The British Virgin Islands' boating culture is strong, and many guests choose to sail down and anchor near their favorite beach bar or dive site. Just remember to call ahead if you're planning to visit this way -- many resorts will allow you access to some of their amenities for a relatively low marina or docking fee. There are luxury hotels and resorts, as well, mostly found on larger islands like Tortola and Virgin Gorda. For more desolate, luxurious and, inevitably, expensive stays, try the inns and villas on the smaller islands.

• Accommodation in the Virgin Islands covers the entire scale from campsites with bare sites to super-luxury resorts on private islands. There aren't any youth hostels in the Virgin Islands but you'll still be able to find some budget accommodation in most places." -- Rough Guides
• Yachting is one of the main reasons to visit the BVI. There are more bunks available than beds, so it's worth considering as an alternative to a stay on dry land. If you have the know-how, bareboating is the way to go." -- Concierge.com

Tortola

On Tortola, many of the luxury resorts lie along the northern beaches, but these hotels can be very expensive. While many would advise you to avoid Road Town, Tortola's largest city, you might be able to find your best bargain there. Accommodations can be more rustic, and you won't have a beach view, but writers insist it doesn't take long to get from one side of the island to the other.

• Luxury on Tortola is more about a certain state of mind. … Some properties, especially the vacation villas, are catching up with current trends, but others seem stuck in the 1980s. … You will likely spend most of your time outside, so the location, size, or price of a hotel should be more of a factor to you than the décor." -- Fodor's

Virgin Gorda

Virgin Gorda villas are a nice compromise: You'll skip a lot of the constant activity on Tortola, but you won't be quite as isolated as you would on Anegada. You'll also be closest to some of the BVI's finest: the rock grottoes of The Baths. And according to travel sites, you'll also be treated to more creature comforts in a Virgin Gorda hotel than you'll find on Tortola. The most accessible are around the Valley or Nail Bay, but staying on the North Sound is also popular, as long as you're prepared to need a boat or helicopter to leave your resort.

• Except for Leverick Bay Resort, which is around the point from North Sound, all hotels in North Sound are reached only by ferry." -- Fodor's

Anegada

Teensy Anegada is the place to fulfill a Robinson Crusoe fantasy -- it's bursting with gorgeous beaches and clear open water -- but not the best place to base yourself if you want to make friends. The already quiet British Virgin Islands really ups the ante on Anegada. But there are a few villas and privately owned inns to choose from, and you'll save money picking lodging here over some of the resorts on the north side of Tortola.

• Jeeps and trucks are available for rent on the island. If staying at the Anegada Reef Hotel or one of the villas on the island, you can inquire about having a rental car available for you at the airport." -- Wikitravel
• The island's population of about 180 lives primarily in a small south-side village called the Settlement, which has two grocery stores, a bakery, and a general store. There are no banks or ATMs on Anegada, and many restaurants and shops take only cash." -- Fodor's

Jost Van Dyke

Jost Van Dyke is the unofficial party island of BVI and frequent guests like to joke that there are more bars than beds to choose from here. That's not too far from the truth. Some affordable guesthouses, villas and campground areas are sprinkled by the Great Harbour (most around White Bay), but many people who visit this bar-filled island do so on their own "floating hotel."

Jost Van Dyke has the most visitors during the holidays, when revelers flock to the shores for the Old Year's Night celebration at Foxy's. Plan on booking earlier than you usually would if you want to attend this famous party.

• Many lodgings will ask you to follow the Caribbean golden rule: 'In the land of sun and fun, we never flush for number one.'" -- Fodor's

Southern Islands

Staying on one of the southern islands of the BVI is strictly niche. The area appeals to those with more extravagant tastes (like the all-inclusive resort on Peter Island that constitutes the entire island or the approximately $45,000-a-night stay on private Necker Island) and those who need a nearby base for their diving excursions (like the hotel, restaurant and bar at the Cooper Island Beach Club).

• Most of the resorts on Virgin Gorda are so isolated from each other that you'll feel your hotel has the island to itself. For those who want to be truly remote, there is a scattering of minor hotels on a handful of the smaller islands." -- Frommer's
• Of all the private island resorts in the Caribbean, Peter Island … is the largest. It's also one of the most democratic. This is not simply a retreat for lovers or for CEOs (although they would feel perfectly at home); the all-inclusive resort also appeals to families and outdoor lovers of every sort." -- Forbes Traveler