Most people couldn't point to the British Virgin Islands on a map. Fewer still know that tucked among its 60-odd islands is one called Ginger Island. And almost nobody realises it's entirely uninhabited — which, frankly, is a tremendous waste of a perfectly good name.
Where Exactly Are the British Virgin Islands?
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) sit in the northeastern Caribbean, just east of the US Virgin Islands and about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico. They're a British Overseas Territory — meaning they fly the Union Jack, drive on the left, and are technically under the Crown, yet enjoy their own government, laws, and a rather enviable tax situation.
The four main islands are Tortola (the largest, home to the capital Road Town), Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada. Then there are dozens of smaller islands, islets, and rocky outcroppings scattered across some of the most celebrated sailing waters in the world.
What Makes the BVI Special?
The BVI is consistently ranked among the top sailing destinations on the planet. The Sir Francis Drake Channel — the sheltered waterway running between the main islands — is named after the Elizabethan privateer who sailed these waters in the 16th century. Today it's flanked by volcanic peaks, turquoise shallows, and hidden anchorages that make it a sailor's fantasy.
Beyond sailing, the BVI is known for its laid-back pace, pristine beaches, and extraordinary snorkelling and diving. The Rhone, a Royal Mail Ship that sank in 1867, is one of the Caribbean's most famous wreck dives. The Baths on Virgin Gorda — giant granite boulders forming sea-flooded grottos — are unlike anywhere else on earth.
Ginger Island: The Real One
Ginger Island sits just east of Virgin Gorda, roughly in the middle of the Sir Francis Drake Channel. It covers around 1.5 square miles, has no permanent population, no hotel, no bar, and no road. What it does have is a rocky, dramatic coastline, a reef-lined southern shore that divers and snorkellers love, and one of the best names of any island in the entire Caribbean.
It's the kind of place you might sail past and think, wait — is that real? It is. And yes, we made a T-shirt about it.
The Ginger Island T-Shirt
Our British Virgin Islands collection celebrates the cheeky, sun-soaked, slightly mad charm of the BVI — and the Ginger Island tee is the jewel in its crown. Soft, unisex, and available in Navy, Black, Cardinal, and Forest, it's the perfect gift for a ginger, a sailor, a BVI devotee, or anyone who appreciates the absurdist joy of an island that exists entirely to delight people with red hair.
Browse the full British Virgin Islands collection here.
Cheers,
Jolly & Goode
