Embrace Caribbean Flavor in Tortola

The Caribbean is known for a lot of things, including gorgeous weather, beautiful scenery and lively culture.

The Caribbean is known for a lot of things, including gorgeous weather, beautiful scenery and lively culture. Celebrated for its colorful festivals and friendly natives, the region is a traveler's paradise, and should you book luxury rentals on the British Virgin Island of Tortola, you can get a taste of the local spirit – literally.

The Callwood Distillery in the Cane Garden Bay area has been producing some of the tastiest rum in the region for roughly 200 years, and has remained a family-run operation since the late 1800s. Details are scarce as to the origin of the structure itself, though its British colonial architecture suggests that it was built sometime in the mid-1700s. Despite its age, the distillery remains in strong condition and with most of its original materials, with the notable exception of its roof, which has been replaced several times over the years due to hurricane damage.

The facility takes its name from famed buccaneer Richard Callwood, who placed the land under the control of his son, also named Richard. The younger Callwood would pioneer a unique form of the distilling process that produces some of the tastiest libations in the region to this day. The key difference that differentiates this rum from many of its contemporaries is its reliance on fresh cut sugar cane for flavor, rather than the more common molasses. The result is a naturally sweet liquor that is said to produce fewer headaches and physical harangues than its more processed rivals.

Should you venture to the distillery, you can embark on guided tours of the classic facility or partake in a rum tasting to bring a bottle back to your villa vacation rentals. The primary production season runs from March through August, so travelers hoping to sample Callwood's signature products, which range from dark to light rums, should plan their trip accordingly.

Of course, being sure to book Caribbean villas when heading to Tortola can be an excellent way to ensure that your vacation starts off on the right foot. With a bevy of luxurious accommodations, guests hoping to book villas in Tortola will certainly not be short of choices. Should your group require some room to stretch their legs, a trip to the stunning Sade villa could be a perfect fit. Boasting five bedrooms, each with a king-size bed, and located walking distance from Smuggler's Cove beach, this villa may be the perfect destination for relaxation on Tortola.