BVIs: The Caribbean At Its Best
A calm, overnight sail and we were in the gorgeous water of the British Virgin Islands. It’s beautiful. It’s familiar. We met up with friends there, and Silas (Jessica’s cousin) came to visit. We zig-zagged our way between the islands, doing airport pickups and drop offs and provisioning in Tortola interspersed with lots of island hopping.
As Silas relaxed into boat life, our first stop was Peter Island where we med-moored to the rocks in crystal water. We hiked, explored some hurricane ruins, swam and hung out with friends.
From there we spent a night at Salt Island where our Austrian friends on SV Firefly were also anchored. We did another hike to the peak, rewarded with views of the salt ponds and surrounding islands. The hike ended with the epic challenge of trying to get coconuts from the tree. The tree did not want to give them up, but with 4 guys and Frieda and me taking the video, we finally got two down! We had a beach bonfire that night and we snorkeled/free dove an old mail-ship wreck.
From there we went up to Virgin Gorda and its famous baths. Getting to the baths is no easy feat, requiring swimming and walking, as you can’t get close with the dinghy. The baths are a series of pools among boulders and we got there at an uncrowded time where everyone enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies. It is a can’t-miss in the BVIs. It’s also a great spot to watch the charter boats racing to grab the best mooring balls.
We sailed around the northern point of Virgin Gorda and over to the Bitter End Yacht Club. This area is like a massive swimming pool, calm and protected on all sides, with great water for swimming and water sports. We pulled Silas and Rosie on the inflatable behind the dinghy to explore a little sand bar off of Richard Branson’s Necker Island. Even with resorts in sight it’s easy to imagine you’re alone, feet in powder sand looking at sea and sky. If only we had brought a picnic and champagne.
Several nights at this anchorage completed the week with Silas. He was a great sport teaching the kids how to do flips off the boat, snorkeling, playing “Silas Says” while balancing on the paddleboards, and also Uno, cornhole and a pirate show on the last night where the kids learned to blow the conch horn. He was a great guest and Jand R loved having a ‘big kid’ around.
After we said our goodbyes, we sailed to Anegada. It was windy and as the only coral reef island in the chain, it can be difficult to get into the anchorage, which prevents most charter boats from going and keeps it uncrowded. We’re so glad we did it - we rented a moke (a low jeep-like open car) with a questionable transmission, and circumnavigated the island. It is lovely in it’s simplicity, with only a few hundred residents and some goats and flamingoes. I tried to join my book club call from Cows Wreck Beach, but the wi-fi was expectedly spotty. We bought lobster from a local who dispatched them for us and we had a breezy evening grilling them up on the boat. Gus and Hannah went for swim and discovered a nurse shark hanging out below the boat.
Jost van Dyke was next up! We met up with our friends on SV Curious who showed us the way to the Bubbly Pool, a tide pool protected by rocks where the waves crash through. We hung out there for 2 hours before dragging the kids away from the thrill of the natural wave pool. The next morning we met up on another sand spit and took the drone for a spin.
A few more days and some provisioning in Tortola, which as always, required the dinghy, wagon, pull cart, two shopping carts, a major road crossing and a van ride. But we did score what we needed for Easter (candy and candy), then moved south to Norman Island, where Willy T’s floating bar never disappoints. We had a reasonably good dinner there and enjoyed a relatively empty bar. But then a group showed up and our kids witnessed body shots on/at the bar. It might be our most-talked-about ‘experience’ to date….
There is a reason the BVIs are the second most popular charter area in the world (to Croatia). It’s the perfect mix of quiet and fun, evenings at anchor grilling and relaxing and nights out with umbrella drinks and fried seafood. Of all the places in the Caribbean, we were here before and we will definitely be back.
