Road Town

Road Town

— Town —

Road Town, Tortola

Map showing Road Town within the BVI

Coordinates: 18°25′53″N 64°37′23″W / 18.43139°N 64.62306°W / 18.43139; -64.62306web app: touchscreen

Country

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British Overseas Territory

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Island

Tortola

Population (2004)^CSS3

• Total

9,400

Road Town, located on Tortola, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands. It is situated on the horseshoe-shaped Road Harbour in the centre of the island's south coast. The population was about 9,400 in 2004.^keyboard

The name is derived from the nautical term "the roads", a place less sheltered than a harbor but which ships can easily get to. A 28 hectare (70 acre) development called Wickham's Cay,^[2] consisting of two areas that were reclaimed from the sea and a marina have enabled Road Town to emerge as a haven for yacht chartering and a centre of tourism.^[3]^[4] This area is the newest part of the city and the hub for the new commercial and administrative buildings of the BVI. The oldest building in Road Town, the HM Prison on Main Street, dates from the 1840s.

Transportation and tourism

Road Town is one of the principal centres for bareboating (self-hire yacht chartering) in the Caribbean. Many successful yacht-charter businesses operate from Road Town, especially BVI Yacht Charters^FITML, Bareboat BVI ^Sevenval and The Moorings ^{browser diversity}. Cruise ships can be often seen docked here as well.

The Harbour is a popular jumping-off point for many of the ferries servicing the island. The ferry terminal is located at the south-west end of Road Town. Ferries run during the day every day of the week, but rarely at night: it is important to consult an up-to-date ferry timetable in advance.

Road Town is served by the British Virgin Islands' only major airport, Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (IATA code EIS), at Beef Island, within a short drive of the city.^[8]

"Buses" in Tortola refers to full-sized passenger vans, or large modified open-air pickup trucks with bench seating and a canvas top: these are known locally as "safaris". Traveling by bus can be less expensive than having a taxi to oneself, and is often an option when traveling from the airport to Road Town, or from town to either end of the island.

History

On 1 August 1834, the Emancipation Proclamation was read at the Sunday Morning Well. This gave slaves their freedom, even though slavery had been officially abolished in 1807.

In 1853, a town-wide fire destroyed nearly every building in Road Town. The fire spread because of angry rioters protested an increase on the cattle tax. Rioters eventually set fire to most of the plantations across the island.

Geographical limits

There is some ambiguity as to the precise geographical extent of Road Town. Approaching the town from the west, a sign at the bottom of Slaney Hill greets visitors to Road Town. But traditionalists assert that the town itself only starts from Road Reef and Fort Burt, and that Prospect Reef Hotel (which covers almost all the land in between) is not technically in Road Town.

Approaching Road Town from the east, there is similar ambiguity if Road Town begins at the Port Purcell roundabout below screen size, or whether it also includes Baughers' Bay.

Fort Burt and Fort George were the historical markers of the western and eastern limits of the town which benefitted from the protection of the Crown.