This British Virgin Islands resort already had a dreamy, turquoise water setting, an array of modern estates and cliffside suites, fine dining and watersports. This month it added a healing spa.
On the eastern end of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, located on 400 acres of land surrounded on three sides by turquoise water, Oil Nut Bay has been a tranquil respite since its opening a decade ago. The only thing it was missing was a spa, particularly noticeable as wellness travel began to zoom in travelers’ interests the last few years. So this year, enter Sundara Spa + Studio, a center of healing and restorative experiences situated for extra relaxation, overwater.
Part Of The BVI’s serenity: It’s Not Easy To Get There
Being located in the British Virgin Islands also helps. This group of 50 islands with consistent trade winds has long been known as a sailors’ paradise, lending a laid back overall tone. There are top level resorts but not to a point of overdevelopment and several of those resorts are on private islands: Richard Branson’s Necker and Moskito, Peter Island, Guana Island. And even though these islands are not that far away, they’ve never been that easy to get to directly from the U.S.; instead a network of small planes, ferries and charters were required. (The addition of a flight from Miami to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, the country’s main air gateway in 2023 has certainly helped, though. Oil Nut Bay owners and guests can also reserve NetJets charters from any U.S. airport to Beef Island at the same rate as a NetJets member.)
Villa Offerings
Within this overall environment, Oil Nut Bay fits right in, designed not as a large, internationally branded hotel with buzzing activity but as a low density expanse of luxury homes and villas. There are 51 overall with 31 available to rent ranging from cliffside suites to seven-bedroom estates such as the new 9.513 square foot Wings which is on the market for $32.5 million but also available to rent by the week and has six freestanding bedrooms each with its own plunge pool.
Other homes hitting the rental market for the first time this season are the newly constructed 4,154 square foot, five bedroom Quintessa and the seven bedroom, waterfront Casino Royale. (Other home sites and villas are still available to buy with prices ranging from $1.95 million to Wings’ $32.5 million.) Half of the property’s 400 acres is still devoted to green space, though, so it’s hardly overcrowded.
The Beach And Other Facilities
There are also significant facilities. Bordering the mile long beach, the recently redesigned beach club has three pools, an open air restaurant and a swim up bar; the fitness center has a top-of-the-line gym, pickleball and tennis courts; younger family members have their own Kids Club and interactive nature center. Adjacent to the full service 101 slip marina, Marina Village contains the overwater restaurant Nova serving Caribbean cuisine, seafood and sushi, a pool with day beds and boutique and the Deep Bay watersports center for kiteboarding, windsurfing, snorkeling plus Hobie cat sailing and waterskiing lessons.
The New Spa
The opening of the Sundara Spa + Studio this month obviously adds to the options. Treatments include massages utilizing a mixture of orange, clove, ginger and seaweed, or emulating the movements of the sea to relieve muscular tension; a seaweed leaf wrap to soften and nourish the skin and skin renewal facials. Wellness rituals include yoga and sound healing. Starting in October, a four-day ritual will become part of the treatment menu including body wraps, massages and skin renewal facials all involving seaweed. The intended results: returning the guest to the real world in a state of relaxation, even more than the resort would produce on its own.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the Casino Royale villa has six bedrooms. It has seven.
