BVI Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes

Tortola to Norman Island and Peter Island

Board your yacht at Nanny Cay or Village Cay by mid-morning. Cruise south across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to The Indians for a mid-morning snorkel on the rocky pinnacles (6 nautical miles, 25 minutes). Continue to Norman Island’s Bight (2 nautical miles) for lunch, either on the aft deck or alongside Willy T’s floating bar. In the afternoon, swim into the sea caves at Treasure Point with your crew’s snorkelling kit and underwater torches. As the light softens, cruise south to Peter Island (3 nautical miles) and anchor in Deadman’s Bay, a stunning crescent of white sand backed by steep green hills. Dinner on board under a sky thick with stars.

Peter Island to Salt Island and Jost Van Dyke

A short morning cruise to Salt Island (3 nautical miles) for a dive or snorkel on the RMS Rhone wreck, the bow section in 22 metres of water encrusted with coral, the stern section in 10 metres accessible to confident snorkellers. After the dive, cruise north-west across the channel and up Tortola’s west coast to Jost Van Dyke (roughly 14 nautical miles, 45 minutes). Pick up a mooring at White Bay and swim ashore to the Soggy Dollar Bar for the original Painkiller. Spend the afternoon on the powdery white sand. In the evening, cruise around to Great Harbour for dinner at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, live music, cold drinks and Caribbean hospitality at its finest. Anchor overnight in Great Harbour.

Jost Van Dyke to Sandy Cay and Cane Garden Bay, Tortola

Depart Great Harbour and cruise south-east to Sandy Cay (3 nautical miles, 10 minutes), a tiny uninhabited island ringed by white sand with a short nature trail through the interior. Swim, snorkel and walk the trail in perfect solitude. After brunch on the aft deck, continue south to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola’s north shore (4 nautical miles, 15 minutes), a wide crescent beach with calm water, a large mooring field and a lively atmosphere. Spend the afternoon ashore at Myett’s (beachfront dining, Painkiller Rum Bar, live music at weekends) or swimming in the calm turquoise water. Return to Nanny Cay or Village Cay in the late afternoon.

Tortola to The Baths and Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda

Depart Tortola and cruise east along the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda (roughly 12 nautical miles, 40 minutes). Pick up a mooring at The Baths on the island’s southern tip and wade ashore to one of the Caribbean’s most extraordinary natural wonders. House-sized granite boulders, some over 12 metres in diameter, formed by slow-cooling magma millions of years ago, create a labyrinth of natural pools, grottos, sea caves and secret passages. Follow the trail through the boulders to Devil’s Bay, a pristine crescent of sand on the far side. Return to the yacht for a chef’s lunch, then cruise the short distance to Spanish Town and the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour for provisioning or a walk through the village. Dinner at CocoMaya, Asian-Caribbean fusion between granite boulders on the beach, with fire pits and sunset views over the Sir Francis Drake Channel.

North Sound: Leverick Bay, Bitter End and Saba Rock

Cruise north around Virgin Gorda’s eastern coast to North Sound (roughly 8 nautical miles, 30 minutes from Spanish Town). This large, reef-protected bay is the BVI’s watersports playground. Anchor off Leverick Bay for a morning of kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling in the calm waters. Cruise across the sound to the Bitter End Yacht Club for lunch at the club restaurant, the setting, on a point overlooking the sound with the reef and open ocean beyond, is magnificent. In the afternoon, tender to Saba Rock, a tiny island hotel-bar in the middle of the sound, with a bar, a restaurant and views in every direction. Watch the sunset from Saba Rock’s terrace with a rum punch in hand. Anchor overnight in North Sound.

Anegada: Lobster, Flamingos and Reef

Cruise north from North Sound to Anegada (roughly 15 nautical miles, 45 minutes to an hour). The approach to this low-lying coral island requires careful navigation over Horseshoe Reef, the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world, but your captain knows the channels. Anchor off Setting Point on the south-west shore and tender ashore. Spend the morning on Loblolly Bay’s pristine beach (excellent reef snorkelling just offshore, with nurse sharks, rays and turtles) or visit the salt ponds where wild flamingos wade through the shallows. In the afternoon, arrange a lobster dinner at Cow Wreck Beach or The Lobster Trap, freshly caught Caribbean lobster grilled over open coals, served with your feet in the sand as the sun sets over the reef. There is no finer meal in the BVI. Anchor overnight off Anegada.

Anegada to Cooper Island and Return to Tortola

Depart Anegada in the morning and cruise south to Cooper Island (roughly 18 nautical miles, an hour). Pick up a mooring at Manchioneel Bay and snorkel the reef at Cistern Point, colourful coral, calm water, and a sense of seclusion. Tender ashore to the Cooper Island Beach Club for a late-morning rum cocktail. After a chef’s farewell brunch on the aft deck, cruise west along the Sir Francis Drake Channel back to Tortola (8 nautical miles, 30 minutes), arriving at Nanny Cay or Village Cay by mid-afternoon. The passage back offers sweeping views of the channel, flanked by islands on both sides, a fitting finale to a BVI grand tour.

Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day western route (Norman Island, Peter Island, Salt Island, Jost Van Dyke, Sandy Cay, Cane Garden Bay) with the 4-day eastern route (The Baths, North Sound, Anegada, Cooper Island) for a comprehensive 7-day BVI charter covering the entire archipelago without repeating a single anchorage.