Bay and tortula as a whole.Thank goodness Virgin Gorda is so close.
Written December 26, 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia V
Colorado Springs, CO172 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
My group elected to take a cab down to Brewer's Bay after talking to one of the assistants at the British Virgin Islands tourism tent on the cruise ship pier. There is a white board at the tent that marks that cabs will cost $8 per person each way, so the drivers are unlikely to vary from that rate.
It's about a 20-30 minute cab ride from Road Town northward, completely up and over the mountain ridge that bisects the island. It's a beautiful drive, to be sure to have your camera ready. Our driver stopped for us at several key photography spots. If you want a ride back, I recommend you negotiate a return time for your driver. There may be plenty of cabs around waiting for someone to return, but it isn't guaranteed. We are glad we pre-negotiated. Our driver returned as promised.
There's a small restaurant/bar area available for refreshments. If you need to change clothes, there's a relatively spacious bathroom there in which you can change. It's a single room restroom area, so there might be a line.
You can rent beach chairs for about $5, but it isn't really necessary. We simply put down our cruise-ship beach towels on the soft sand and we were fine.
If you bring your own snorkel gear, there's plenty of snorkeling available, but our group didn't do that.
To conclude, our group found this was the perfect way to see Tortola; Brewer's Bay is far less crowded and you can stay for as long as you like (instead of the "you have 30 minutes to enjoy this beach" that you might have experienced with a ship excursion).
It's about a 20-30 minute cab ride from Road Town northward, completely up and over the mountain ridge that bisects the island. It's a beautiful drive, to be sure to have your camera ready. Our driver stopped for us at several key photography spots. If you want a ride back, I recommend you negotiate a return time for your driver. There may be plenty of cabs around waiting for someone to return, but it isn't guaranteed. We are glad we pre-negotiated. Our driver returned as promised.
There's a small restaurant/bar area available for refreshments. If you need to change clothes, there's a relatively spacious bathroom there in which you can change. It's a single room restroom area, so there might be a line.
You can rent beach chairs for about $5, but it isn't really necessary. We simply put down our cruise-ship beach towels on the soft sand and we were fine.
If you bring your own snorkel gear, there's plenty of snorkeling available, but our group didn't do that.
To conclude, our group found this was the perfect way to see Tortola; Brewer's Bay is far less crowded and you can stay for as long as you like (instead of the "you have 30 minutes to enjoy this beach" that you might have experienced with a ship excursion).
Written March 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grizeagle
Terrace, Canada342 contributions
Mar 2013 • Family
If you are looking for a picturesque, clean and uncrowded Caribbean beach setting with a white sandy beach lined with lush green palm trees for shade and an aqua-marine sea lapping the pristine shoreline with great snorkelling, this is definately the place for you. This is an excellent rustic feeling , quiet and peaceful beach to spend a day from a cruise ship. The ammenities include one beach bar and grill with a bathroom and good beer and food where you can rent a chair for five dollars. You can sit under the shade of the wavering palm trees along the fine white sand beach with a few rocks mixed in and watch large brown pelicans with six feet wingspans diving for tropical fish in the shallows fifty or sixty feet in front of you. The pelicans will dive into the blue green surf within twenty feet or so from swimmers and snorkelers. The exploding splash of the pelicans interupts the quiet tranquil air on this fantastic Caribbean beach. You will hear the occasional rooster crowing to add to the solitary atmosphere along the beach where thrashers noisily cruise the palms where geckos climb the tree trunks. Brewers Bay Beach is definately a must for anyone wanting a quiet, tranquil,rustic and gorgeous beach with a low-key feeling to it without the crowds like other popular beaches on Tortola. The sandy bottom and shallow beach front make it an ideal area for children to swim and frolic. There are very few boats in the bay as anchorage is discouraged or forbidden here but one can see sailboats along the horizon beyond the bay. You can sit and listen to the palms swishing in the warm tropical breezes and hear the blue-green waters lapping the white sandy shoreline with gentle rollers coming ashore with a backdrop of azure blue skies behind lush green hillsides. The peaceful pace of action on this beach is priceless. In the group of 20 of us from Canada who have cruised several times in the Caribbean, it was agreed that this was the nicest, typical postcard perfect, uncrowded and peaceful Caribbean beach that we have encountered on our travels. The awesome sea views, rustic quiet setting with a nice beach bar called Nicole's and hardly any people, maybe 40 or 50, makes this a worthwhile destination from a cruise ship for the day.The road from Roadtown is steep, winding with switchbacks and narrow and a picturesque descent to Brewer's Bay.We took a 25 seat safari truck for $8 each way and felt safe. These drivers drive the hilly terrain several times a day all year round and are good at what they do and don't take unnessesary chances and use compression and brakes to control the speed. The road doesn't have steep, precipitous drop offs along the roadside but are fully treed all along the roadway. Don't let the threat of the steep road deter you from going to Brewers, as some reviewers discourage the steep trip, because when you get there it is very worthwhile being away from the noise and crowds. Some of the best snorkelling that I have encountered in the Caribbean was here as it wasn't rough and the water was clear. Go along the shore to the left of Nicole's along the rocky outcrops to a small islet where larger fish congregate. We got off the ship at 9:00 a.m. and caught our ride and were the first people on the beach where we grabbed chairs and dragged them under the palms for shade all day. One can walk down the beach further and see old ruins of distilleries that gave this bay it's name and a public campgrounds for locals and tourists. The snorkelling along the rocks of the left is superbly excellent and you only have to go 50 or 60 feet from shore and snorkel through the coral reef along deep channels in the coral. The colorful, tropical fish we encountered were of the larger variety from six inches to two feet with large blue ones, groupers, schools of smaller blue fish and other exotic varieties.All in all this was a great beach to spend a peaceful day swimming and snorkelling and viewing the natural world around Brewer's Bay Beach. The view of lush green hillsides with white houses sporadically dotting the forest and reflected into the aqua blue green sea that frothed white along the shore was spectacular and breathtaking. The green palm-lined sandy white beach stretches from rocky outcroppings towards the open Atlantic sea in one direction and to a long sandy and at times rocky shoreline that passes beside shallow coral reefs with pelicans swimming and diving for fish, in the other direction. A great scenic paradise with a pristine natural atmosphere.
Written April 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ADMarshall
Indianapolis, IN44 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
Our cruise stopped in Tortola, BVI on April 23, 2013. We had decided we wanted to visit Brewers Bay based on Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic reviews. When we arrived at the port, we were greeted by several friendly cab drivers. We told them we wanted to go to Brewers Bay. It was going to be $12 per person if it was just the two of us, so they asked if we could wait and see if anyone else wanted to go there too. In that case, they would reduce our rate to $8 per person. We waited maybe 10 minutes and then were told that they had found another group of people to go with us. We loaded up in a comfortable van and headed to the beach.
The drive there was nice...sometimes a little scary because of the primitive and winding roads. Once we arrived at Brewers, we were greeted by a man who offered us beach chairs for $5 each. We took two and headed out to find our spot. The beach has plenty of shade, which we liked. We set up our spot and decided to get in the water. The water was crystal clear and calm. There were snorkeling opportunities right off the shore which was nice.
There is a snack bar on site in case you get hungry or thirsty. There are also restrooms. Overall we had a wonderful day there and would highly recommend this beach to anyone. It was not crowded at ALL...I think everyone tends to go to Cane Garden Bay.
The drive there was nice...sometimes a little scary because of the primitive and winding roads. Once we arrived at Brewers, we were greeted by a man who offered us beach chairs for $5 each. We took two and headed out to find our spot. The beach has plenty of shade, which we liked. We set up our spot and decided to get in the water. The water was crystal clear and calm. There were snorkeling opportunities right off the shore which was nice.
There is a snack bar on site in case you get hungry or thirsty. There are also restrooms. Overall we had a wonderful day there and would highly recommend this beach to anyone. It was not crowded at ALL...I think everyone tends to go to Cane Garden Bay.
Written May 11, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
City_Watch
Witney, UK149 contributions
May 2013 • Solo
Brewer's Bay is just down the coast from Cane Garden Bay, yet it is often empty. When the cruise ships are in, Cane Garden Bay is like Majorca in the '70's - lots of fat, white, bellies, sunburn, noise and crowding. The taxis almost all take trippers to Cane Garden Bay, that's where all the beach bars are and its just around the corner from the Distillery.
Brewer's Bay isn't like that at all. I don't think I've seen more than 30 people on the beach on its busiest days. CGB has a narrow strip of sand, sloping into shallows.The shallows have no rocks and few fish to snorkel for, the sand goes waaaay out and is pretty featureless. About 30 metres offshore the yachts moor, and they come ashore in their dinghies. Its a busy place, and if busy is what you like, then that's fine. BUT, if you want a secluded beach (one -small - bar at each end), with some fantastic wildlife, then BB is for you. The beach is at least twice the depth of CGB in places (especially after storms), but its nowhere near as long.
I swam there last week and came face to face with a Sea Turtle about 20 metres offshore in about 2 metres of warm, clear, water. There's a huge reef running out from the West side of the bay and it attracts the most amazing fish. Its a lovely place. The downsides? After about 15:30, the sandflies will come out and they are a pain. On some days, the water - quite naturally - isn't as clear, but thats the case on most beaches anyway. For a pleasant beach, without the crowds (and with the plus of some excellent snorkeling), if you're on the North side of the island of Tortola, Brewers Bay pretty much has it all (it's also only 15 minutes from Road Town). Enjoy.
Brewer's Bay isn't like that at all. I don't think I've seen more than 30 people on the beach on its busiest days. CGB has a narrow strip of sand, sloping into shallows.The shallows have no rocks and few fish to snorkel for, the sand goes waaaay out and is pretty featureless. About 30 metres offshore the yachts moor, and they come ashore in their dinghies. Its a busy place, and if busy is what you like, then that's fine. BUT, if you want a secluded beach (one -small - bar at each end), with some fantastic wildlife, then BB is for you. The beach is at least twice the depth of CGB in places (especially after storms), but its nowhere near as long.
I swam there last week and came face to face with a Sea Turtle about 20 metres offshore in about 2 metres of warm, clear, water. There's a huge reef running out from the West side of the bay and it attracts the most amazing fish. Its a lovely place. The downsides? After about 15:30, the sandflies will come out and they are a pain. On some days, the water - quite naturally - isn't as clear, but thats the case on most beaches anyway. For a pleasant beach, without the crowds (and with the plus of some excellent snorkeling), if you're on the North side of the island of Tortola, Brewers Bay pretty much has it all (it's also only 15 minutes from Road Town). Enjoy.
Written May 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steven W
United States57 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
Five years ago wife and i came to brewers bay to snorkel. It was good not many people around and the only bar in the area wasn't open. I thought we might be early so we had our fun and left. Decided to go back after 5 years and after Irma to check out the bay and bar. Well the area was cleaned up. Stopped at the bar they were open no one around. Now I know why. We ordered a drink and no one said nothing except the price. An older gentlemen and young girl were working and she was on her phone and he walked around and said nothing. We were the onlt 2 there. Do they hate tourist or do they just want our money and for use to just leave. Love the beach the bar attitude sucks. Need a lesson how to interact with people from other countries. We're paying your way
Written April 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tourist39347246872
Bradford-on-Avon, United Kingdom
Hi, How would you get to Brewers bay from a cruise ship docked in Road town - is there apublic bus or a taxi ride and approx cost thanks Debby
Written January 31, 2020
taxi is 25$ or hitch a ride with a local best bet
Written January 31, 2022
Hi - Thank you for a very comprehensive review of Brewers Bay. I have two teenage daughters who want to snorkel but really want to see some turtles. Did you see any? We are off a cruise so want to see them and all the boats seem to be very expensive to hire.
Thank you
Written October 5, 2019
The point at brewers bay is very active for marine life if your going to see what's in the sea it will eventually pass by there
Written January 31, 2022
Yes,does Brewster Beach have rest rooms for the kids, and one review said they did have cold drinks this beach sounds great will be there for the day thank you fora any info
Bruce
Written November 9, 2018
great for kids and yes they have drinks food and restrooms grab a flying fish sandwich and a red stripe beer AMAZING
Written January 31, 2022
Hola, tomarĂ© un crucero que tambien hace parada en Tortola y tenĂa ganas de conocer la playa de brewer's bay. ÂżSe puede ir en transporte publico o solo en taxi? gracias!
Written October 23, 2018
Hi. We are travelling on a Disney cruise next April with our two daughters, six and three years old. Do you think Brewers Bay is a good place to go with kids?
Written April 6, 2017
Alot of kids play there, the only downside is there is only one small cafe there.
Written May 4, 2017
A Tripadvisor member
Is there an entry fee for Brewer's Bay? If so, how much?
Written March 17, 2017
Hello, thinking of going there in March. How much was the taxi and how long was drive. Plus is there a lot of taxis for the return. Is it a crowded beach with all the cruiseship coming in ? Did you choose that beach for a specific reason rather than going to Cane Bay ? thank you for your answers
Written February 6, 2017
Been to both this one is much quieter and more relaxing
Written February 7, 2017
We would like to visit Brewer's Bay next week. Since it seems somewhat secluded, how can I feel confident that the taxi driver will indeed come back to pick us up later in the day? We will be in port on a cruise ship and cannot risk missing the ship!
Written January 22, 2017
They were AWESOME. They are so business oriented - they asked what time to pick us up and they were there at exactly that time!
Written January 26, 2017
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