Jost van Dyke: A Slice of Paradise
in the British Virgin Islands

By George Medovoy, Editor

(Pictured above, Bruce and Debby Pearce of Sandcastle Hotel)

When the weather gets too cold, and I crave a warm, sunny day, I remember Jost van Dyke, a sunny island of about 200 in the British Virgin Islands, otherwise known as the BVI. I’ll never forget my first sighting of Jost, a four-square-mile stretch of sand and hiking trails and once the hideaway of a 17th-century Dutch pirate of the same name.

When you ask locals how, in fact, the island got its name, they’ll tell you that when the pirate first landed here, he is reputed to have said, "Its ‘jost’ van Dyke."

This apocryphal story most likely had its genesis in the island’s favorite drink, the Pain Killer.

But whatever the case, when I first glimpsed Jost from the deck of our 54-foot catamaran, it was like a vision in my dreams: an enchanted, powdery white beach bordered by a row of palm trees arched against the lush green hills.

Sailing from the main island of Tortola, we made13 knots under warm Caribbean winds, with young Captain Jerry giving me the helm.

You can also get to Jost by a ferryboat called "When" – no, it’s not an Abbott and Costello joke – aptly named because owner-operator Arthur puts a higher priority on serving his public than his own schedule.

So, what normally should be a 15-minute trip from Tortola to Jost can turn into a 60-minute wait because Arthur has to pick up someone’s tires for repair in Tortola or drop off heavy construction items.

We dropped anchor and went ashore in a rubber dinghy, to be met by Bruce Donath and Debby Pearce, two expatriate Americans drawn to the BVI by its friendly people and stunning beauty.

In a scene right out of a romantic movie, Bruce and Debby, recently removed from Boston’s hard winters and now barefoot and tanned, waded into the water to help us pull the dinghy onto the warm sand.

The two entrepreneurs own Sandcastle Hotel and the famous Soggy Dollar Bar, where the Pain Killer was invented. Their story has an all-too-familiar ring: "We were looking for a change," said Bruce. "Our kids were grown up, and one day, just totally accidentally, I saw an ad in the Wall Street Journal, and six weeks later we were here.

"It was sort of a silly thing. "My wife called, and one thing led to another...we were looking for adventure, and this definitely is it."

The two Jost van Dyke devotees still maintain a summer home in Maine, but they are on-site year-round, with occasional jaunts to the Northeastern United States to visit children and grandkids.

Accommodations at Sandcastle Hotel consist of two 2-room beachfront 'rondel' cottages, two 1-room garden 'rondel' cottages, and two 1-room garden-view units.

If you choose the 2-room cottages, you’ll be living right on the beach, while the other accommodations will still put you pretty much on the beach, too.

All units have king-sized beds, ceiling fans, and inside bathrooms.
The four 'rondel' cottages also have a daybed and can accommodate a third person. These units have outside, enclosed showers.

The sun in tanks on the roofs heats the water. The one-room units come with inside showers, hot water and air-conditioning. They have a connecting door and can be rented by families or friends as one large unit.

Electricity, which was added in 1997, is mainly used for lighting and fans. The management requests that guests minimize the use of any noise-generating appliances like radios and hair dryers.

And in keeping with the get-away-from-it-all philosophy, there are no phones in the rooms or TVs.

The two innkeepers are looking for a more natural kind of setting.
Imagine having dinner on Jost, complete with candlelight, full glassware, and the likes of a Kendall Jackson Merlot or a Puilly Fusse to go along with your main course!

Jost van Dykes’ main drag?
Don’t expect too much. It’s just a sandy strip running parallel to the beach. The street, such as it is, is lined with a variety of gaily-colored structures: beach cafes famed for their freshly baked banana bread and coconut muffins; a customs house; a church; and, of course, the most famous bar anywhere on the BVI — Foxy's Tamarind Bar, a no-frills place that defies common description.

The Tamarind has no walls, the floor is an extension of the beach, and the roof is covered by thousands of donated caps and business cards.

Owner-philosopher Foxy dishes out humorous ditties and great drinks that help make Jost van Dyke, a community of some 200 souls augmented by visiting yachting enthusiasts, one of the friendliest places this side of paradise.

Things sort of drift along on Jost. You can understand why from Foxy's philosophy of life: "All I know," he said, "is I go through life very happy. My philosophy of life is: Do good and good will attend you."

Getting to Sandcastle is easiest from Tortola, where either the ferry or a charter boat will bring you to Jost Van Dyke.

The currency is the U.S. dollar, and dollar-denominated travelers checks are widely accepted.

As far as what to bring, Bruce advises to just bring shorts, T-shirts, bathing suit and one pair of shoes for walking into town.

"If you want to 'dress-up' for our evening meal, you may," he said, "but this is definitely not a requirement."

To find out more about the Sandcastle Hotel, you can email to:
sandcastle@sandcastle-bvi.com. For more information about the BVI, contact the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board at www.britishvirginislands.com.