Review of the Little Dix Bay Resort, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

The word may be overused, but Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda really does look like paradise. Guests arriving by boat -- as most do, via the resort’s water taxi from the Beef Island airport on Tortola -- are greeted by an understated but beautiful panorama of low-slung villas and palapas arranged around a reef-protected bay. A necklace of white sand is punctuated by the main resort pavilion, which looks for all the world like a work of wooden origami. From pool to tennis program to kids’ activities, guest amenities and activities are top-shelf at Little Dix Bay. The high point -- literally and figuratively -- is the new Sense spa.

Your vacation at Little Dix Bay starts when you step off the dock -- check-in is completed during the crossing of Sir Francis Drake Sound from Tortola, the transportation hub of the British Virgin Islands. Once on Virgin Gorda, guests are quickly whisked to junior suites, one-bedroom suites, beach homes or treehouses (some dating to the resort’s 1964 opening) that share a common design aesthetic focused on soft wood tones, locally quarried rock walls, and bamboo and rattan furniture. Outdoor patios face the bay -- just steps away, but shielded by a row of mangroves that provide privacy from beachwalkers but also obscures the water view unless you have a second-floor room.

New arrivals are greeted en suite with a bottle of rum, cola, and a bottle of carbonated grapefruit Ting; the trio make a great tropical cocktail; we only wish that our supplies were refreshed by housekeeping so we could have had a few more during the course of our stay.

Apart from the smaller treehouses, accommodations have lovely bathrooms with dual sinks, jacuzzi tubs, and outdoor showers fringed with tropical plants. The doorless indoor shower is a visual treat, but presents a flood hazard to the unwary.

A wide main road lined with royal palms and bogainvilla offers easy passage between most guest rooms and the well-equipped tennis and fitness center, activities center (with TV and computer stations), the upscale Sugar Mill restaurant, and the main resort pavilion. The latter includes a restaurant serving three meals daily, including breakfast and dinner buffet options; the waterfront Beach Grill is a more laid-back setting for lunch.

You’ll always find fresh fruit and seafood on the menu -- locally sourced when possible, imported for the best quality when necessary. Be sure to try some Venita's Hot Pepper Sauce with your meal -- it's made by one of the servers here at the resort!

The Sense spa sits atop a rocky outcrop at the edge of the bay and is breathtakingly lovely. You’ll want to linger before and after your massage, facial, body wrap or other service at the infinity pool overlooking the sea; better yet, sign up for a yoga class, held poolside here most mornings.

Little Dix Bay has some excellent snokeling spots where you may see sea turtles, stingrays, and tropical fish. Resident pelicans are constantly dive-bombing the shallows where schools of small fish congregate.

Perhaps the best perk of being a resort guest here is the “beach drop” service: upon request, staff will happily provide you with a picnic lunch and sail you off at one of a half-dozen (usually deserted) local beaches. Some are near the Baths, the most popular and beautiful attraction in the BVI and a must-do daytrip.

The best of several hiking trails on the Little Dix property is a modestly strenuous climb up and over a forested hill to Savannah Bay, where you can sun and swim for a few hours and schedule a boat pick up if you want to avoid the walk back. Walking to nearby Spanish Town also is an easy option for resort guests: nightspots like Chez Bamboo and the Rock Cafe are recommended for dinner, tropical drinks and dancing with the locals, who arrive late and party even later.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.