Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands. You will be sure to find everything you need for a complete Caribbean vacation, everything from water sports, shopping, dining and just plain relaxing. The capital, Road Town, is located in a charming sheltered harbor to the south. For those that are attracted by the islands tropical flora, a visit to the J.R. O'Neal Botanical Gardens is a must. This superb, four-acre garden is situated in the center of Road Town and displays the last remaining remnants of the Government Agricultural Experimentation. The island is dominated by a lofty mountain range, with its highest peak being Mount Sage, 1750 ft high. Crossing the island often involves spectacular ascents and descents along steep roads, such as the switch-back road leading to the beach at Brewers Bay. Tortola is so mountainous that the airstrip had to be built on the neighboring Beef Island, the northern limits of which are flatter in comparison. Beef Island is connected to Tortola by a toll bridge, the earliest built in the Caribbean. Many people bypass this island for diving and as a result the reefs are in exceptional condition. The British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust has been responsible for the putting in place over 200 mooring buoys since 1989. The islands are unique in the ease of accessibility for divers visiting with their own sailboat or powered charter yacht and the invention of "rendezvous diving". The north coast of Tortola has some extraordinary bays, such as Cane Garden Bay and Brewers Bay, which are protected by boulder-strewn barrier reefs. Some of the more exposed bays are cut by very large tunnels and canyons, which become difficult to dive when there is a strong northerly gale.