Caribbean cruise: The most beautiful harbours and bays in the British Virgin Islands
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There's no question that the Caribbean is a popular charter destination. However, the individual island groups differ greatly. While the infrastructure in some regions is very basic and you can still discover a piece of the original, undeveloped Caribbean, others have been completely conquered by tourism. Such as the British Virgin Islands (BVIs). But that's not a bad thing, on the contrary. For example, there are plenty of mooring buoys available at every swimming and stage stop, and a few good restaurants can be found everywhere. Shops and places of interest are often within walking distance when going ashore. And a great beach with an award-winning bar is never far away. What's more, the distances are short and the area is extremely sheltered.
British Virgin Islands hit with full force
"If Walt Disney had designed a theme park for boat crews, it would probably look like the BVIs," a US sailor tells us. Many of them walk and sail around here, the islands are their Mallorca thanks to a two and a half hour flight from the US east coast. What's more, the island chain, which stretches from east to west over just 27 nautical miles, has a lot to offer. Many Americans therefore leave their boats here all year round. This is not normally risky, as the BVIs are very rarely hit by a hurricane. But then came "Irma" in September 2017, which hit the islands with full force and caused major destruction. The region has been slow to recover from the shock. We reported on the disaster and its consequences at the time. Now we were back on site to find out how far the reconstruction has progressed. And whether the islands still exude the same charm as they did back then. Shortly after arriving on the island of Tortola, the first remnants of the hurricane catch the eye. The road leads past Paraquita Bay, a "hurricane hole" in which charter companies tried to secure well over 100 charter boats from Irma. None of them survived. The shores are still lined with wrecked yachts today. But business is back.
As before the devastating hurricane, by far the largest fleet of charter catamarans in the BVIs continues to fly the flag of The Moorings. The base of the globally operating provider is located in the harbour of Road Town, the main town of the archipelago, which is centrally located on Tortola. The company offers a premium transfer service for the approximately 30-minute journey from Beef Island Airport; the other option is to fly to the neighbouring island of St. Thomas and then take the ferry to Road Town.
Information on this as well as on other services and the charter offer in general can be found on the Internet at The Moorings. Within a week's holiday on site, the highlights of the area can be comfortably explored on your own double hull. The daily distances to be travelled are very manageable, which leaves more time to relax on board the Powercat and explore ashore. This allows you to experience a new adventure every day.
On a treasure hunt
Even the first leg is supposed to be short. We motored seven nautical miles past Peter Island and the small rock The Indians over to The Bight. It is located on Norman Island and was supposedly the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson's book "Treasure Island".
Apart from an old rusty cannon on the beach, however, there are no reminders of the pirate days. Instead, the large bay is dotted with dozens of mooring buoys. The "Willy T", a floating bar that can only be reached by boat, is anchored in the north. Despite the large number of yachts, the wide beach in the far east of the bay is deserted in the afternoon. This is despite the fact that you can watch one of the most beautiful sunsets in the BVIs from here.
Clean-up work after Hurricane Irma
The Bitter End Yacht Club is located far to the east of the archipelago. The "bitter end" describes the end of a rope that must not slip out of the block. The name was presumably intended to describe the secluded location of the club. Indeed, it feels as if you have to go to the end of the world. Yet another marina opened behind the yacht club in 2023: Oil Nut Bay has 93 berths and a number of small restaurants.
The Bitter End yacht club was a total loss after Hurricane Irma and had to be completely rebuilt. The work is not yet complete, but the marina, petrol station, restaurant and beach bar in the shape of an old motorboat are back in operation. The bare wooden walls without any paint give an idea of the haste with which the reconstruction work was carried out. Most of the crews don't care, they still take their "medicine" here for the first time after the long journey: the Painkiller, the cocktail for which the BVIs are famous. It is made from coconut cream, pineapple and orange juice and dark rum, served over ice and with freshly grated nutmeg.
Protecting the underwater world in the British Virgin Islands
In the BVIs, the boats are moored at murings, which cost 30 to 40 dollars per night, regardless of the size of the boat. This is to protect the underwater world from hundreds of anchors. What's more, a buoy field can accommodate more yachts in the same space. This is important in the high season. But there are also opportunities for a lonely night at anchor. For example, in the sheltered Savannah Bay, around six and a half nautical miles away and north-east of Spanish Town. A long sandy beach invites you to swim and linger, even if there are no palm trees to provide shade.
Savannah Bay has another advantage as an overnight stop: from here it is only two and a half nautical miles to the rock formation The Baths on Virgin Gorda, the most spectacular scenery the BVIs have to offer. It's as if a giant had been playing with pebbles on the beach. However, landing is not easy: it is a half-hour hike from the anchorage off Spanish Town to the entrance of the park, and the day mooring buoys directly in front of the rocks are highly coveted and rare. It is therefore worth getting up early - or taking the short route.
On site, the buoyed bathing area around the rocks is off-limits to dinghies. So the only option is to pack your mobile phones in waterproof bags and swim back to the shore. You should also take some cash with you, as admission costs ten US dollars per person.
Empty Trellis Bay to the half moon
After a long day of climbing and splashing around - you feel like a little kid again in The Baths - nobody on board wants to do any more miles. However, the Muring must be left before nightfall, so the route continues five nautical miles to Trellis Bay behind Beef Island. This is the bay that is brought to life once a month by artists and fire performers during the Full Moon Festival. But it's half moon right now, so the bay is empty.
If you want to try typical Caribbean food, a visit to Trellis Bay Market is well worthwhile. Here you can find simple but authentic dishes. For example, the chicken roti, a kind of Caribbean kebab with sweet potatoes and meat, all wrapped in a corn patty and served with mango chutney. It was recently voted the best in the Caribbean.
On the other side of the archipelago is Jost van Dyke, named after a Dutch privateer. The island is not far away, just ten nautical miles downwind to the west. Then Sandy Spit is already in front of the bow pair. The sandy island with its two palm trees is a postcard motif. During the day, Sandy Spit has to be shared with other crews. In the early morning and late evening, however, there is even a bit of a private island feeling. During the night, however, it can get restless at anchor here, so we later move to a mooring buoy at Foxy's Taboo, which can - and should - even be reserved online. On the Internet via boatyball.com.
Location of the Painkiller
The next day, we set course for the west of Jost van Dyke. It is said that the Painkiller was invented here, in White Bay. The Soggy Dollar Bar has been here since the 1970s and has just been rebuilt after the hurricane. The name says it all, as there is no jetty. Once again, thirsty boat holidaymakers can only get ashore in swimming trunks - with a "wet dollar" in their pocket. Or by dinghy. Finding a place for the cat is difficult, however, as the anchorage is very full. Only when the day trippers head back to Tortola in the evening does it become more airy.
Despite the many boats, the crowds get lost. Nobody queues for long at the bar either. For the sake of simplicity, the famous Painkiller is pre-mixed from former gallon water cans and poured over ice cubes, then topped up with Pusser's Rum. The secret of the flavour is probably the scenery all around anyway: the turquoise water, the fine sand between your toes and a crowd of sociable crews who are all here for the same reason. Cheers!
Anyone who gets out of bed the next morning and finds a pile of empty cups in the dinghy has probably overdone it the day before. Fortunately, the next destination is once again not far away, only five nautical miles. In Soper's Hole, we are suddenly back in civilisation. The colourful house front of The Wharf looks almost picturesque in the evening sun, as if painted. The dinghy takes us ashore, where there is a wide range of cafés, restaurants and cocktail bars. There is also a supermarket right by the harbour.
The last stage in the British Virgin Islands
Then it's time for the last leg: We head eastwards along the south coast of Tortola against the trade winds - and soon we will have rounded the British Virgin Islands in just 70 nautical miles! For the last night, we fish for a mooring buoy in the north of Cooper Island, directly opposite the beach club, which has been developed into an eco-resort in recent years. Many operators have used the time after the hurricane damage to modernise their hotels and marinas or completely rebuild them.
Cooper Island is now focussing on self-sufficiency. Among other things, they brew their own beers: Caribbean IPA, Tropical Lager, Sunset Pilsner. We try them all, and none of them seem out of place with this view. The only thing that disturbs is the field of Sargasso
Seaweed that has now formed around all the boats at the murings. A problem that has been increasing here for several years.
The next morning, it's just another stone's throw for our cat back to the charter base, where our Caribbean adventure ends.
Conclusion
Perfect for experiencing that real Caribbean feeling in relaxed conditions, even without prior knowledge of the area. This can leave you wanting more! Comparatively short distances between most of the islands, a trip without long distances over open water is easily possible. Many legendary spots from bars to beaches provide unique experiences. At the same time, the charter catamaran offers plenty of space for a good time on board.
Area information British Virgin Islands
The precinct
The British Virgin Islands are considered the easiest sailing area in the Caribbean. They are also very safe and family-friendly. The more than 60 islands are close together and no border crossing is required anywhere.
Weather
The archipelago lies in the area of the trade winds and has a pleasant climate all year round. The best months to visit are April, May and November. During the hurricane season (June to October), the weather is often unstable.
Journey
There are two ways to get to the British Virgin Islands: either via Paris to St Martin and then by propeller plane to Tortola. Or you can choose the option via the USA (ESTA required for transit) to St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and from there by ferry to the BVIs. There are no direct flights.
The stages
Road Town (Tortola)
- > The Bight (Norman Island): 7 nm
The Bight
- > Bitter End (Virgin Gorda): 20.5 nm
- > Savannah Bay (Virgin Gorda): 6 nm
Savannah Bay
- > The Baths (Virgin Gorda): 3 nm
- > Trellis Bay (Beef Island): 5.5 nm
Trellis Bay
- > Sandy Spit (Jost van Dyke): 11 nm
Sandy Spit
- > White Bay (Jost van Dyke): 4 nm
White Bay
- > Soper's Hole (Tortola): 4 nm
- > Manchioneel Bay (Cooper Island): 12 nm
Manchioneel Bay
- > Road Town (Tortola): 6 nm
Total distance: 79 nm
Caribbean special:
A brief portrait of Caribbean destinations:
