Trunk Bay on Tortola
Trunk Bay on Tortola is a long, quiet strand on the north shore, the next bay east of Brewers Bay, with villas on the hillside above and nothing on the sand but the sand. It is not St. John's famous Trunk Bay. The catch is the way down from the road, and a winter sea that runs straight in.
Conditions: Calm on most summer days, with rocks to look at off both ends. The beach faces due north with nothing across its mouth, so from about November to March a north swell runs straight onto the sand, by our read of the map. No lifeguard.
Trunk Bay, Tortola at a glance
| Entry | Free; no authority posts a fee, and the territory's minister for natural resources told the House of Assembly in March 2023 that all BVI beaches are public |
|---|---|
| Hours | None posted |
| Parking | No lot is mapped; our drive times stop at the nearest road a car can be routed on, about 230 m short of an unpaved track that passes within about 160 m of the sand, by our read of the map |
| Restrooms | None |
| Shade | Sparse |
| Snorkeling | 3 of 5, Fair |
| Crowds | Quiet |
| Drive from Road Town | about 19 minutes by car |
| Lifeguard | No |
Updated Oct 23, 2026.
Routes to Trunk Bay, Tortola
About 19 minutes by car from Road Town. How to reach the British Virgin Islands: British Virgin Islands map, British Virgin Islands weather, month by month, Ferries between the British Virgin Islands, Getting to the British Virgin Islands, Things to do in Tortola and the British Virgin Islands.
Trunk Bay on Tortola, not St. John
Two beaches share the name, and almost everything written about Trunk Bay is about the other one. St. John's Trunk Bay, in the US Virgin Islands, is the national park beach with the entry fee and the underwater trail. Trunk Bay on Tortola is an unmarked strand on the British Virgin Islands' north shore, about 450 m of sand facing due north, with Brewers Bay one headland to the west and Rouge's Bay beyond the point to the east.
The map does not name it. We place it from the order of the bays along the north shore and from the villa estate on the slope above, whose houses describe themselves as overlooking Trunk Bay. There is no sign at the road, no bar and no rental, and that is most of its character: a beach for the people staying above it, and for anyone who wants a stretch of north-shore sand with nobody else on it.
Getting down to Trunk Bay from the road
By car, and then on foot over ground nobody has mapped. From the Road Town ferry terminal it is 15 minutes over the ridge to the road above the bay, by our measurement; from the West End terminal it is 38, so arrive on a Road Town boat if this is the beach you came for. Our drive times stop at the nearest road a car can be routed on, about 230 m short of the track above the bay. That track is unpaved, the roughest grade the map records, and passes within about 160 m of the sand; by our read a rental sedan should stay at the top, and no path is mapped down to the water.
The sand itself is public. On March 9, 2023, the territory's Minister for Natural Resources and Labour told the House of Assembly that all BVI beaches are public, and that where a beach adjoins private property access must still be provided. The gardens and drives above it are another matter. Park considerately, keep off the villas' lanes unless someone says otherwise, and if a gate or a driveway is the only way you can see, ask. A taxi will drop you at the top, but nobody waits there to call one back, so agree the pickup before the driver leaves. Driving is on the left.
Swimming and snorkeling at Trunk Bay by season
In summer the water is usually calm and clear over fine sand, and rocks at both ends of the beach are an easy first snorkel; we rate it 3 of 5, worth a look on the way in or out rather than a morning's plan. The reef worth the mask is next door, off both ends of Brewers Bay.
Winter is another beach. Trunk Bay faces due north with no headland across its mouth, by our read from the map, so from roughly November to March a north swell runs straight onto the sand, and on a big day the waves are powerful enough to keep anyone but a strong swimmer out. There is no lifeguard. The Department of Disaster Management issues high-surf advisories for the north shoreline when a swell runs; when one is out, it covers this beach too, and the safer swim that day is on the south side of the island. Shade is sparse, and nothing is sold here, so bring water, lunch and something to sit under.
Who Trunk Bay suits, and the beaches beside it
Trunk Bay suits a party staying on the estate above, with the sand at the bottom of the hill, and a couple who want an hour on an empty north-shore beach and do not mind the scramble. It does not suit a family that wants lunch on the sand, a restroom or a gentle path; Brewers Bay, the next bay west, has a bar, reef off both ends and a road to the sand, and Cane Garden Bay beyond it has the whole strip of bars. Shop in Road Town on the way over the ridge, and check the swell before you drive.
Questions people ask about Trunk Bay, Tortola
Is Trunk Bay in Tortola or St. John?
Both islands have one. This Trunk Bay is on Tortola's north shore in the British Virgin Islands, the next bay east of Brewers Bay, a quiet strand below a villa estate with no facilities. St. John's Trunk Bay, in the US Virgin Islands National Park, charges an entry fee and has its own page.
Where is Trunk Bay on Tortola?
On the north shore, one headland east of Brewers Bay and over the ridge from Road Town. It is 15 minutes by car from the Road Town ferry terminal to the road above the bay, by our measurement, and 19 from the middle of Road Town; from there an unpaved track passes within about 160 m of the sand, with no path mapped down.
Can you go to Trunk Bay on Tortola if you are not staying there?
Yes. The territory's Minister for Natural Resources and Labour told the House of Assembly on March 9, 2023, that all BVI beaches are public and that access must be provided even beside private property. No public path is mapped, so park considerately at the top and ask before crossing a villa's land.
Is there snorkeling at Trunk Bay, Tortola?
A little: 3 of 5, by our read. Rocks at both ends of the beach make an easy first snorkel on a calm summer day. From about November to March a north swell runs onto the beach and there is no lifeguard; for better reef, Brewers Bay next door is the one to drive to.
Written by Virgin Islands Villas. Updated Oct 23, 2026. Updated Oct 23, 2026.
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