One of the best parts of renting a luxury villa in the Caribbean is being able to spend time discovering one of the most sought-after beachfront only vacation rentals in one of the most fascinating parts of the world. Every island has a rich and unique history, shaped by different cultures that passed through or made their homes here, waging epic battles and leaving their mark on the countries that make up the Caribbean today.
The British Virgin Islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus, and were then settled by the Spanish and the Dutch. The most colorful chapter of its history was when “pirates sailed the ocean blue”. Many of the most famous pirate captains, including Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, made their base in Tortola, protecting their ships in the many pretty hidden coves on the island. It was for good reason that the British Navy once called Tortola “A Pirate’s Nest”.
When you’re on a Tortola vacation, one of the best places to explore the island’s fascinating past is Fort Recovery. The fort is hundreds of years old, and is now part of a resort complex in the west end of Tortola. You can still visit the site even if you have your own villa rental on the island.
Its location is a little unusual. The fort was built on low ground, close to the sea, which is strange for a fort, because it wasn’t built on the more strategically high ground of the hills around it. It’s believed that the fort was originally built here to protect a freshwater pond that was once in the area, which is possible because fresh water was an important resource on this island with no rivers.
Fort Recovery was built back in the 1640s. It is the oldest landmark in Tortola, and it is the oldest fort still standing in all of the Caribbean. It’s believed that it was built on the site of an old earthen fort, originally built by the Dutch explorer Joost van Dyk, who was one of the very first European settlers in the British Virgin Islands (and quite possibly a pirate). The fort may have once served as a hospital for soldiers wounded in battles between the Dutch and the Spanish, which is where it got the name Fort Recovery. It’s also said that the famous pirate Jean Lafitte once landed here.
When the British took control of this part of the Virgin Islands, the fort was abandoned and it fell into disrepair. It was rebuilt during the American Revolutionary War, and that is when the British added the tower called the Martello Tower. The fort is made up of several towers, and locals often refer to the area as “The Towers”. Fort Recovery was abandoned again in the early 19th century.
When the area was being turned into a resort in the 1960s, the property’s owners found old cannonballs and other artifacts, including pottery and furnishings. Today, Fort Recovery is just one of the fascinating places you can explore while enjoying the perfect Tortola villa rental.
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