BVI must see/avoid places

[Magnum]

In 2 weeks me and my family are off to the BVI for a week's sailing.

Are there any places that are a must to visit?

Same question for places to avoid.

Thanks

 

[Victoria Sponge]

British Virgin Islands?

 

[Magnum]

British Virgin Islands?

Yes

 

[ccscott49]

Matt (TCM) is your man, see if you can raise him with a PM.

 

[phantomlady]

my places to definitely go are:

Foxys, Great Bay, Jost Van Dyke
Trellis Bay, Tortola
Anegada - fabulous and almost deserted
The Baths, Virgin Gorda
Willie T's floating bar at The Bight, Norman Island
The Bitter End, Virgin Gorda
well, more or less everywhere really haha
and note you don't HAVE to take a mooring. We managed to squeeze in and anchor just about everywhere except Sopers Hole
Two weeks is plenty of time to get around with everywhere being within a few hours sail

 

[Magnum]

Matt (TCM) is your man, see if you can raise him with a PM.

Is he still in the Carib now? Been a while since we consumed gallons of Rosé together in the SoF.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Have a great holiday, I'm sure you will

 

[Magnum]

Have a great holiday, I'm sure you will

Thank you

 

[ccscott49]

Is he still in the Carib now? Been a while since we consumed gallons of Rosé together in the SoF.

Dunno to be honest I saw a post from him here, maybe a month ago, I dont come on here much myself these days, too busy and a bit boring to be honest.

 

[neil1967]

Came back on Sunday after 2 weeks would second all phantom lady says, plus Little Jost Van Dyke (and the bubbly pool) and Cooper Island. Anegeda is really good and worth taking a day off to go to the northern beaches (but there is nothing at 'the settlement'). Had an excellent time, but it is quite pricey. You can also go to the USVI, BUT you MUST have a US Visa - you CANNOT enter under the Visa Waiver scheme if you are on a yacht, unless you have entered under the Visa waiver scheme via a commercial carrier in the previous 90 days - I have a certificate to prove we were refused entry!

Have fun!

Neil

 

[photodog]

Places we like;

1) The anchorage just inside Water Point on Norman Island... I think there are a couple of bouys there... Great place to wathc things go buy, near the Caves, good snorkelling off the boat..very sheltered.. The Bight sufferes from far to much wind funneling... and the annoying Willy T's......

2) Coopers Island... nice relaxed restaurant, good moorings... excellent sunset. (Can be uncomfortable if there is any north in wind...)

3) White bay on JVD.... Soggy Dollar is crowded... go down the beach to a little hut and get yer painkillers their. Top beach.

4) Sandy Cay and Spit... (east end of JVD... ) But watch for the Ground swell as it can make a dingy landing dangerous.

5) Trellis bay. Nice shops ashore... lots of turtles.
6) Marina Cay (good bar at the top of the hill... nice Pussers shop and restaurant..)
7) Quitos at Cane Garden Bay..(Another great sunset...) Good beach... had our anniversary at Quitos upstairs and it was great...


Anegada is a must but you will probably be short of time..

Bitter End I didnt like..

Baths is very crowded... we prefer to go into the marina at Spanish town... good restaurants ashore... taxi to the top of the Baths... go CLOCKWISE..(Against the traffic) on the path... good restaurant at the top... and a pool... and a good view.. I actually think if you do the Baths from the boat you dont get the best of it..

Sopers hole is good for a bit of shopping and drinks... but watch it as if the wind gets up it can be interesting as it gets funneled.

Great sailing... but watch for squalls and reef early as you see them coming in...

The Rhone is pretty much a must see.

Peter Island might tempt you with its upmarket charms... but I found it uncomfortable and nothing special food wise...

Get loads of Carib on board... and Mount Gay Rum...

 

[Rum_Pirate]

A fair weather site

This is a fair weather site (pun intended).

http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=58

 

[Juniperskip]

Had a month there last year. Endorse much of what has been said. Anagada is our favourite, departing from Virgin Gorda in the morning gives best wind angle under normal conditions, approx 12 miles to the entrance. Have dinner at Neptunes Treasure - call for a table in the afternoon on Ch16. Lobster is probably the best you will get plus look at the story of how the place was built. Shallow as you get into the anchor buoys but we draw 2m and were able to get quite close to Neptunes T. In Virgin Gorda we spent some time at anchor in the Northern anchorage just clear of Saba Rock which is OK for dinner.

Good downwind run from Anagada to Marina Cay (Pussars Island) where again dinner is OK. If time allows head between Guana Island and the Northern shore of Tortola to Jost Van Dyke. Little Harbour and Sandy Spit were our favourites.

From there you can head south back towards Tortola. Nanny Cay was a good stop for us to replenish but on holiday a bit of a waste. Considering that tide is not an issue normally in the islands, watch the current in the Narrows as you head between Tortola and St John.

We were very surprised how busy the place was now but given that Moorings alone have 330 boats I suppose it's not so shocking. It means that the buoys are usually taken in most anchorages by 1400ish, especially if a flotilla comes in. You get a brief to only use the buoys - that is not a requirment but a preference. We often found sandy areas to anchor that were much quieter than the organised areas and a short rib ride to food/drink.

If you are in a monohull watch out for a Northern swell coming in because the anchorages become V uncomfortable - wind East, swell North = yuck!!

There is a trick to the visa issue if you want to go to USVI but suspect you won't have time.

Lastly you can top up water tanks at Saba Rock and Bitter end in Virgin Gorda plus Marina Cay. Usually a deal of free water if you eat otherwise expect to pay.

So, anti clockwise from Road Town works well in most conditions, with the Southern areas already covered by others.

Don't be surprised if the wind picks up to 20-25kts on some days.

Hope that helps......

 

[tudorsailor]

We were on a Sunsail flotilla in December and found that BVIs had changed little in 10 years since we were last there

If you get to the Baths around 1300, lots of people who got there bright and early are leaving and so mooring buoys are available

We had a stunning Italian meal at Georgio's, a very short taxi ride from Spanish Town marina. Not very Carribean but great. We got ripped off by the taxi, so negotiate a price before setting off. It is only a 10 minute drive but I think we paid $30 round trip. $10 would have been more appropriate.

TS

 

[TQA]

Don't miss the chance to snorkle or dive on the wreck of the Rhone. Get there early for a mooring but there is room to anchor.

If you stop at Sopers Hole anchoring is possible and the snorkeling on the south east corner of Little Thatch Island is excellent.

If you go to Foxies, take an old Tshirt and a marker pen.

 

[Magnum]

Thank you for the replies. Really useful.

I'll report back after the trip with pics and more info

 

[danbridger]

There aren't many secret or get away from the mob places in the BVI, the obvious places are, generally , the only places.
My only additions to the advice so far are:- on Anegada, rather than get a taxi, sail round to West End Point, anchor by the falling into the water development and dinghy round to Cow Wreck Bay. A great spot , good beach but watch for the sand flies. Also probably the only deserted anchorage for an away from it night .
Secondly , fill the boat with as many groceries as you possibly can from one of the biggish supermarkets in Road Town as every where else is expensive and limited

 

[Whiskey Bravo]

Echo what others have said, except that a week isn't anywhere near long enough other than to get a small taste of what's on offer.

As for favourite places: The Baths was fabulous, we arrived appx 7.30am after being told it was essential, nobody else much got there before 1pm. we stayed almost all day, just left enough time to get to V Gourda by sunset.

Marina Cay we visited several times, Sopers Hole good, especially bar/restaurant to port as you enter, who's name escapes me. [Jolly Roger Inn, just found pics]The Bight we enjoyed, [not Willie T's unless you like it noisy] but snorkelling at the Caves was fabulous.

There was nowhere we didn't enjoy, although Trellis Bay was v.crowded for full moon party, and beware the uncharted and unbuoyed shallows to starboard after entering.

When we were there in 2009 the winds were almost exclusively F5's & 6's, which made for some great sailing but also 1 day of hard beating from Soper's Hole northwards.

Have a great time.

 

[ChrisE]

There aren't many secret or get away from the mob places in the BVI, the obvious places are, generally , the only places.
My only additions to the advice so far are:- on Anegada, rather than get a taxi, sail round to West End Point, anchor by the falling into the water development and dinghy round to Cow Wreck Bay. A great spot , good beach but watch for the sand flies. Also probably the only deserted anchorage for an away from it night .
Secondly , fill the boat with as many groceries as you possibly can from one of the biggish supermarkets in Road Town as every where else is expensive and limited

When we were in Anegada in 1997 they had bicycle hire which was fine to get to the northern beaches which are quite peachy and great to snorkel.

The southern beaches are quite limited but close to the shops and restaurants, such as they are.

 

[Csail]

All that phantomlady said. Willy t is brilliant. Watch out for bogus 'harbour people' trying to make you pay for mooring.Also might be worth getting visas to visit usvi.
Anagarda reef is worth a visit if your nav is good.
Swimming at i think it was monkey island was amazing for fish and some sort of birds diving in past you.I loved it exept the food and flight times.Say hi to Marina (the girl on Willy Ts ) if she is still there.Also remember port and stbd buoys are opposite to ours.
Edit...Best restaurant we found was somewhere behind / in the baths which was great and the baths are great during the day.
Only unerving bit was chatting to a brit dive guy on one of the east islands and we were apparently moored against the drug boats from porta rica i think!!!
Don't know if you want to do a favour but Norman island was where some of treasure island was made and i promised my 6 yr old we will find something there next year.We had to shoot off so didn't get time to bury a bottle with a message for Ben and make a good map.