There are many different ways to explore the British Virgin Islands on your sailboat and we hope that these BVI sailing itineraries give you a taste of all the amazing places you can visit, and things to do while on your BVI charter.
Before each charter, we provide an individual chart briefing so that you have the opportunity to discuss where you would like to go. We will then customise our chart briefing to suit your requirements. Mooring buoys are available in many locations with the addition of the boaty balls (see what’s available here) which allows you to reserve a mooring buoy in advance. Remember to call ahead of time on the Horizon cell phone provided or by VHF Radio to book in at restaurants for dinner.
If you would like to do some advance planning, ask us to send you the latest edition of the Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands (or purchase online at amazon.com). This invaluable book shows aerial photos of all the anchorages, tells you about the restaurant and shore-side facilities and has many other useful tips and information. It also contains a fold-out chart so that you can log your trip and keep it as a souvenir.
Day 1
A short reach across the Sir Francis Drake Channel and you’ll arrive at The Bight, Norman Island, rumoured to be the site of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel, “Treasure Island”.
There’s time for a swim or snorkel at the Indians before watching a spectacular Caribbean sunset while enjoying a sundowner. Visit the Pirates Bight ashore for a fabulous dinner or great cocktails before dinner on your yacht. In the mood for a party? The infamous Willy T offers good food, the drinks are still strong …. and the party atmosphere is very much alive!
Day 2
After breakfast, take your dinghy (or the yacht) over to The Caves. Pick up a National Park buoy and enjoy the wonders of the coral reef and its colourful inhabitants (don’t forget to look for treasure!).
Enjoy a leisurely sail to Cooper Island and arrive early enough to pick up an overnight mooring buoy (no anchoring here please). Time for more snorkeling off Cistern Point,or lounging on the beach while sipping rum cocktails made on island at the Cooper Island Rum Distillery. Cooper Island Beach Club has a lovely boutique, serves wonderful lunches, dinners and cocktails and is another favourite spot to watch the sun disappear behind the islands.
Day 3
Sail to The Baths (get there early) on Virgin Gorda and pick up a buoy in the National Park area – plan to spend the morning here and have lunch. Explore the magnificent boulders and rock pools created by Mother Nature millions of years ago. This special area has got to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
After lunch, sail to Trellis Bay or Marina Cay to spend the night – and plan to BBQ on board your yacht. Trellis Bay has full moon parties every month – not to be missed!
Day 4
Off to North Sound, Virgin Gorda (great snorkeling at the Dogs or Mountain Point en route). There are mooring buoys at Leverick Bay which also has a marina facility, a good restaurant and fine dining in their upstairs restaurant. In high season, Michael Beans provides great entertainment for all the family, or pick up a buoy off Prickly Pear and dine on board in a peaceful and beautiful setting.
You can also take a taxi from Gun Creek or Leverick Bay to Hog Heaven, which serves the most amazing pulled pork creations (and lots of other tasty dishes) and the view of North Sound will take your breath away!
Saba Rock Resort and Restaurant is back – rebuilt bigger and better than ever! The Bitter End Yacht Club has also recently reopened. Here, you can re-provision your boat, visit the shops, rent a Hobie Cat, learn to windsurf, or enjoy the music it offers most nights. The new restaurant boasts ‘farm and sea to table’ ingredients. They also have a new open kitchen pizza and wine concept in the Village.
The luxurious “Nova” Restaurant and dipping pool at Oil Nut Bays Marina Village in Deep Bay, offers wonderful lunches and dinners at reasonable prices. Motor through the well-marked channel between Saba rock and the Bitter End to Deep Bay and pick up a mooring or anchor. Remember to call ahead to make your booking. This is a great place to learn to kiteboard – ask us for the inside scoop on this exciting sport. A resort fee is applicable for full use at the Oil Nut Bay resort itself, which is only accessible by dinghy or golf cart further up the coast – there is a beautiful pool complex and beach to accompany your lunch or dinner experience.
Day 5
The staff at Horizon Yacht Charters know this area better than most and think you should spend a little more time here in the North Sound. Spend the morning exploring by dinghy; there are many beautiful, deserted beaches and Eustatia Reef is a wonderful snorkeling site. Or set sail for Monkey Point on Guana Island in time for lunch and some snorkeling.
Cruise down the rugged and unspoilt North shore of Tortola and overnight in either Little Harbour or Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke. A good place to sample the local lobster!
Day 6
Sail or motor over to Sandy Cay or Sandy Spit – the perfect desert islands! Snorkel, swim and beachcomb, then enjoy lunch at Foxy’s Taboo or BeeLine on Little Jost, before you sail to Cane Garden Bay for your overnight stop. Enjoy a great BBQ chicken and ribs dinner at one of the restaurants on the beach and then dance ’till the early hours!
Day 7
Time for one more swim as part of your Sailing Itineraries, then back to Nanny Cay Marina and Horizon Yacht Charters, making sure you have enough time to complete the check-in procedure at our dock. Your flights will be reconfirmed, your taxi already booked and soon you’ll be on your way home, already planning your return!
If you have opted to do a 10-day charter, then there is time to explore the coral island of Anegada. Allow a day and a half at least to explore this fabulous island. Please ensure that you get clearance to sail here from your briefer before you leave our docks. Anegada is the only coral island in the BVI chain, the rest being volcanic. It is surrounded by the Caribbean’s largest reef, the 4th largest in the northern hemisphere, so care must be taken to navigate there, but we will give you a full chart briefing on this area if you aim to visit. We recommend leaving from the North Sound , Virgin Gorda, at 9am , enjoy an exhilarating beam reach 11 miles north (005 deg m) and this will take you to the channel markers off Setting Point anchorage ( with moorings) between 11 am and Noon – with overhead sunlight to highlight any shallows. If you are lucky, you will see dolphins and flying fish on the way, and humpback whales in season. Navigate carefully through the channel and pick up a buoy outside of Anegada Reef Hotel. Lunch aboard before heading out to explore for the afternoon but remember to book dinner in advance (before 4 PM!) at one of the many fabulous restaurants … and try the melt-in-your-mouth Anegada lobster! We love the Lobster Trap, Wonky Dog, Sid’s Pomato Point, Anegada Reef and Anegada Beach Club (ABC) but all the restaurants are good!
There is a free shuttle from the Lobster Trap across to ABC at Keel Point on the North shore, or hire a mini moke, scooter (not recommended by us, due to the sandy roads!) or get a taxi to explore the island and visit spectacular beaches of miles and miles of white sand, surrounded by shallow coral reefs. Loblolly and Cow Wreck beaches are two of our favourites, both have great restaurants for lunch, and we love ABC at Keel Point too.
The world renowned Tommy Gaunt Kitesurfing School is situated at ABC for complete beginners or seasoned experts. It is a world class kiting spot and Tommy also has SUPs for rent and can offer guided tours by kite or paddle down the north and south shores. Visiting Anegada is like going back in time and we hope you like it as much as we do!
Depending how much time you lost yourself on Anegada…… resume your itinerary sailing on to Jost Van Dyke, with a stop at Monkey Point, Guana Island for some snorkeling on the way, allowing yourselves time as this is a longer sail to arrive in time to be safely anchored or moored for the night.
BVI sailing itineraries – Diving the British Virgin Islands
The perfect addition to your BVI sailing itineraries! Some of the best diving in the world is here in the British Virgin Islands, including the Wreck of the RMS Rhone, rated as one of the top ten wreck dives in the world. Mention that you will be diving before your chart briefing and we will cover the dive sites with you.
Our office is located right next door to Blue Water Divers where you can rent Scuba equipment or organise “rendezvous” dives, where the dive boat will meet your yacht at anchor and pick up those wishing to dive (a perfect solution if only some of the crew want to dive). They supply tank racks so you can safely store tanks on the yacht. There are refill stations around the islands.
14 Day Itinerary
Download our suggested 14 Day Itinerary BVI here. A must-do is to try Anegada Spiny Lobster during your BVI sailing itineraries vacation. Watch a video about this wonderful delicacy here: