⚓ legtolegcruises.com BETA
← Port guides

Tortola: when your ship stops here

An easy walk into Road Town, a high rain forest park, and the best beaches on the north coast.

Facts checked Nov 5, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Tortola is the main island of the British Virgin Islands, 55.7 square km (21.5 square miles), and ships call at Road Town on its south coast. A cruise port guide says the pier takes two large ships at a time, that a third anchors in the bay and tenders guests to the Road Town jetty, and that the town centre is within easy walking distance of the port.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tortola; CruiseMapper (a cruise port guide site): Tortola

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. Road Town on foot

    Road Town is the capital, and cruise ships can often be seen docked in its harbour. Its Main Street holds the oldest building in town, the old prison, and Fort Burt and Fort George mark the western and eastern edges of the old town.

    Tip: A taxi rank is at the pier, near Wickham's Cay and Soper's Hole, for a ride to the rest of the island.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Road Town; CruiseMapper (a cruise port guide site): Tortola

  2. 2. Sage Mountain National Park

    A park of 96 acres (39 hectares), set up in 1964 to protect the last of the island's forest. Mount Sage, at 1,716 feet (523 m), is the highest point in all the Virgin Islands. Twelve marked trails form a circular route through semi-rain forest.

    Tip: It lies south west of Road Town, so go by taxi and wear shoes made for a forest trail.

    Source: Wikipedia: Mount Sage National Park

  3. 3. The north coast beaches

    Wikipedia says the best beaches on the island are along the northern coast, and names Smuggler's Cove and Cane Garden Bay.

    Tip: Our sources give no travel time from the pier to either, so agree the time back with the taxi driver before you leave Road Town.

    Source: Wikipedia: Tortola

What to skip

  • Jost Van Dyke on a short call

    The small island is about 8 km (5 miles) north west of Tortola and is reached by private boat or by ferry from Tortola, St. Thomas and St. John. Its Great Harbour and White Bay have beach bars, but it is a trip across open water, so it needs a ferry timetable and a margin before the all aboard time.

    Source: Wikipedia: Jost Van Dyke

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Tortola

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Tortola, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 5, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

Find back-to-backs that stop in Tortola

Two or more Royal Caribbean cruises in a row, with a day in Tortola on the way.

Find your cruise ›