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Seven days · Norman Island, Virgin Gorda, Anegada & Jost Van Dyke

Sailing the British Virgin Islands with friends: The Baths, the North Sound, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke

Reviewed Oct 23, 2026How we verify

A week on a chartered boat out of Road Town: the first night in the Bight at Norman Island, the granite pools of The Baths, sunset in the North Sound, a daylight reef passage to Anegada for lobster on the sand, and a swim-in beach at White Bay before the last big night in Great Harbour.

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7 days / 7 nights aboard December–April Friends

Original illustration

Boats at anchor off Sandy Spit, a tiny white-sand islet in the British Virgin Islands — **Sandy Spit** · a tiny islet of sand and palms off Jost Van Dyke, seen from a boat at anchor

The trip in 60 seconds

Trip at a glance

Who it’s for: Friends who want a week on the water together: short sails between islands, snorkelling every day and dinner ashore most nights, with one experienced skipper in charge of the boat
Route: Road Town → the Bight, Norman Island → The Baths → the North Sound → Anegada (two nights) → the North Sound → White Bay and Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke → Cane Garden Bay → Road Town
Best timing: December to April for steady trade winds and dry weather. Hurricane season runs June to November, with the peak from August to October
Pace: Easy to moderate: most passages are 1 to 3 hours; Day 3 (to Anegada) and Day 6 (to Jost Van Dyke) are the long ones
Sleep: Seven nights aboard a chartered catamaran or monohull, on mooring balls or at anchor; a bareboat needs a skipper with real experience, or hire a captain
Getting there: Fly to Tortola (Beef Island) or ferry over from St. Thomas, then a taxi to the charter base in Road Town. Everyone fills in the free BVI entry card online before travel
Rough budget: From Nov 1, 2026, a walk-in visit to The Baths is $10 an adult; the weekly National Parks permit you buy through the charter company includes Baths entry
Good to know: The skipper stays sober and makes every weather and reef call, especially the Anegada passage, which is daylight only

Reviewed Oct 23, 2026How we verify

Illustration: route map of the week, a bird’s-eye view of the British Virgin Islands from the south, with Tortola across the middle, Norman Island in the channel (Day 1), the granite boulders of Virgin Gorda (Day 2), the North Sound (Days 2 and 5), low flat Anegada (Days 3 and 4) and Jost Van Dyke to the northwest (Day 6) — The British Virgin Islands by boat · Norman, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke

Postcards from the trip

The North Sound of Virgin Gorda from above, with reefs, islands and boats — **The North Sound** · Sheltered water ringed by hills, two nights out of seven.

Cooper Island, Salt Island and Peter Island across blue water — **Cooper, Salt and Peter** · The small islands that line the channel south of Tortola.

A shallow salt pond with scrub on Anegada — **Anegada’s salt ponds** · Where the flamingos wade, inland from Setting Point.

Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke with boats at anchor and the hill behind — **Great Harbour** · The sandy street on Jost Van Dyke where the last night happens.

The idea

Seven days, five islands and one boat for all of you.

Look down first. Under the hull the water goes from navy to turquoise to clear sand in the space of a boat length, and that is the whole case for sailing the British Virgin Islands. The islands sit close together around the Sir Francis Drake Channel, mostly in sight of each other, so the sails are short and the evenings are long, and a group of friends can share one boat, one chart and one table.

Day 1 leaves Road Town for the Bight at Norman Island. Day 2 swims the granite pools at The Baths and ends in the North Sound. Days 3 and 4 cross the reef to Anegada for flamingos and lobster on the sand. Day 5 is sunset back in the North Sound, Day 6 a long downwind sail to White Bay and Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke, and Day 7 the last morning and the sail home.

More Caribbean? See St. John, Puerto Rico or every trip on the site.

Day-by-day summary

The sea caves at Treasure Point on Norman Island with snorkelers and a dinghy

Day 1 · board · about 1 to 2 hours under sailRoad Town to the Bight, Norman IslandBoat check-out in Road Town, a short first sail across the channel and the first night on a mooring in the Bight.

Giant granite boulders and a sandy pool at The Baths on Virgin Gorda

Day 2 · boulders · about 3 hours to The BathsThe Baths, Virgin Gorda, and the North SoundAn early snorkel at the Caves, the granite pools of The Baths at mid-morning and dinner in the North Sound.

A flat salt pond and scrub on Anegada under a wide sky

Day 3 · passage · about 2 to 3 hours, daylight onlyThe reef passage to AnegadaA daylight crossing to low, flat Anegada with the sun high on the reef, then the salt ponds and the flamingos.

A man holding a spiny lobster on Cow Wreck Beach, Anegada

Day 4 · ashore · by taxi across the islandAnegada: the north-shore beaches and lobster on the sandA day ashore on Anegada’s empty north-shore beaches, then grilled spiny lobster on the sand at Setting Point.

Saba Rock, a small islet with buildings and boats in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda

Day 5 · North Sound · about 2 to 3 hoursBack to the North Sound and Saba RockThe passage back across the reef in good light, an afternoon in the water and sunset at Saba Rock.

The curved white-sand beach of White Bay on Jost Van Dyke with boats offshore

Day 6 · the long sail · about 5 hoursWhite Bay and Great Harbour, Jost Van DykeA long downwind sail along Tortola’s north shore, a swim ashore at White Bay and the last big night in Great Harbour.

Day 7 · home · about 3 to 4 hours in allGreat Harbour to Cane Garden Bay and Road TownCoffee in the cockpit in Great Harbour, lunch at Cane Garden Bay and the sail back to the base in Road Town.

The Baths, Virgin Gorda: granite boulders and clear water on the Sir Francis Drake Channel side. Photo: Mattes, CC BY 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

The route

Seven days, one boat, a loop of the islands

A loop from the charter base in Road Town: east along the channel to Virgin Gorda, north across the reef to Anegada, west along Tortola’s north shore to Jost Van Dyke, then back to the base.

Illustration: late afternoon in the Bight at Norman Island, a wide sheltered bay ringed by green hills, catamarans and sloops on mooring balls, a palm-thatched beach restaurant on the sand, an old wooden schooner anchored as a floating bar and a dinghy of tiny faceless friends heading for the beach in golden light, illustrated day card for Day 1

01Road Town · Norman Island

Base: the boat, for all seven nights, picked up at the charter base in Road Town. Pace: easy: a morning of briefings and stowing, then a first sail of about 6 nautical miles across the Sir Francis Drake Channel, with the break at lunch on the dock. The ED Card everyone fills in before the trip is free.

Check out the boat

Charter bases in Road Town run a chart briefing and a boat walk-through on the first morning; The Moorings base has provisioning, a pool and restaurants on site. Stow the soft bags, find the snorkel gear, and agree who handles lines and who reads the chart.

The skipper, the one with real sailing experience, does the briefing properly; everyone else learns the dinghy and the head.

Lunch on the dock

Where to eat: eat at the base before you cast off, or make sandwiches from the provisioning order for the crossing.

The first sail

Out of the harbour, the channel opens up, deep blue and lined with green islands, and the trade wind fills in. It is about an hour or two to the Bight, the big sheltered bay on Norman Island. Pick up a mooring ball early in season; the bay fills by late afternoon. Expert tip: keep this first day short so the crew learns the boat before the longer sails, and reef the mainsail early if the trade wind is fresh.

The Willy T

Out in the bay, the Willy T is a floating bar and grill on an old schooner, a Bight landmark. Dinghy over to see it, with lunch from 12 to 3 p.m. and dinner from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; the skipper stays on soft drinks, and so does whoever drives the dinghy.

Dinner on the beach

Where to eat: Pirates Bight, the open-air restaurant on the sand at the head of the bay, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily this season.

Feet in the sand, the boats swinging on their moorings, the first sunset of the week going orange over the hills.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast at the base in Road Town — before the briefing. Why here: The charter base has restaurants and a provisioning shop.
Lunch · Lunch at the base or from the provisioning order — before you cast off. Why here: Eat before the first crossing.
Dinner · Pirates Bight — the Bight, Norman Island; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, Oct 2026 to Jul 2027. Why here: Dinner on the sand on the first night.
Quick stop (other): Willy T — floating bar and grill in the Bight; lunch 12 to 3 p.m., dinner 6:30 to 9 p.m.; VHF 16/74. Why here: A Bight landmark on an old schooner.

Take a short first day. Use the easy sail to the Bight to practise picking up a mooring, launching the dinghy and calling on the radio before the longer passages.

Road Town → the Bight, Norman Island: about 6 nautical miles, 1 to 2 hours under sail. Dinghy from the mooring to the beach: a few minutes.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — night one on a mooring in the Bight, Norman Island.

Dinner: Pirates Bight, on the beach.

Tomorrow: the Caves at first light, then The Baths on Virgin Gorda.

Bad-weather plan

Squalls or strong wind on check-out day? Stay on the dock an extra few hours; the Bight is close, sheltered and still reachable before dark.

Stay: On board · Anchor: The Bight · short first sail

Good to know: Everyone fills in the free BVI Entry and Departure (ED) Card online, up to 72 hours before travel; the only official site is bviedcard.gov.vg.

Illustration: The Baths on Virgin Gorda, huge smooth granite boulders at the edge of a white-sand beach, clear turquoise pools and light-filled passages between them, one small faceless swimmer wading between two boulders, sea-grape and palms above and a catamaran on a mooring offshore, illustrated day card for Day 2

02Virgin Gorda · The Baths

Base: the boat; tonight in the North Sound. Pace: moderate: an early snorkel, about 3 hours sailing east, a scramble through the boulders, then 1 to 2 hours more to the North Sound; the break is lunch at Top of the Baths. Entry to The Baths is covered by the weekly charter permit, or $10 an adult from Nov 1, 2026.

The Caves at first light

Before breakfast, dinghy round to the Caves at Treasure Point, just outside the Bight, and snorkel along the cliff in the early calm. Use the National Parks dinghy moorings; they are day use only with a 90-minute limit.

Sail to The Baths

Head east up the channel to the southwest tip of Virgin Gorda. The Baths are a National Parks site: boats tie to the day moorings offshore, no anchoring, and swim or dinghy to the line at the beach. If a red flag is up, don’t swim in; in winter, northerly swells can close the moorings altogether.

Through the boulders

Ashore, huge rounded granite boulders lie piled at the water’s edge, with turquoise pools and narrow light-filled passages between them. Follow the trail from Devil’s Bay through the boulders, wading the shallow pools where the light comes down in shafts. Expert tip: get there by mid-morning, before the cruise and day-trip boats; the park is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Lunch above the beach

Where to eat: Top of the Baths, the restaurant and pool on the hill above the beach, for a Caribbean lunch with the boulders below; call ahead for a group.

Salt-dried hair, cold drinks, everyone talking at once about the same cave.

On to the North Sound

Sail north along Virgin Gorda’s west coast to the North Sound, a wide sheltered sound ringed by hills, and pick up a mooring for two nights out of the next four. Where to eat: the Upstairs restaurant at Leverick Bay, from 6 p.m. Saturday to Thursday.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast on board — after the early snorkel. Why here: Coffee in the cockpit before the sail east.
Lunch · Top of the Baths — above The Baths, Virgin Gorda; lunch and dinner; call ahead for a group. Why here: Lunch and a pool with the boulders below.
Dinner · Leverick Bay — North Sound; the Upstairs restaurant opens at 6 p.m. Saturday to Thursday. Why here: Dinner ashore on the first North Sound night.
Quick stop (other): The Baths National Park — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; day moorings only, 90-minute limit; $10 an adult from Nov 1, 2026 if not on a weekly permit. Why here: The granite pools of Virgin Gorda.
Quick stop (other): The Caves, Norman Island — just outside the Bight; dinghy moorings, day use only. Why here: An early snorkel before the boats arrive.

Weekly park permit. On a charter, buy the weekly National Parks permit through the charter company; it covers the park moorings and entry to The Baths and Devil’s Bay.

The Bight → The Baths: about 15 nautical miles, 3 hours. The Baths → the North Sound: about 8 nautical miles, 1 to 2 hours.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — night two on a mooring in the North Sound, Virgin Gorda.

Dinner: Leverick Bay, in the North Sound.

Tomorrow: the reef passage to Anegada, if the skipper says the light and the weather are right.

Bad-weather plan

Big northerly swell? The Baths can close to boats; skip it, sail straight to the North Sound and take a taxi to The Baths by road from Spanish Town if it’s open to walkers.

Stay: On board · Anchor: The Baths · moorings only, no anchoring

Good to know: From Nov 1, 2026, entry to The Baths and Devil’s Bay for visitors not on a weekly permit rises from $3 to $10 an adult and from $2 to $5 for under-18s; residents and Belongers with ID enter free.

Illustration: a catamaran motor-sailing across open water toward Anegada, a very low flat island that is only a thin line of palms and white sand on the horizon, pale turquoise and brown reef patches ahead, one small faceless crew member on the bow watching the water and one at the helm under a high midday sun, illustrated day card for Day 3

03Anegada · the passage

Base: the boat, on a mooring off Setting Point for two nights. Pace: careful: about 13 nautical miles of open water, then a slow, eyes-on approach through the reef; the break comes once the mooring line is on. Watching the flamingos from the salt-pond edge is free.

The skipper’s call

Anegada is different from every other island on the route: it is a flat coral island, so low that from the North Sound it is only a line of palms on the horizon, and it is ringed by Horseshoe Reef. Some charter companies restrict this passage, and it is always the skipper’s call. Cross in daylight only, with the sun high, so the reef shows brown against the turquoise. Expert tip: leave the North Sound mid-morning so you arrive around midday, with the sun overhead.

The approach

Put one person on the bow watching the water and one on the helm, follow the marked channel into Setting Point, and pick up a mooring. Keep the speed down to a slow walking pace inside the reef, watch for the darker brown patches that mark coral heads, and if anyone is unsure, stop and call the charter base on the radio; most companies give a separate Anegada briefing at check-out. Nobody talks much on this bit, and that’s fine.

Lunch underway

Where to eat: on board; make wraps before you leave the North Sound and eat them once you’re on the mooring.

The salt ponds and the flamingos

Take a taxi or rent a scooter inland to the salt ponds, where flamingos wade in the pink shallows if you are lucky and quiet. Keep your distance, keep your voices down, and pick up nothing but a fallen feather to look at.

Dinner by the anchorage

Where to eat: the Garden Restaurant at the Anegada Reef Hotel, by the anchorage at Setting Point, for fresh fish; call ahead or radio for a table.

Order the lobster for tomorrow night while you are still on the island’s side of the reef.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast on board — before the passage. Why here: Eat early so everyone is ready on deck.
Lunch · Lunch on board at Setting Point — make it before you leave. Why here: Nobody cooks during a reef approach.
Dinner · Anegada Reef Hotel, Garden Restaurant — Setting Point, Anegada; breakfast, lunch and dinner menus; call ahead. Why here: Fresh fish a short dinghy ride from the mooring on the first Anegada night.
Quick stop (other): Anegada salt ponds — inland from Setting Point; a short taxi. Why here: Flamingos in the pink shallows, if you are lucky.

Daylight only. Anegada’s reef is hard to see in low or flat light; if the weather or the light isn’t right, stay in the North Sound and swap Days 3 to 4 with Day 5.

The North Sound → Setting Point, Anegada: about 13 nautical miles, 2 to 3 hours. Setting Point → the salt ponds: about 10 minutes by taxi.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — night three on a mooring off Setting Point, Anegada.

Dinner: the Garden Restaurant, Anegada Reef Hotel, Setting Point.

Tomorrow: the north-shore beaches and lobster on the sand.

Bad-weather plan

Too windy or hazy to see the reef? Don’t go. Stay in the North Sound, snorkel and kayak, and try again tomorrow; Anegada can shrink to one night or drop off the plan.

Stay: On board · Anchor: Anegada reef · daylight passage only

Good to know: Anegada is ringed by Horseshoe Reef; the Anegada Reef Hotel at Setting Point has looked after visiting boats since 1976.

Illustration: hands of friends at a candle-lit beachside table at dusk on Anegada sharing a whole split grilled spiny lobster with drawn butter, lime wedges and coconut rice, glasses of fruit punch, a calm dark-teal anchorage with mast lights and a pink afterglow behind and a charcoal grill glowing on the sand, illustrated day card for Day 4

04Anegada · lobster night

Base: the boat, still on the mooring off Setting Point. Pace: slow: a day ashore with no sailing at all, a taxi ride each way and a long lunch break in the shade at Cow Wreck. The north-shore beaches are free; the only fixed cost is the open-air taxi.

The north shore

Take an open-air taxi across the island to the north-shore beaches, long and nearly empty, with the reef breaking offshore. Swim, snorkel the shallows from the beach, and walk until the boat is out of sight behind you. The sand is fine and pale, the water inside the reef is often no deeper than your waist for a long way out, and on a quiet morning yours may be the only footprints.

Snorkel Loblolly Bay

Ask the taxi to stop at Loblolly Bay on the way, where the reef comes close to the beach and you can swim out over coral heads and sand channels without a boat. Go with a buddy, stay inside the reef, and turn back if the current picks up. Bring water and shade: there is little of either on the north shore, and the sun on a flat island is stronger than it feels with the breeze.

Lunch at Cow Wreck

Where to eat: Cow Wreck Beach Bar, on the north shore, for a long lunch with your feet in the sand; check it’s open.

Then lie under the palms and do nothing at all, which is the point of Anegada.

Back to Setting Point

Taxi back in the late afternoon for a swim off the boat and a shower in the cockpit, then dinghy in as the light goes gold. Expert tip: order lobster a day ahead; the grill is lit for the numbers they expect.

Lobster on the sand

Where to eat: the Anegada Reef Hotel at Setting Point, for whole spiny lobster split and grilled over charcoal on the beach; order ahead.

Candles on the table, butter and lime, the anchorage going dark-teal behind you and the mast lights coming on one by one. Nobody says much until the shells are empty.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast on board — a slow start. Why here: No passage today.
Lunch · Cow Wreck Beach Bar — north shore, Anegada; check it’s open. Why here: Lunch on the emptiest beach on the route.
Dinner · Anegada Reef Hotel — Setting Point; beach dining; order lobster ahead. Why here: Grilled spiny lobster on the sand at dusk.
Quick stop (other): Anegada north-shore beaches — by taxi from Setting Point. Why here: Long empty sand inside the reef.

Order lobster ahead. Call or radio in the day before with your numbers; lobster is cooked to order on the beach grill and can run out on a busy night.

Setting Point → the north-shore beaches: about 15 minutes by taxi. Dinghy from the mooring to the hotel dock: a few minutes.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — night four on a mooring off Setting Point, Anegada.

Dinner: lobster at the Anegada Reef Hotel.

Tomorrow: back across the reef to the North Sound for sunset at Saba Rock.

Bad-weather plan

Rain on Anegada? Taxi to the north shore anyway in a break; the island is so flat that showers pass quickly. The lobster dinner moves under cover at the hotel.

Stay: On board · Anchor: Setting Point · order lobster ahead

Good to know: The Anegada Reef Hotel has beach dining and a Garden Restaurant, with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

Illustration: the North Sound of Virgin Gorda at sunset, a tiny rocky islet crowned with a small open-air bar and palms in the middle of a wide turquoise sound, catamarans on moorings around it, green hills all round and small faceless friends tying a dinghy at the little dock in a mango glow, illustrated day card for Day 5

05North Sound · Saba Rock

Base: the boat, back on a mooring in the North Sound. Pace: easy after the passage: about 2 to 3 hours under way in the morning, then the break is a swim straight off the stern and water all afternoon. Snorkelling and swimming off your own boat are free.

Back across the reef

Leave Setting Point once the sun is well up, retracing the channel out through the reef with the same bow watch, then the open water back to the North Sound. It is the skipper’s call again. On the way, watch Virgin Gorda grow from a grey hump into green hills and then into the narrow entrance to the Sound; the reef-marked channel in is straightforward in daylight, and the water turns from deep blue to pale turquoise as you come inside.

Lunch in the Sound

Where to eat: on board once you’re on a mooring, then a swim straight off the stern.

An afternoon in the water

The North Sound is sheltered and full of small coves: kayak, paddleboard or snorkel the edges, or take the dinghy to the beaches on its eastern side. Expert tip: pick up a mooring near Saba Rock so dinner is a short dinghy ride.

A quiet hour before sunset

Back on board, rinse the salt off, hang the towels on the lifelines and let the boat swing to the breeze. The light goes long and gold across the Sound around 5 p.m., the kiteboarders head in, and the hills turn from green to dark blue. This is the evening to slow down: no sail tomorrow until after breakfast, and nothing to do but row or motor the dinghy across.

Saba Rock at sunset

Where to eat: Saba Rock, the tiny islet resort in the middle of the Sound, for Caribbean and international plates at sunset; reserve a table.

Arrive before 5 p.m. for the daily tarpon feeding off the dock, then watch the hills go dark and the water turn mango and then violet.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast on board — before leaving Setting Point. Why here: Eat before the reef passage.
Lunch · Lunch on board in the North Sound — once on the mooring. Why here: A swim off the stern straight after.
Dinner · Saba Rock — North Sound, Virgin Gorda; reserve a table; tarpon feeding at 5 p.m. daily. Why here: Sunset on a tiny islet in the middle of the Sound.
Quick stop (other): The North Sound — sheltered water for kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling. Why here: An easy afternoon after the passage.

Tarpon at 5. Saba Rock feeds its tarpon off the dock at 5 p.m. daily; tie up the dinghy at 4:45 for a spot along the rail, and keep fingers out of the water.

Setting Point → the North Sound: about 13 nautical miles, 2 to 3 hours. Mooring → Saba Rock: a few minutes by dinghy.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — night five on a mooring in the North Sound.

Dinner: Saba Rock, at sunset.

Tomorrow: an early start for the long downwind sail to Jost Van Dyke.

Bad-weather plan

Too rough to leave Anegada? Stay put; the boat is safe on the mooring, and the North Sound can wait. Tell the charter base if the plan changes.

Stay: On board · Anchor: North Sound · tarpon feeding 5 p.m.

Good to know: Saba Rock has been a stop for yachts, divers and kiteboarders in the North Sound for more than 50 years.

Illustration: White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, a curved white-sand beach with leaning palms and a weathered wooden beach bar, catamarans anchored in clear turquoise water just off the sand, small faceless friends wading ashore holding things above their heads and a hammock between two palms in bright midday light, illustrated day card for Day 6

06White Bay · swim ashore

Base: the boat; tonight in Great Harbour, on a mooring or at anchor. Pace: a long sail of about 25 nautical miles with the wind behind you, then a lazy afternoon; the break is the swim ashore at White Bay. Foxy’s BBQ buffet is $45 on Friday and Saturday nights.

The long sail west

Leave the North Sound early and run west along Tortola’s north shore with the trade wind behind you: the longest leg of the week, and often the easiest. Take turns at the helm and on the trampoline.

Swim ashore at White Bay

White Bay is a curved white beach with leaning palms and beach bars of weathered wood, and boats lie on a mooring or at anchor just off the sand. There’s no dock, so swim or wade in with phones in a dry bag held above your head. Expert tip: arrive by early afternoon; the bay is busiest around midday.

Lunch on the sand

Where to eat: Hendo’s Hideout, on the beach at White Bay, open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, for island food in the shade.

Then a hammock, a swim, and a look into the Soggy Dollar Bar next door, where the Painkiller cocktail was first made in the 1970s.

Great Harbour

Late afternoon, motor round the corner to Great Harbour, a sandy single street of open-air bars and pastel-coloured cottages under a steep green hill. Anchor or take a mooring and dinghy in, then walk the street end to end before dinner: it takes about ten minutes, and the customs and ferry dock sit at the far end.

Dinner at Foxy’s

Where to eat: Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, on the sand in Great Harbour, open 9 a.m. to midnight daily, with a BBQ buffet on Friday and Saturday nights.

Yacht burgees nailed to every rafter, steel pan at lunch, music after dark: the week’s last big night, all at one long table.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast on board — early, before the long sail. Why here: Eat before you clear the North Sound.
Lunch · Hendo’s Hideout — White Bay, Jost Van Dyke; breakfast, lunch and dinner every day; Sunday brunch. Why here: Island food on the beach after the swim ashore.
Dinner · Foxy’s Tamarind Bar — Great Harbour; 9 a.m. to midnight daily; BBQ buffet $45 Fri and Sat. Why here: The week’s last big night, on the sand.
Quick stop (other): Soggy Dollar Bar — White Bay; breakfast, lunch and evening appetizers. Why here: The swim-in bar where the Painkiller began in the 1970s.

Dry bag for White Bay. There’s no dock, so everything that goes ashore goes in a dry bag; the skipper stays sober for the evening dinghy run.

The North Sound → White Bay, Jost Van Dyke: about 25 nautical miles, 4 to 5 hours downwind. White Bay → Great Harbour: about 15 minutes under motor.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — night six in Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, on a mooring or at anchor.

Dinner: Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, Great Harbour.

Tomorrow: the last morning, lunch at Cane Garden Bay and the sail back to Road Town.

Bad-weather plan

Northerly swell can make White Bay rough to land; skip the swim-in and go straight to Great Harbour, which is better protected.

Stay: On board · Anchor: White Bay · swim ashore, dry bag

Good to know: Foxy’s is open daily from 9 a.m., with a BBQ buffet ($45) on Friday and Saturday evenings; Great Harbour is also the ferry stop for Jost Van Dyke.

Illustration: a flat-lay on the sunny teak cockpit table of a charter catamaran, a folded blank nautical chart, a handheld radio with a blank face, sunglasses, a sunscreen tube with a blank label, a mask and snorkel, a coiled dock line, a bowl of mangoes and limes, a water bottle and a sun hat, a slice of turquoise anchorage at the edge, illustrated day card for Day 7

07Tortola · the sail home

Base: the boat, back at the charter base in Road Town tonight. Pace: easy: two short sails of about 1 hour and 2 to 3 hours, with the break at lunch on the beach, and the boat back by late afternoon. The departure part of the ED Card is also free, done online.

The last morning

Spread the chart on the cockpit table one more time with the coffee and the mangoes, and trace the week with a finger: the Bight, the boulders, the reef, the Sound, the white beach. Pack the dry bags and coil the lines. Strip the beds, gather the snorkel gear from every locker, and fill in the logbook if the boat keeps one; it is a good record of the week, and the next crew will read it.

Cane Garden Bay

Sail the short hop across to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola’s north shore, a wide bay of palms and a long beach. Swim off the boat while lunch waits. The bay is well protected in the usual east wind, the sand shelves gently, and the beach is lined with small bars and guesthouses under the palms, so a walk along it before or after lunch fills an easy hour.

Lunch at Myett’s

Where to eat: Myett’s, in the gardens on the beach at Cane Garden Bay since 1992, for Caribbean food; call ahead for a group and to check it is open that day.

A long table, the last of the sunscreen, and plans for next year already starting.

Back to Road Town

Round the west end of Tortola and run back down the channel to the base in Road Town. Expert tip: check the charter company’s return time and fuel and water rules the day before, so the last afternoon isn’t a rush.

The last evening at the base

Once the boat is checked in, the base pool and restaurants are a short walk from the dock. Take showers ashore, walk the marina at sunset, and settle the kitty while everyone is still in one place. Book the morning taxi to the airport or the ferry dock tonight, and leave a margin: island roads are slow and the ferry and flight times do not wait.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Breakfast on board — in Great Harbour. Why here: The last cockpit breakfast.
Lunch · Myett’s — Cane Garden Bay, Tortola; since 1992; call ahead for a group. Why here: Lunch on the beach on the way home.
Dinner · Dinner at the charter base in Road Town — on the last night aboard. Why here: Restaurants on site, no dinghy needed.
Quick stop (other): Cane Garden Bay — Tortola’s north shore. Why here: A last swim off the boat.

Know the return time. Most charter bases want the boat back by a set time on the last afternoon; ask at check-in and work the day backwards from it.

Great Harbour → Cane Garden Bay: about 5 nautical miles, 1 hour. Cane Garden Bay → Road Town, round the west end: about 15 nautical miles, 2 to 3 hours.

Where to stay

Your chartered boat, on a mooring or at anchor — the last night aboard at the charter base in Road Town.

Dinner: at the base in Road Town.

Then: check out in the morning and a taxi to the airport or the ferry.

Bad-weather plan

Squalls on the way home? Skip Cane Garden Bay and go straight back along the sheltered south side of Tortola; lunch at the base.

Stay: Charter base · Anchor: Cane Garden Bay · boat back on time

Good to know: Before you fly, fill in the departure part of the ED Card if it isn’t already done; it covers leaving the territory as well as arriving.

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Before you go

Plan & pack

Pack for a week on a boat

Soft bags only. Boat lockers are small and curved; a soft duffel folds away, a hard suitcase doesn’t.
Reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard. You’ll be in the water every day, often over coral.
A dry bag. For phones and wallets on the dinghy and the swim ashore at White Bay.
Reef shoes. For the boulders and pools at The Baths and rocky landings.
A headlamp. For dinghy rides back after dinner and finding things in the cabin.
A light rain shell. Trade-wind showers blow through fast, even in the dry season.
Seasickness bands or tablets. The Anegada passage and the long sail west are open water.
Passports and the ED Card. Everyone completes the free entry card online before travel, only at bviedcard.gov.vg.

Yachts in the marina at Wickhams Cay in Road Town, Tortola — **The charter base in Road Town: check-out, provisioning and the last night aboard.** **Wickhams Cay, Road Town** · the marina harbour on Tortola where most BVI charters begin

The red ensign of the British Virgin Islands flying from a boat — **Fly the BVI courtesy flag while you’re in the territory’s waters.** **The BVI ensign** · the territory’s flag, flown as a courtesy flag by visiting boats

Illustration: a flat-lay on a white canvas sail-bag, a soft duffel, a rash guard, reef shoes, a dry bag, a headlamp, a light rain shell, a blank sunscreen tube, two passports with plain covers, a small first-aid pouch and a seasickness band, a coil of rope and a frangipani flower beside them, original illustrated plan card for 7 days in the British Virgin Islands — **Original illustration** · a soft duffel, dry bag, reef shoes and passports on a white sail-bag

A week aboard in one frame

The plan card lays the week out on a sail-bag: a soft duffel that stows, a dry bag for the dinghy, reef shoes for The Baths and passports for the entry card. Every stop and meal is in the day-by-day above.

Illustration: golden evening in Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, a sandy single street of open-air wooden beach bars and pastel-coloured cottages under a steep green hill, dinghies pulled up on the sand and catamarans anchored in the harbour, small faceless friends at a long table under string lights on the sand, original illustrated recap card — **Original illustration** · friends at a long table under string lights on the sand in Great Harbour

Where the week ends

The recap card ends the week in Great Harbour: dinghies on the sand, the boats at anchor and one long table under the lights. The day-by-day has each stop and meal.

Sandy Cay, a small island of white sand and palms ringed by turquoise water — **Sand and salt** · Sandy Cay, Cane Garden Bay and Anegada’s salt ponds

The curved beach and palms of Cane Garden Bay on Tortola — **Sand and salt** · Sandy Cay, Cane Garden Bay and Anegada’s salt ponds

Postcards

The British Virgin Islands, in frames.

Granite boulders and turquoise water on the coast at The Baths, Virgin Gorda — **The Baths, Virgin Gorda** · granite boulders and clear water at the island’s southwest tip

Boats in Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, seen from the shore — **Great Harbour from the shore** · the anchorage on Jost Van Dyke at the end of the week

Quick answers

Planning notes

How many days do you need to sail the British Virgin Islands?

Plan seven days and seven nights aboard for a first BVI charter with friends. That fits Norman Island, The Baths, the North Sound, two nights on Anegada and Jost Van Dyke with mostly short sails. See the seven-day route for how the days fit together.

How much does it cost to visit The Baths?

From Nov 1, 2026, entry to The Baths and Devil’s Bay is $10 for a visiting adult and $5 for under-18s, up from $3 and $2. On a charter, the weekly National Parks permit bought through the charter company includes entry to The Baths. See The Baths day.

Do you need an entry card for the British Virgin Islands?

Yes, every traveller entering or leaving the BVI by air or sea needs the Entry and Departure (ED) Card. It is free and can be completed online up to 72 hours before travel. The only official site is bviedcard.gov.vg; the Government has warned about fake sites.

Can you sail to Anegada on a bareboat charter?

Yes, many charters go to Anegada, but it is the skipper’s call and some companies restrict it. Anegada is a low coral island ringed by reef, so cross only in daylight with the sun high and a bow watch. See the passage day.

When is the best time to sail the BVI?

December to April is the best time to sail the BVI, with steady trade winds and dry weather. Hurricane season runs from June to November and peaks from August to October, so check the forecast closely if you go then.

Is the BVI or St. John better for friends?

Choose the BVI for a week on a boat, a new anchorage every night and beach bars you swim to. Choose St. John for a land-based trip with national park trails and beaches. For that version, see St. John for couples.

Before you set off — the official checks

Park fees, entry rules and opening hours change. Confirm current details on the sites listed under official links.

ED Card — Complete the free entry card online before travel, only on the official site. BVI ED Card ↗
National Parks — Check the current Baths fee and mooring permit rules before you sail. National Parks Trust ↗
Weather — Check tropical outlooks if you sail between June and November. National Hurricane Center ↗
Anegada — Ask your charter company about its Anegada rules before Day 3. The Moorings ↗

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, at dusk: sea grapes, pale sand and boats on a mooring or at anchor off the beach (illustration).

Plan with confidence

Official Links

Official sites to plan and verify the details in this guide.

BVI Entry and Departure Card ↗The only official site for the free ED Card

Government of the Virgin Islands: ED Card ↗Who needs it and when

ED Card fraud advisory ↗Government warning about fake sites

National Parks Trust: The Baths ↗Hours and marine access

National Parks Trust: moorings ↗Permits, buoy colours and time limits

BVI Tourism ↗Islands, beaches and travel information

The Moorings: British Virgin Islands ↗Charter base and itineraries

National Hurricane Center ↗Tropical outlooks June to November

Reviewed Oct 23, 2026How we verify

Conditions and prices can change.

References

Research behind this guide

The reporting and research that shaped this itinerary.

After 36 years, NPTVI increases park entrance fees ↗Virgin Islands News Online

Best time to sail the BVI ↗The Moorings

Photo credits

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, resized and converted to WebP. The illustrated cover, day cards, plan card and recap card are this guide’s original itinerary artwork, illustrated from the credited photos listed here.

Sandy Spit — photo by Cayeldo, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0); it is also the basis of the Cover and Cover web illustrations, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Caves, Norman Island — photo by Matt & Nayoung, CC BY 2.0; it is also the basis of the Day 1 card illustration
The Baths — photo by Calyponte, CC BY 3.0; it is also the basis of the Day 2 card illustration
Anegada salt ponds — photo by ScubaBear68, CC BY 2.0; it is also the basis of the Day 3 card illustration
Cow Wreck Beach — photo by anoldent, CC BY-SA 2.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.0); it is also the basis of the Day 4 card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Saba Rock — photo by kansasphoto, CC BY 2.0; it is also the basis of the Day 5 card illustration
White Bay — photo by User:Mattes, CC BY 2.0 DE; it is also the basis of the Day 6 card illustration and, with the White Bay (bar) photo below, of the late “White Bay at dusk” illustration
White Bay (bar) — photo by User:Mattes, CC BY 2.0 DE; with the White Bay photo above, it is the basis of the late “White Bay at dusk” illustration
Great Harbour — photo by User:Mattes, CC BY 2.0 DE; it is also the basis of the Day 7 card illustration
Wickhams Cay — photo by giggel, CC BY 3.0; it is also the basis of the Packing card illustration
BVI ensign — photo by Matt and Nayoung Wilson, CC BY 2.0
The Baths coast — photo by User:Mattes, CC BY 2.0 DE
Great Harbour view — photo by User:Mattes, CC BY 2.0 DE; it is also the basis of the Recap card illustration
Sandy Cay — photo by John Trask, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Cane Garden Bay — photo by Balou46, CC BY-SA 4.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
North Sound — photo by Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cooper, Salt and Peter Islands — photo by giggel, CC BY 3.0
Norman Island — photo by giggel, CC BY 3.0
Anegada ponds — photo by ScubaBear68, CC BY 2.0
Route map — original illustrated route artwork for this guide; stop locations from OpenStreetMap

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The trip in 60 seconds

Postcards from the trip

Seven days, five islands and one boat for all of you.

Day-by-day summary

Seven days, one boat, a loop of the islands

Day 1 · Road Town to the Bight, Norman Island—Check out the boat at the base in Road Town, sail across the channel to the Bight at Norman Island, a look at the Willy T and dinner at Pirates Bight.

Day 2 · The Baths, Virgin Gorda, and the North Sound—The Caves at Norman Island at first light, The Baths on Virgin Gorda by mid-morning, lunch at Top of the Baths and dinner at Leverick Bay in the North Sound.

Day 3 · The reef passage to Anegada—The daylight reef passage from the North Sound to Anegada, the salt ponds and flamingos in the afternoon, and dinner at Neptune’s Treasure by the anchorage.

Day 4 · Anegada: the north-shore beaches and lobster on the sand—A taxi across Anegada to the north-shore beaches, lunch at Cow Wreck Beach, and grilled spiny lobster on the sand at the Anegada Reef Hotel at dusk.

Day 5 · Back to the North Sound and Saba Rock—Back across the reef to the North Sound in good light, an afternoon swimming and kayaking, the tarpon feeding at 5 p.m. and sunset dinner at Saba Rock.

Day 6 · White Bay and Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke—The long downwind sail along Tortola’s north shore to Jost Van Dyke, a swim ashore and lunch at Hendo’s Hideout on White Bay, then dinner at Foxy’s in Great Harbour.

Day 7 · Great Harbour to Cane Garden Bay and Road Town—Coffee in the cockpit in Great Harbour, a short hop to Cane Garden Bay for lunch at Myett’s, then the sail round to Road Town and the last night at the base.

A plan that knows how you travel.

3 full itineraries in every plan

Art & photos

Planning

Your plan, your way

Art & photos

Planning

Your plan, your way

Art & photos

Planning

Your plan, your way

Our promise

Who is Earth Adventure Travel?

Plan & pack

Pack for a week on a boat

A week aboard in one frame

Where the week ends

The British Virgin Islands, in frames.

Planning notes

Before you set off — the official checks

More Caribbean islands and other trips on the water.

Florida Keys Family Road Trip

Puerto Rico for the Whole Family

Key West for Couples

Cartagena with Friends

Official Links

Research behind this guide

Photo credits

Choose the landscape. Then choose the pace.

No exact match—yet.