We stay at the Lighthouse Villas every time we go to Tortola. Very nice rooms with great views of Cane Garden Bay Beach and neighboring islands. The owner Malcia is super nice and goes out of her way to make sure you have everything you need to be comfortable. Villas are within walking distance to the beach, bars and restaurants of CGB. Great price, nice rooms, awesome location!

We spent 10 nights at the Lighthouse Villas in May of 2011. The BVIs appealed to us due to their stunning beaches. More specifically, Cane Garden Bay appealed to us because we were within easy walking distance to restaurants and a supermarket. (We considered staying at the Sugar Mill, but not only was it a good deal more for an ocean view room, it’s remote location was a drawback. (two restaurants on the premises…you’d have to take a taxi elsewhere) We also thought that the beach at Cane Garden Bay was one of the prettiest on the island. Taxis are very expensive, but driving on the island at night is quite a challenge, so we chose only to rent a car for one day trip. After looking at what the options were in Cane Garden Bay, we felt we made the best choice for our preferences.

We stayed in one of the two units on the third (top) floor with a fantastic view. The bedroom area was very large, clean and modestly decorated. There are white sheer curtains on the French doors and windows, so if light is an issue in the morning, it would be a smart idea to bring sleeping eye masks. The kitchen and bathroom were OK, but could be modernized. The refrigerator and microwave were very useful. We purchased groceries at the local supermarket (Bobby’s Market Place) and ate all of our breakfasts and most lunches on the balcony…soaking up the view. A few repairs were obviously needed in this unit. The cable service to the small TV worked sporadically, but we were told that this was typical. Watching TV wasn’t a big deal, other than it was nice to catch up on the news (etc) once a day. Hopefully the repairs/replacements that needed to be made have been taken care of for future guests. The air conditioner became quite noisy during the night, so I wore earplugs to drown out the sound. The second bedroom was quite small and probably would only be appreciated by a family who needed a separate bedroom for young children. The king sized bed took up the room from wall to wall, so there was no walking space around it. We used this room to store our luggage and other things.

We encountered quite a bit of rain during our 10-day stay. This was good news for the islanders…as they needed the rain. Not so good news for vacationers. We’re thinking that maybe all of the rain increased the mosquito population because it was the only real issue we had during our stay. We used mosquito spray at night but I still went home with quite a few bites. I have read where folks strongly suggest you to bring mosquito spray or they complain about being ‘eaten alive’. Normally, I am not that susceptible to mosquitoes, but they loved me at The Lighthouse Villas! The housekeeper did spray the room one day per our request, but unfortunately that didn’t solve the problem. Every time we went into the bathroom and reached for a towel, it disturbed a group of mosquitoes so they’d start flying around again.

In response to comments from previous reviews, there is not a dog on the premises, but there is definitely one in the neighborhood who barks a lot in the morning. (no one seems to care or quiet him down) And yes, the roosters crow early in the morning, so if you are a light sleeper, bring earplugs. For others who sleep soundly, it’s not a problem! Between the air conditioner noise, heavy rains on the roof, roosters crowing and dogs barking it would be good to have earplugs on hand in case any of this bothers you. On the other hand, the room air conditioner and the fan may drown out the other noises just fine!

The driveway up to the Villas from the main road is steep. The first portion has steps built in, which makes it a little easier coming up and down on foot. The second half of the driveway is quite steep. Take your time and be careful and you should be fine! Once you get to the Inn, if you are on the third floor (like we were) you have three flights of stairs to climb. It was a good workout and may have burned a few calories! The tough part was getting suitcases up and down from the taxi. Malcia was kind enough to drive us up from the main road to a parking space at the Inn, so upon our arrival, it was just lugging the suitcases up the stairs.

Malcia was very welcoming as were her housekeepers. The two young ladies who work across the street at Sailor’s Rest were the sweetest and greeted us every day by name. I can picture them waving good-bye with big smiles on their faces, as we left in our taxi.

Speaking of taxi service, we highly recommend asking for Del at Del's Jeep Rentals ([---]). He will serve as your taxi driver and he also has a car rental agency just up the road from The Lighthouse Villas. Del was polite, kind, and dependable and will answer any questions you have about the island.

As for restaurants, the ones in the small village of Cane Garden Bay are all very casual. We ate at Big Banana Paradise, Myette’s Grill, Elm Beach Bar & Grill (for their Friday night BBQ), Stanley’s (great burgers at lunch!) and Captain Ty’s. All were good, but Captain Ty’s was our favorite. It’s not located in the center of the village, but an easy stroll down the beach, basically across from Callwood’s Rum Distillery. Captain Ty fishes each day and his ‘catch of the day’ is the favorite. “Dining tables” are actually the banister/snack bar overlooking the beach and there are stools for chairs. It’s worth a visit! Because of the expense of a taxi to and from restaurants, we carefully chose where to dine outside of Cane Garden Bay. We thoroughly enjoyed Banankeet Café’s outdoor atmosphere and awesome view as well as their meals. Sebastian’s on the Beach was another a great choice. Cruzin’ Bar & Grille and Palm’s Delight were also good. Quito’s was just re-opening the week we were there and we did not get to dine there. It’s directly below The Lighthouse Villas. Be forewarned that it can be noisy on the nights Quito has special events, like their ‘Black and White’ party. It can be very noisy into all hours of the night!

Because of the time of year we visited, cruise ship passengers weren’t a problem, because cruise ships were on Tortola only 2 of the 10 days we were there. Yes, it definitely changes the ambiance of quiet little Cane Garden Bay, and if it had been a daily occurence (which I assume it is in high season) we would have felt a little ‘cheated’ in having to share the beach with so many tourists.

Side trips for the day to Jost Van Dyke (White Bay) and Virgin Gorda (The Baths) were highlights. Although Julian (Baby Bull) will take you to these islands on his small boat from Cane Garden Bay, his ‘service’ fluctuates…depending on many things. (kiddingly referred to as “Captain Tomorrow” by another couple who finally got to take a trip with him to Jost Van Dyke) You might be better off booking day trips to other islands through a commercial catamaran or using the ferry service in Road Town or West End. (Again, you will have to pay for a taxi to get you there and back, if you haven’t rented a car)

Many reviewers comment on how expensive Tortola is, but it would be more accurate to say that this depends on what you where you stay, where you eat and what activities you decide to do. Meals and tasty rum beverages in the town of Cane Garden Bay were reasonable, and although the groceries were somewhat expensive, they were in line with what the cost would be if you were on any island…including the Hawaiian Islands. The only thing we noticed that was quite inexpensive (and unavoidable) was transportation…be it a taxi or a rental car. But getting out and about and exploring the island is half the fun! Snorkelers and beach bums shouldn’t miss Smuggler’s Cove! Brewer’s Bay is very quiet, but also provided good snorkeling. The best snorkeling we experienced was at The Baths on Virgin Gorda, but our snorkeling adventures were somewhat limited around the BVIs.

The BVI's appealed to us due to the stunning beaches but also the ability to easily island hop, easier than elsewhere in the Caribbean. Tortola was the best base to island hop, while JVD, Virgin Gorda and Anegada (stunning) were good day trips, we would have found them too quiet to stay for the whole week we were there. Likewise, we considered staying at the Sugar Mill - but it's very much on its own so we were happy to stay in Cane Garden Bay, with a supermarket, choice of bars and restaraunts within easy walking distance of the villas. You do get used to the driving after a while - but I didn't want to drive too much in the dark, so again good to be in CGB. We stayed in the top floor villa, with a fantastic view. The bedroom was large, very clean and nicely decorated so we were very happy with. The kitchen and bathroom were OK but could do with being modernised. Having a fridge came in very useful. Do get some anit-mosquito spray for your stay in the BVIs. Malcia was very welcoming and was happy to answer any of our questions or requests.

Where to go - we liked CGB as a base, but it's not the best beach and get out if there is a cruise ship in town. Smuggler's Cove was our favourite beach on Tortola, then Brewers, which was quiter (both with very good snorkelling on the left hand side as you face the water). We thought Quito's had the best food in CGB. Banankeets was also good, and we timed it to see sunset but also to drive back while there was some light. Did day sails with Aristocat which was fantastic - excellent snorkelling in the Norman Islands.

We would be happy to stay again and look forward to going back to the BVIs and all they have to offer.

Stayed in the Lighthouse Villas back in november 2010 after a 10 day trip to disney. We needed a rest after that part of the holiday and thats exactly what we got.

First day was wiped out by the tail end of Hurricane Tomas, this meant the waves in the bay were huge compared to normal, but it didn't bother us.

As for the villas themselves we had the top floor apartment. the views were stunning, we had several sunsets that were postcard perfect. The apartment itself was very clean and well furnished, the internet worked most days, (to the people that moan on here about it not working - its free, so you can't expect too much!!!!), when it didn't the owner just reset the router and it was fine again. The housemaid was in every day, she was very polite and courteous, always saying hello and smiling.

Malcia, the owner, was very sweet. Instantly making us feel welcome, whenever we needed to ask her a question she was around to help. She booked us taxis to restaurants and the airport which made life so much easier.

As for Cane Garden Bay - we loved it, the day of the storm most of the restaurants were closed so we just popped to the well stocked mini-mart and cooked a meal for ourselves.

Rhymers beach bar was great, simple american style food which was good for brekkie and lunch, lovely staff who were really attentive. We paid for a sun bed on the first day we were there, once they realised we were staying in the bay we didn't pay again, this is because the cruise ships come in 3 times a week and, quite rightly, they maximise their opportunity to make some cash when they visit.

Maybe it was the time of year but we didn't find the cruise ship visitors too much of a problem, mostly they turned up at 10.30 and were gone by 2pm. I can imagine in the height of cruise ship season that it might get a bit busy!

Overall we loved it, perfect way to finish our holiday, we would definitely recommend a stay here.