Floating on a tranquil sea at the edge of the Caribbean lies a wondrous collection of over 50 islands, rocks and cays known as the British Virgin Islands. Unique in the Caribbean - and perhaps the world - this amazing archipelago, long a yachtsman's playground, is now gaining recognition as a diver's paradise. From the air, the islands - some larger and lightly speckled with houses, others tiny and uninhabited - lie like an interlocking puzzle along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, which winds through the islands like a grand boulevard for yachts. The water surrounding and embracing the islands is a transparent veil, barely concealing the wonders below. A labyrinth of reefs rising from cobalt depths surrounds the islands and hints of endless adventures ahead - entire vacations spent exploring a hidden world of coral gardens, sunken wrecks and oceanic pinnacles. Divers and snorkelers are the privileged visitors, for they get to sample the best of both worlds. The natural beauty of the British Virgin Islands is unsurpassed. Though it's been 500 years since Columbus first sailed through and named these islands after Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin martyrs, the islands still look and feel much as they did then-undiscovered and unspoiled. Verdant green hillsides, rife with the sweet aroma of frangipani, tumble down to deserted palmfringed beaches. Tall ships and sleek yachts glide by on an azure sea. Countless hidden bays and coral cays entice. Set apart from the rest of the world, the BVI is twice-blessed. Exquisitely beautiful? Of course. But it's the ambiance that will draw you back year after year. Slow paced and relaxed, this is the tropics with style. Once these delightful unspoiled islands get under your skin, you'll be back for the first of many return visits.