The BritishVirgin Islands:
A Sample Itinerary
The British Virgin Islands is a sailor's paradise!
Whether you're a beginner sailor or a long-time seasoned sailor, the British Virgin Islands is the ideal destination for a Charter Yacht Vacation. The consistent year-round conditions create a perfect Caribbean yacht charter: trade winds, friendly people, perfect weather and warm clear water! The short distances between the islands make for relaxing, line-of-sight sailing. There are plenty of excellent snorkeling and diving sites, local restaurants and fun beach bars ashore. The BVI is a sailor's paradise!
A typical week’s vacation starts in Road Town, Tortola, the hub of the British Virgin Islands. Road Town is bustling with local and international business men and women, as it is one of the world’s most popular destinations for offshore banking. School children walk past on their way to school in their brightly colored uniforms. You will hear the hawkers at the outdoor straw market selling their wares and smell the freshly prepared Pates of meat, fish and conch for sale. Road Town offers an array of shops, restaurants and pubs offering everything from local spices, jams, rums, and soaps to handcrafted jewelry, silk-screened fabrics, and local art.
Day 1/Night 1: The fun begins! Depart Road Town, Tortola for The Bight, Norman Island – 8 nautical miles.
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Norman Island is often referred to by the locals as “Treasure Island”, as legends are resplendent with stories of buried pirate treasure.
You can stop at the entrance of Norman Island to snorkel the Caves. |
The sea life is vibrant and it is exciting to snorkel into some of the caves, which are quite shallow. For the divers, “Angelfish Reef” is a good first dive.
The Caves
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As the sun sets, enjoy cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres (included in tour price).
Your friendly and competent crew will pick up a mooring buoy or anchor in The Bight.
Dinner and wine is served in the open air of the cockpit, or if you prefer, in the spacious salon below (included in tour price). |
Willie T
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The William Thornton, locally known as Willie T, is the floating pirate ship/restaurant you can’t miss.
The atmosphere is fun and the food is fast if you get hungry while partying. |
Pirates Pub
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Ashore is the Pirates Pub Bar & Grill, where you'll usually hear fun, live music. Beware of the barreled pirate rum!
You are assured a restful night’s sleep, as the lapping of the water on the hull and the tropical trade winds lull you to sleep. |
Day 2/Night 2: After a delicious breakfast (included in tour price) and a quick swim or hike ashore (if you are feeling active), you depart the Bight, Norman Island for the Indians – less than 1 nautical mile.
The Indians
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Your crew will pick up a mooring buoy so you can swim right from the yacht in most cases. The Indians is primarily a snorkel and dive spot.
The rocks are dark colored as they protrude above the waterline, but under the waterline is a completely different view! The reef is like a wall of colorful coral, sea fans and tropical fish. |
Some of the water is 30-40 feet, but the sea life extends all the way to the surface. You may choose to have lunch and a glass of crisp white wine (included in tour price) here or on the way to your next destination.
Depart the Indians for Cooper Island – 7 nautical miles.
Cooper Island has a white, palm fringed beach for exploring and a restaurant/pub ashore. The scenery is quite unique from the other islands, as it is more open, yet very well protected.
You can snorkel along shore just south of the anchorage in 6-8 feet of water over turtle grass. This is an excellent place to view sea turtles and spotted eagle rays. For divers, 100 yards away is the famous “Wreck Alley”.
At night, you can see across the Sir Francis Drake Channel and sometimes can catch a glimpse of a 200’+ schooner with lighted sails passing by. One of the best features is the sunset! It is absolutely marvelous…colors like you have never seen!
Your professional crew will prepare cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres, followed by a delicious dinner with appropriate wine parings (included in tour price). |
Cooper Island
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Day 3/Night 3: Depart Cooper Island for Salt Island – less than 2 nautical miles.
After a delicious breakfast (included in tour price), its a short sail to Salt Island, the well-known location of the Wreck of the RMS Rhone. This is a great location for the divers in your group. If your yacht does not offer Scuba diving, your skipper can set up a rendezvous dive for you, where a dive company comes out to the yacht and picks you up. All you need is your “C” Card and a credit card.
The snorkelers in your group can snorkel over and even touch the very beginning of this 1867 wreck. Salt Island is also great for exploring.
Ashore are three salt ponds, which belong to the British Crown, but are operated by the local people. You can purchase harvested salt, explore the shore to find several shells, sea glass and various types of rocks.
Lunch is served under the shade of the yachts bimini, and as always, open ship's bar is available (included in tour price). One of the only rules is this: no more Scuba diving for the day after that first drink. |
The RMS Rhone
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Depart Salt Island for Trellis Bay – 7 to 8 nautical miles.
Trellis Bay is famous for full moon parties, which bring a great party with live music, mocho jumbee stilt dancers, fire jugglers, a delicious BBQ and amazing fireballs!
Apart from the monthly full moon parties, Trellis Bay is also a very vibrant bay decorated with an abundance of local art created by Aragorn, who owns the art studio in Trellis Bay. The fresh baked bread loaves are delicious! You can usually find nightlife at the Last Resort. Many charter guests like to take their crew out to dinner one night. The Last Resort is a good choice. |
Aragorn's Fire Balls
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Again, your crew will prepare cocktails and Hors d”oeuvres, followed by a delicious dinner with appropriate wine parings (included in tour price). Breakfast will be served in the morning (included in tour price).
Day 4/Night 4: Depart Trellis Bay for The Baths – 6 nautical miles.
The Baths
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It is a good idea to leave early so your crew can secure a prime mooring buoy at The Baths! The Baths are incredible, with huge boulders (house sized) literally piled on top of each other.
There are several paths through the boulders that lead to Devil's Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in the British Virgin Islands. There is a restaurant bar at the top at The Baths for an enjoyable lunch with an awesome view, and a pool. |
The highlight of The Baths is definitely the rock climbing/exploring (there are ladders, platforms and ropes to assist), but the snorkeling is also amazing. You can easily spend all day here!
Your crew is standing by to prepare your Lunch, Cocktails, Hors d”oeuvres and Dinner (included in tour price).
Depart The Baths for Gorda Sound – 8 to 9 nautical miles.
The Bitter End and Saba Rock
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Gorda Sound at the north end of Virgin Gorda, or the “Fat Virgin”, has several places to go ashore and explore.
You should definitely visit Saba Rock where you can walk around the back side of the island in the Saba Rock Gardens. The landscaping is beautiful and surrounded completely with conch shells.
There are hammocks to relax in, a gift shop, a game room and you’re sure to see huge tarpon at the dock after sunset. |
The Bitter End is also great for night-time fun. Some of the best snorkeling is on the reef just north of the Bitter End. As usual, your crew is standing by to prepare your Lunch, Cocktails, Hors d”oeuvres and Dinner (included in tour price).
Day 5/Night 5: Depart Gorda Sound for The Dogs – 6 nautical miles.
The Dogs
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After a delicious breakfast (included in tour price), it's a down wind sail to The Dogs.
The Dogs are primarily a snorkel and dive stop. The reef is huge, extremely colorful and lively. This would be a great location for a dive.
Lunch is served under the shade on the yach'ts bimini, and as always, open ship's bar is available (included in tour price). |
Depart The Dogs for Great Harbor – 13 nautical miles.
Great Harbor is home of the notorious Foxy’s. Very lively parties can be found several times a year.
When the big party isn’t happening, Foxy often plays his guitar live, adlibbing songs as he goes – usually funny songs about anyone in his presence. It’s a great time and the BBQ dinner is excellent!
Here you will usually find a friendly, crab-chasing golden Labrador on the beach. You can cool down with some delicious ice cream at the shop just a short walk down the beach.
White Bay, with The Soggy Dollar Bar, is also a great choice for the night. Families with children will love the white sand beach.
Your crew is standing by to prepare Cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres, Dinner (included in tour price). |
White Bay
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Day 6/Night 6: Depart Great Harbor for Sandy Cay or Green Turtle Cay – less than 1 nautical mile.
Sandy Cay
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After a delicious breakfast (included in tour price), you’ll drop anchor at Sandy Cay or pick up a mooring buoy at Green Turtle Cay. Both offer white, sandy, deserted islands with snorkeling, swimming and exploring.
A short hike past Hermit crabs and various lizards to the top of Sandy Cay should not be missed! For divers, Little Jost vVn Dyke can’t be beat. |
When conditions are right, your crew will take you to the “Bubbly Pool”. Featured in photo journals and magazine articles around the world, the “Bubbly Pool” is still a somewhat closely guarded secret of Jost Van Dyke. Nature’s jacuzzi, this naturally formed tidal pool is located behind jagged cliffs facing the open ocean from the north.
The Bubbly Pool At Its Very Best
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When the north swell is up, this is absolutely a National Geographic experience, as you wade in the pool and fearfully watch as the rolling sea comes at you with full force! Just at the last second, as it looks as if the wave will go straight over you, the unique formation outside the pool prematurely breaks the wave and the resulting “bubbles” fill up the pool and give everyone a reason to be glad to be alive!
Lunch is served under the shade of the yachts bimini, and as always, open ship's bar is available (included in tour price). |
Depart Sandy Cay or Green Cay for Cane Garden Bay, Tortola – 6 nautical miles.
Cane Garden Bay
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Cane Garden Bay is completely beach ashore with restaurants and water sports. Quito, a well-known local singer, is great for night-time fun.
You can also often find a band playing at Myett's Garden Inn and Grille.
Callwood's Rum Distillery is also located at Cane Garden Bay, if you would like to do some exploring. |
There is some snorkeling, but Cane Garden Bay is best for relaxing on the beach and dancing. You will recognize the infamous tire-swing ashore, whose picture is used in several Caribbean magazines. Your crew is standing by to prepare Cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres, Dinner and Breakfast (included in tour price).
Day 7/Night 7: Depart Cane Garden Bay for Norman Island - 13 to 15 nautical miles.
Reminisce the last week with your group and enjoy one more night of total relaxation...on island time! Visit Pirate's Pub again or give Willy T's a go! Your crew is standing by to prepare Lunch, Cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres, Dinner and Breakfast (included in tour price).
Day 8: Return to Road Town – 6 to 7 nautical miles.
One last short adventure to return your yacht. Soak in the Caribbean sun all the way!
Note: Some Itineraries include a longer sail up to Anegada, the British Virgin Island’s only coral atoll. It sits serene and apart, yet it is located only about 14 miles north of Virgin Gorda – an easy and pleasant sail.
Loblolly Bay, Anegada |
Photo by FLY BVI |
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The sparsely populated island is ringed by a swathe of white sand, and is almost completely surrounded by the Horseshoe Reef. This reef is one of the world’s largest and is responsible for over 300 shipwrecks. Aptly named by Columbus, Anegada (the “drowned land”) is only 28 feet above sea level at its highest point.
Anegada can easily be toured in a day. The best way to see the island is to rent a jeep (not included in tour price). Miles of beautiful white sand beaches, kite surfing, great snorkeling, wild flamingos and beach bars for refreshment, make Anegada an interesting day on shore.
