There aren’t many islands in the British Virgin Islands offering an experience like Guana island. Its 850 unspoiled acres embody a dreamlike vision of the Caribbean at its most pristine. Mostly undeveloped, stretching from flawless white-sand beaches to ridgetop tropical forest, this oasis combines wildness and luxury in perfectly equal measures.
Trying to narrow down your options for a luxurious Caribbean getaway? If Guana island has come across your radar, our vacation guide is the perfect means of learning more about this British Virgin Islands gem. Whether you’re looking to reserve one of the villas here or book the entire island for your party, Guana’s intimacy and pristine quality put it on a rarefied list.
Read on for details on Guana’s accommodations, amenities, and all-around specialness — yours to experience firsthand with the help of WIMCO!
Guana Island is at the opposite end of the spectrum from heavily developed and commercialized Caribbean isles. Its predominantly natural state and untouched beauty seem straight out of a fantasy.
Here, high-end resort lodgings and services come with an admirably small footprint. Gorgeous nature surrounds the tasteful resort and villa buildings. It’s an exceedingly pleasant surprise to learn such an island still exists in the Caribbean.
Accommodating a maximum of 35 guests, Guana Island offers a wonderful sense of privacy and remoteness. That ends-of-the-Earth vibe comes sweetened by the finest in comforts and hospitality.
There are dozens of activities to enjoy here, from tennis and croquet to snorkeling, wakeboarding, and diving. Yet simply blissing out here in a hammock on an empty tropical beach is deeply rewarding.
Guana provides a fabulous array of on- and off-island experiences for guests. If you’re in a sporting mood, take to the tennis courts or play volleyball, horseshoes, bocce, badminton croquet, or lawn bowling.
Feeling a little more laidback? Nestle in with a book or a journal in the Clubhouse library, or scan the Atlantic and Caribbean seascapes from the terrace, cocktail in hand, naturally. The impeccable massages and other treatments in the beachside Hibiscus Spa are sure to get you in that “island-time” mood. Yoga classes are also among the resort’s wellness offerings.
Snorkeling gear is available anytime, with magnificent coral reef scenery off Guana’s northern tip (a Protected Fisheries Area). Coral gardens await in Muskmelon Bay, White Bay, and other nearshore waters. Dive-boat scuba excursions are easily arranged to nearby reefs, cays, and islands.
Along Guana’s shorefront, you can pursue water-skiing, kitesurfing, sailing, paddleboarding, wakeboarding, kayaking, and more. Top-notch Caribbean sportfishing is another popular pastime here for those with angling inclinations.
Don’t miss the extensive Guana Island hiking trail system, which shows off the tranquil wild forest and distant ocean views. Explore the ruins of one of Guana’s early Quaker settlements, or hike down to the pools of Long Man’s Point.
There’s nothing like hiking to the island’s high point, the 806-foot Sugarloaf Mountain, to drink in its spectacular panoramas. Main trails come well-signed and maintained, while Guana’s unmarked footpaths call to your inner adventurer.
Besides diving and fishing trips, day-trip excursions are a ready possibility for Guana guests. Visit Virgin Gorda and its iconic Baths, for example, or see the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’sTreasure Islandon a jaunt to Norman Island.
The seductive accommodations on Guana include five lovely private villas as well as a number of Sea View Cottages. Most lie along hillsides and ridgetops, serving up stunning ocean views, while others provide beachfront R&R.
All exhibit the attractive blend of laid-back Caribbean chic and upscale luxury that defines the Guana island experience. Per night pricing is all-inclusive.
The most lavish of Guana’s villas is also the largest at 5,000 square feet. This hillside property includes sea-view terraces complete with an infinity pool, dining room, living room with vaulted ceiling, and a Jacuzzi.
Equipped with three full bathrooms and a powder room, Jost Villa offers two king bedrooms and one queen bedroom, with additional children’s bedrooms available on request.
Soak in Harbour Villa’s infinity pool or Jacuzzi for the ultimate BVI indulgence. This 1,288-square-foot ridge villa also provides grand views of the Caribbean and Atlantic from its terraces.
Within, you’ll find a kitchenette with a stocked refrigerator. Available as a one-, two- or three-bedroom villa on its own, Harbour can be integrated with Grenada Villa for a total of six available bedrooms.
While the other villas occupy the island heights, this dune-nestled, 870-square-foot haven is the sole property on Guana’s tucked-away North Beach. The utmost in beachfront privacy awaits here, with a private pool and sundeck to savor. Equipped with a kitchenette (with a stocked fridge), North Beach Villa includes two king bedrooms and one queen bedroom, plus two baths.
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The amazingly ridge-set 1,150-square-foot Anegada Villa provides stunning vistas over the Atlantic and Caribbean from its trio of terraces. The private pool here permits views of Sugarloaf Mountain and postcard-perfect White Bay. Anegada includes three king bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a mini-fridge.
Arguably the grandest scenery of any Guana accommodation awaits you at Grenada, perched on high with a stunning 360-degree viewshed. Gaze from White Bay out to the island of Anegada while enjoying the sea-breeze terraces and private pool.
Along with a stocked kitchenette, three full baths, and a powder room, Grenada encompasses three king bedrooms. It can be combined with Harbour Villa for six-bedroom accommodations.
Guana Island, BVI’s Sea View Cottages come with beautiful West Indian furnishings and fine artworks, among them 1930s-era watercolors of Guana island itself.
Each of these hilltop accommodations has a private terrace and air-conditioning. That said, the refreshing sea breeze is usually sufficient for cooling off. For an additional cost, you can have access to a private pool at two of the Sea View Cottages.
Dining is easily one of the highlights of a Guana vacation. A farm-to-fork aesthetic prevails here, with an emphasis on local ingredients.
Many of the ingredients, fruits, vegetables, micro-greens, and more, hail from the island’s own organic orchard. This tropical, five-acre garden was established decades ago by the Chinese naturalist Dr. Liao Wei Ping. It remains a fundamental part of Guana island’s lifeblood.
The dozens of fruit and vegetable varieties grown here include papaya, breadfruit, pomegranate, wax-apple, plantain, mango, banana, passionfruit, tomato, and peppers. Sugarcane, herbs, and spices are also harvested from the Guana orchard.
This bounty of produce is accentuated by fresh eggs from the island’s free-range chickens, plus fresh-catch seafood from local waters.
All of this flavorful fare is woven together in marvelous fashion on Guana Resort’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. The island’s cuisine comes courtesy of impeccably credentialed chefs and talented kitchen staff.
Chef Xavi Arnau honed his craft in such high-profile kitchens as London’s Nobu and Spain’s El Bulli. Chef Matthew Lightner, who’s worked at Noma, Mojanitz, Atera, and other world-famous restaurants, also contributes to Guana menus.
Along with multi-course restaurant dining, you can enjoy in-room meals on Guana as well as one-of-a-kindal frescoculinary experiences in the Garden of Eden or on private beaches.
Speaking of beaches, Guana Island comes very well endowed in that department. The preeminent beach here is the half-mile stretch of snowy sand along White Bay on the island’s west-central coast.
Considered by many to be, in fact, the finest beach in all of the BVI,White Bay Beach is ideal for sailing, paddling, windsurfing, and other watersports. Its dock is also well located to cast for such coveted Caribbean gamefish as tarpon (“silver kings”) and bonefish.
White Bay Beach is only the headliner among Guana’s multiple beachfronts.Harris Beachto the immediate southeast offers beautiful untrammeled sands. There’s a rumor of a 19th-century pirate treasure buried somewhere along this sublime strand…
Then there are quietMuskmelon BeachandCrab Cove beachin the northwest, reachable via the trail to Chicken Rock. They’re ideal beaches to snorkel and collect seashells.
On the northern Atlantic seashore,North Beachis a hotspot for kitesurfing. Through trails to Monkey Point and the far south part of Guana you will also have access to other secluded beaches, such asBigelow.
For how secluded and unblemished it appears, Guana Island is surprisingly easy to reach. Tortola’s Beef Island Airport is accessed viashort commercial flights or private chartersfrom San Juan, Puerto Rico. From the dock at the airport, it’s only afive-minute boat rideto the dock at Guana island’s White Bay.
At WIMCO Villas, our specialists have firsthand knowledge of Guana and its accommodations and activities. We can arrange everything for you, including selecting the very best villa for your needs or opting to reserve the entire island.
If you’re looking to hold a world-class destination wedding or family reunion, Guana’s a fabulous choice — we can help set that up!
Along with arranging your international and inter-island flights to the island, VIP arrivals service, and accommodations, we can provide you with housekeeping, a private chef, and a variety of other personalized services.
You can also direct us to set up organized excursions and tours. We’re here with you every step of the way to make sure your Guana Island getaway is memorable and worry-free!
We imagine there’s a very good chance that, by this point, you’re raring to get to Guana post-haste! Get in touch with the WIMCO Villas team to make your escape to this incredible and unique hideaway in the British Virgin Islands happen.
