The island paradise of Sir Richard Branson, Necker Island in the idyllic British Virgin Islands, is affording guests a newly enhanced insight into its wide-reaching conservation efforts.
Some of the world’s most lauded island resorts stand out for more than their palm-fringed shores and level of luxury hospitality; the most covetable of these island hideaways set themselves apart with the positive impact they have on their surroundings.
Despite being known first for the exclusive experience it affords—with Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama among its many famous guests—Necker Island has become a beacon of luxury eco-tourism over the years. Now, the island is enhancing the connection guests have with its conservation efforts in particular.
In its idyllic location, within the turquoise waters of the British Virgin Islands, just north of Virgin Gorda, the 74-acre island hideaway hosts guests in a collection of Balinese-style houses, ranging from barefoot luxe to more contemporary in style, all of which are accompanied by sea-view pools.
Shared social spaces then provide the beachfront or island-top settings for indoor-outdoor dining, sunrise yoga, dancing into the night, or a drink by the poolside bar. Its sandy beaches—backed by water sports facilities, tennis and pickleball courts, a spa, infinity pool and many corners to unwind—fringe an undulating wilderness. Shoreline seagrape woodlands and mangroves flank a saltwater lake, and lush greenery, fruit trees and flowering plants lead up the hillside to the cacti-dotted upland.
Since 2006, Branson and the island’s conservation team have been introducing an abundance of wildlife to this environment, beginning with 44 flamingos (that’s grown to a flock of over 600 birds) and including Aldabra giant tortoises and lemurs among an array of other species. As many as 140 animal species now call the island home. In 2021, Necker became the first place Aldabra giant tortoises have been bred naturally outside of the Seychelles and turtles now also nest on the island’s shores.
On the sustainability side, the island runs almost entirely on renewable energy, sourced through solar panels and wind turbines, and the environmental footprint is kept to a minimum through recycling programs, the repurposing of water for irrigation, and the reduction of food miles.
Far from just focusing on island-based initiatives, Necker also plays a part in community and conservation initiatives of the surrounding archipelago. Much of these efforts are the work of the non-profit foundation Unite BVI, which Virgin Limited Edition (the collection of exclusive retreats Necker Island is a part of) and the company’s philanthropic arm Virgin Unite founded as a force for good in this region in 2016. The foundation now facilitates conservation and community projects across the region, while also empowering local entrepreneurs.
Among the projects supported by Unite BVI is the mangrove conservation offering of Tortola-based eco-tourism company GroundSea Adventures. Through this partnership, Necker Island is now giving guests the opportunity to set out on a kayaking adventure through a thick forest of mangrove with insight into the rehabilitation of this habitat, and the chance to plant mangrove propagules. A donation from the cost of the excursion also contributes to the HLSCC National Mangrove Nursery.
Back on the island, time spent being as active or doing as little as you want on land and in the water can be enriched with nature hikes around the island and the chance to meet the lemurs and giant tortoises. As much as Necker is known first as one of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts, the lesser-known ecological side to the island is a strength that just keeps growing.