Guana Island
An 850-acre British Virgin Island run as a wildlife sanctuary that takes thirty-two guests.
Guana lies off the north shore of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, reached by the island's own boat, and covers about 850 acres with seven beaches. One property occupies it. The island has been held by the same family since the 1930s and functions as a private wildlife sanctuary: rock iguanas, flamingos and roseate terns were reintroduced here, and scientific surveys have run for decades.
Around eighteen cottages take a maximum of thirty-two guests, run largely all-inclusive with communal dining unless guests ask otherwise. There are no televisions and no locks on the doors. The island can be taken whole. The buildings are deliberately plain — the argument is the land, not the accommodation.
A sanctuary with a guest list of thirty-two. Eight hundred and fifty acres for that many people is among the lowest densities in the Caribbean.
Science since the 1980s. Annual biodiversity surveys have produced a long species record, which very few private islands can show.
Who it is not for
Guana is wrong for guests wanting luxury finishes, since the cottages are plain by intention. It is wrong for travellers who dislike communal dining and a house-party atmosphere. And it is wrong for those wanting nightlife or a spa. And it is wrong for guests who want air conditioning and modern hardware throughout. Those wanting British Virgin Islands polish should look at Necker or Moskito.
Sources
- guana.com — around eighteen cottages, up to thirty-two guests, 850 acres, wildlife sanctuary
- Cottage count, guest maximum and island area unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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