What Most Travelers Don't Know About Scrub Island
Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands, is a small private island off the northeast end of Tortola, and the details worth knowing before you go are mostly practical. You arrive by boat, the villas share a resort's beach and facilities, and the direction your terrace faces shapes your days more than any brochure suggests.
That's the short answer. The longer one covers how the island works from day to day, from transfers and dogs to the light at each house, so that your first morning on Scrub Island feels settled rather than new.
How You Reach Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands
Scrub Island lies off the eastern end of Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands and home to the capital, Road Town. The territory's main airport, Terrance B. Lettsome International, sits on Beef Island at Tortola's eastern tip. There's no bridge or causeway out to Scrub Island, so every arrival and departure crosses open water.
That crossing is part of the island's appeal, and it's also the first thing to plan around. Each of our three Scrub Island listings lists roundtrip airport transfers from Beef Island, a daily ferry and unlimited on-island transfers among its services. In practice, the hand-off from plane to boat is something we arrange before you fly, rather than something you sort out on landing.
The same logic applies once you're settled. Excursions to other islands begin and end at the marina, so we plan them around your boat transfers rather than a car.
Practical Details Worth Knowing Before You Go
The everyday logistics on Scrub Island are different from a stay on a larger island with roads and towns. These are the points we cover with you before every Scrub Island stay:
- The villas sit within a resort setting. Each home has its own living spaces, terrace and plunge pool. The beach, restaurants, bars, fitness center, spa and gourmet grocery are shared resort privileges, not part of the house.
- Your terrace's direction matters. Our listings tag Leeward House with sunrise views and Villa Mila with sunset views, so it's worth deciding which end of the day you'd rather spend outdoors.
- Dogs are welcome. All three of our Scrub Island listings allow a maximum of two dogs per reservation.
- Working days are possible. Every home lists a dedicated workspace and Wi-Fi, which makes a longer stay realistic.
- You can cook in. Every villa has an equipped kitchen, and resort privileges include access to a gourmet grocery.
- The currency is the US dollar. It's the official currency across the British Virgin Islands.
None of this is complicated. It simply rewards a little thought before you choose a house, which is where we come in.
Life Here Follows the Water
The British Virgin Islands have long been one of the great sailing grounds of the Caribbean. Dozens of islands and cays sit close together around the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and the steady easterly trade winds make the water the natural way to move between them. On Scrub Island, the water is how you arrive and how most days out begin.
Our listings describe snorkeling, diving, sailing and hiking trails among the island's pursuits. A morning can begin quietly on the terrace. Afternoons suit the beach, the pool or a day out on the water, and evenings come back to the view.
Virgin Gorda is the classic day out by boat. Its famous granite boulders at The Baths, along with Devil's Bay National Park and Spring Bay National Park, all appear in our Scrub Island listings' distances, reached by boat. If you'd like to plan that day around calm water and light, we're glad to help you time it.
When to Plan a Scrub Island Stay
Timing here is about wind, rain and the hurricane calendar rather than crowds alone. The British Virgin Islands have a warm climate all year, cooled by trade winds from the east.
- December through April is the drier stretch, with steady breezes that suit sailing and long terrace days. It's also the busiest period, so the three homes are worth securing early.
- May and June stay warm and are usually quieter, a good fit for a slower stay.
- June 1 to November 30 is the Atlantic hurricane season, with the highest risk from August through October.
If you're traveling with a dog or working remotely during a longer stay, the shoulder months can be an easy fit. Either way, we'll talk through the calendar with you before you choose dates.
Choosing Between Our Three Scrub Island Villas
Our Scrub Island page lists three homes, and we know each of them well. Every one lists concierge and housekeeper services, along with the shared resort privileges described above. If you're renting a villa in the Caribbean for the first time, the differences below are worth a moment.
Our first suggestion is often Villa Mila on Scrub Island, an open-plan home with vaulted ceilings, a pool and a plunge pool, a barbecue and board games. Its listing gives it ocean and sunset views, and places it about 150 meters from the marina and 750 meters from North Beach.
For early risers, we look at Leeward House, which our listing tags with ocean views and views of sunrise. It has a private plunge pool with an infinity edge, outdoor dining and a dedicated workspace. According to our listing, North Beach is about 300 meters away and the marina about 260 meters.
The third home is Shoreline Villa, a hillside house with ocean views, a private infinity-edge plunge pool and an outdoor shower. Our listing places it about 400 meters from both North Beach and the marina, with parking within the premises.
Put simply, Leeward House favors the morning, Villa Mila favors the evening, and Shoreline Villa offers a hillside setting with ocean views. All three are luxury homes for rent within the same resort setting, so the choice comes down to light, layout and the pool you'd rather wake up to. Whichever you choose, every home lists air conditioning, ceiling fans, a washer and dryer, and a balcony or terrace for meals and long evenings in the open air.
How We Prepare a Stay on Scrub Island
We've been arranging villa vacation rentals since 1979, when two brothers founded our company in Jamaica. Every villa we offer is personally inspected before it joins our collection, and every stay gets a pre-arrival check. We call it "Your Private Hotel": the privacy of a home, with the arrangements handled before you land.
For Scrub Island, that means confirming your boat transfer against your flight, sharing your dog's details where needed, and planning day trips around the Virgin Islands, one of the Caribbean's classic sailing grounds, in advance. We're based in Toronto and have been named among Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialists for more than 15 consecutive years.
Planning Your Visit
Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands, rewards a little preparation. Know that you'll arrive by boat, that the beach and spa are shared, and that your terrace faces either the sunrise or the sunset, and the rest of the stay falls into place.
When you're ready, explore our homes on Scrub Island, from Villa Mila to Leeward House and Shoreline Villa. We're here to help you choose the right one.
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