TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Shocking Biras development plans

I recently received an email about Biras marina being added to a Spanish portfolio of superyacht marinas. Apparently there are big plans, not just for the marina, but also ONB style megamansions climbing up the ridge of Biras Hill.

This link shows some of what is proposed.

I advise not to open the link immediately after eating.

https://bellini.it/portfolio-articoli/biras-creek-marina-resort/

I read the whole thing..heartbreaking

YMMV but 2001 was peak Biras from our many experiences. A very special place back then. We may be slightly biased as one half of us is Dutch 🙂

This new development... 😑

Yup! Toured the site last winter- big plans indeed. I fondly remember the low key yet elegant resort with great food in the very early ‘80’s with theThonnings at the helm .

We have long enjoyed snorkeling the mangroves on the north side of Biras Creek bay. At some point (pre Irma?) there was a road cut just to the other side of the mangroves, with spoil pushed to the side and a row of utility poles. The poles disappeared and I think the road cut was abandoned.
However, I read that a new road has been cut in July (we haven't been since April) and I'm bracing myself for seeing this area (and Biras Hill) degraded and destroyed.

For us, part of the attraction of the Bitter End was always the ability to walk the trail to Biras Creek, and on to the Fat Virgin Cafe. It will never be the same without that.

By the way, the NY Times just had an article about marinas, and groups of marinas, being bought up by investment companies. For example, this deal:

https://www.blackstone.com/news/pre...afe-harbor-marinas-in-5-65b-transaction/

Apparently marinas are viewed as a scarce and valuable resource in a world with an increasing share of wealth concentrated at the top.

Dan

P.S. I'm adding on because I just saw the message from MrEZgoin that must have been posted just before mine. The trail I recall was exactly that -- just a narrow dirt walking trail, certainly without any utility poles. Was it later widened to an actual road? When I was there last year there didn't seem to be any place to access it from the Bitter End. Used to be that you'd walk up the stairs near BEYC's pool, and that led to the trail.

I remember walking with several crew members along the pathway from Biras to Fat Virgin. There was a small sign along the trail which read "Iguana Crossing". I made the comment "like that's not for real". Then, a crew member pointed down to my feet in the middle of the pathway next to the sign. As if on cue, there was a large iguana which I was getting ready to trip over.