Cooper Island, BVI

[ma_galazin]

I was wondering if anyone has traveled to Cooper Island before, and if so, what is it like? Are there nice beaches, good snorkeling, etc? We are going to Bequia next week, and we were looking for a less expensive trip for later in the summer. My girlfriend's sister and husband really want to travel to the caribbean with us this summer, but we do not have a large budget. Cooper seems like it would be a good destination, but it is hard to find a lot of information and good pictures... Anything that you can tell me about the island would be greatly appreciated! If anyone has any pictures that they could send me, please let me know! I was also wondering if there were large waves on the main beach? My 2 year old neice will be with us and we were looking for somewhere with good swimming conditions!

[Carib Mark]

Matt, I never even heard of this island in the BVI until now and ... WOW!! I wanna go! I did a google search on the name and got three websites about the island and the hotels with a few pictures, then did a Google image search and.. WOW x 2 !! I hope other's have great stuff to say because it looks like a great getaway place (and I don't see waves in the pictures).

[wineluver]

I was there 2 weeks ago while chartering a 47 ft catamaran. beautiful beach with nice restaurant (did not eat there)and great beachbar! I did not see the interiors of the units which are just steps away from the beach. The beach is clean with good shade and the views are incredible. I did see some small children so assume families are welcome. This would not be the place for someone who has to stay busy all the time, but a great place to relax and forget cell phones exist!! Prices seem very good for what you get.

[mfrumer]

We just returned from our third visit to Cooper Island. Obviously, we have enjoyed it in the past, and this trip only reinforced our feelings about it.

I won't repeat what they say on their Web site but will comment that they do not exagerate.

The rooms are very pleasant (and as you can see on the Web site, surprisingly low priced). The kitchenette is quite usable, and we frequently prepare our own breakfast and lunch - although the lunches at the restaurant are very good and reasonably priced. We bring the ingredients with us (cold cereal, dried fruit, peanut butter, jelly, vacuum wrapped cheese, etc.) since there are no stores on Cooper Island other than the boutique/dive shop. The Club supplies coffee and milk. You can provision at the small supermarket about 100 yards from the dock on Tortola where you catch Cooper Island's boat. There are also several large supermarkets (Bobby's, Rite Way) a long walk or a short taxi ride from the dock. And if you walk into Road Town (about 10-15 minutes), you can go to the Road Town Bakery for bread and pastries. Sound interesting? How about if I mention that it is run as part of a New England Culinary Institute training program and produces (among other goodies) chocolate croissants and sticky buns that would have people in any major U.S. city lining up?

The rooms (which sit above their cisterns and are thus anywhere from about 10 to 20 steps above ground level) all have a very pleasant balcony. The shower, which they describe as "almost outdoor" is, in fact, outside the bathroom at the back of the room. The shower has a wrap-around curtain, and the only threat to your modesty is from voyeuristic goats which pass by on the other side of a hardly visible fence. A clever architectural feature is that the shower is also accessible from an
outside stairway, so you can go from the beach to the shower without tracking through the room.

Both the food and the wine in the restaurant are very fairly priced and very good. I had not ordered mahi-mahi (a regular menu item) on previous visits because of unsatisfying experiences with that fish in the Florida keys. I tried it this time
then had it again ... and again. Whatever magic the excellent cooks do produces a delectable result. I also twice had the chicken roti which is very large and the best roti that I have had anyplace. The dining terrace is right on the beach and faces west. The result can be some very pretty sunsets over Tortola.

We are avid snorkelers and have stayed on many Caribbean Islands. Cooper is one of the few that offers rooms right on the beach and one of even fewer that have very nice snorkeling virtually at the shoreline. The rocks at the end of the beach have a very varied fish population. This year there was a resident turtle in the grassy area just off the beach. Squid and rays made apperances as well. You can also take either a fairly long swim or a short walk then a shorter swim, or take a
kayak and reach Cistern Rock. There you will find larger fish and sometimes small shark and barracuda.
The palm fringed beach itself is lovely. There are large seagrape trees in front of the palms. You can pull up a chaise lounge chair under the seagrapes to form a very pleasant "reading room."

There is a complete dive shop which rents snorkeling equipment as well as kayaks and small power boats.

All of this being run by a friendly and efficient staff makes Cooper Island Beach Club an easy choice for us.

But is it for you? That depends. Do you need air conditioning? There is none. In fact, there is AC electricity only at scheduled times. The usual power is 12 volt and propane. So you can't use hair dryers either. We have always been there in June and have never been uncomfortable sleeping with the ceiling fan, but if your internal thermostat demands air conditioning, you might not be happy. And since all fresh water comes from the aforementioned cisterns, you should not plan on taking long, lingering hot showers. We have always had plenty of hot water for our uses, but we take the request to conserve seriously. If you are a fan of the Caribbean the way it ought to be, none of these things should deter you. But if your tastes run toward the Ritz on St. Thomas, this may not be your cup of pina colada. Are you looking to rent a hobie cat or sailfish or a jet ski. Or do you yearn to waterski or parasail? Sorry, none of those are available. And don't plan to hike around the island. All property outside of the Beach Club is private, and unless you have some goat genes, you would find the going rough even if it were allowed. That is not particularly confining since you still have a couple of hundred yards of beach to play on. Thinking that 12 rooms means that there will never be more than about two dozen folks around?
Not exactly. The bay is a very popular mooring spot for yachts, so the beach can get busy around mid-day, as can the dining area at dinner. This has not been a problem, but if you thought that you were escaping from the rest of the world, you might find a somewhat busier spot than you imagined.

And if do want to rejoin the world for a while, the Club sometimes does an excursion to Virgin Gorda. Or you can catch the supply boat over to Tortola for a morning's exploring - and another chocolate croissant.

[drcarl]

How does one get to cooper's islands?
It sounds lovely for a honeymoon even if only for a day trip?

[Carib Mark]

There are daily ferries from West End, Tortola, BVI. When you make your arrangements at a place to stay, they can advise you as to the times and things.