What does adding Anegada change about a BVI sailing itinerary?

Anegada is the one BVI anchorage that sits outside the protected Sir Francis Drake Channel, so reaching it means a real offshore passage — a couple of hours each way. It's why shorter charters often leave it out. The payoff is the island people remember most: miles of empty beach at Cow Wreck and Loblolly Bay, snorkeling on Horseshoe Reef, and fresh lobster grilled on the sand at Setting Point. Build it in and the week needs the full seven days.

Is Anegada worth giving up a day of the standard loop?

For a full week, yes. Anegada is flat coral and reef rather than the volcanic peaks of the rest of the BVI, so it feels like a different country a short sail from the others — and the lobster dinner is a genuine highlight. On a four- or five-day charter we'd skip it and keep you inside the channel; on seven days it's the stop that makes the trip.

When's the best time of year for this BVI charter?

November through May is peak BVI charter season. Trade winds settle in at 15–20 knots, humidity drops, and there's no risk of named tropical systems. The Anegada passage is most comfortable in those settled winter conditions. December–March is the busiest stretch — book 6+ months out for holiday weeks. June through November is hurricane season and most operators reposition or pause.

How long does it take to sail to Anegada from the BVI?

From the North Sound of Virgin Gorda — the usual jumping-off point on this itinerary — it's roughly 12 to 15 nautical miles to Setting Point on Anegada, around two hours under sail in normal trade-wind conditions. It's the only leg of a BVI charter that crosses open water rather than staying inside the Sir Francis Drake Channel, which is exactly why a lot of shorter itineraries leave it off.

What is there to do on Anegada?

Anegada is about empty beaches, reef, and food. Most groups hire a truck or a moke at Setting Point and drive across to the north shore — Cow Wreck Beach and Loblolly Bay, miles of sand with a handful of beach bars. There's snorkeling along Horseshoe Reef, the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world, salt ponds with flamingos and rock iguanas inland, and the thing the island is known for: fresh lobster grilled on the beach at sunset, which your crew arranges ahead of time.

Is this BVI sailing itinerary good for first-timers?

Yes. The pace is gentle — an easy first day, lunch underway, an afternoon swim, and a chef-prepared dinner most nights — and the captain handles the one open-water leg to Anegada. The only reason a first-timer might prefer a shorter trip is time: if you only have four or five days, a charter that stays inside the channel makes more sense, and we build those too. With a full week, this is a great first BVI charter.

Can I customize this BVI itinerary?

Yes — every BVI yacht charter we send is custom-tailored. This Anegada loop is a starting point. Tell us how big your group is, what kind of food and drinks you like, which beach bars matter to you, and whether you want more snorkeling or more lounging — your captain reshapes the days around the answer. The route flexes for weather every charter anyway, so customizing the plan up front is normal.

Crewed Itinerary · British Virgin Islands

A Week in the BVI with Anegada: 7-Day Crewed Sailing Itinerary

This is the full BVI sailing itinerary — a 7-day round-trip from Tortola built around Anegada, the low coral island offshore to the north where the lobster comes off the beach grill and the sand runs for miles. It's the one BVI stop that really wants a full week to fit, which is why four- and five-day charters tend to leave it for next time. Around that centerpiece we've built the classic loop: Long Bay on Virgin Gorda, the North Sound, the beach bars of Jost Van Dyke, Norman Island and The Indians, Peter Island, and the granite boulders of The Baths to finish. With a professional captain and private chef aboard, the route, the provisioning, and the helm are handled — you wake up somewhere new each morning and decide how much you want to do.

Duration: 7 days / 8 nights
Base: Tortola

Plan your BVI charter Custom-tailored to your dates and group preferences

A crewed catamaran anchored off the beach at Valley Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda.

The granite boulders and grottoes of The Baths at Virgin Gorda.

The empty sand of Cow Wreck Beach on Anegada's north shore.

What this BVI sailing itinerary covers

Anegada sits alone north of the main island chain — the one stop that means leaving the protected water of the Sir Francis Drake Channel for an open passage, which is why it's a full-week addition rather than a long-weekend one. Give the week the full seven days and it slots in easily, and it's the part of the trip people talk about afterward: the offshore sail, the truck ride out to Cow Wreck and Loblolly, the lobster dinner with your toes in the sand. This BVI sailing itinerary is shaped around getting you there without rushing the rest.

The week runs about 115 nautical miles total — more than the standard 75-mile loop because of the Anegada run — but the days are unhurried: a relaxed start, lunch underway, an afternoon snorkel, and a chef-prepared dinner most nights. If a full week won't fit, we also build five-day and four-day BVI charters that stay inside the channel and leave Anegada for next time. Every BVI yacht charter we send is custom-tailored to your group's pace and dates.

Day 1 of 7 · Marina → Long Bay

Step Aboard and Settle Into the Week at Long Bay

Anchorage: Long Bay, Virgin Gorda

Power catamarans are a popular BVI choice — wide decks, shade, and a steady, easy ride between anchorages.

Long Bay at Virgin Gorda — an easy first anchorage to settle into the boat.

Boarding is at noon, so the first day is deliberately easy. You'll step aboard to drinks and a warm welcome from your crew, run through the safety briefing, stow your bags, and be off the dock by half past — no long passage on day one, just a short, scenic cruise up to Long Bay on Virgin Gorda while you get the feel of the boat.

Long Bay is a quiet, protected anchorage — turquoise water, a pretty stretch of sand, and room to swim, float, and do nothing in particular. There's no agenda this afternoon beyond getting comfortable: take the paddleboards out, nap on deck, or have your first cocktail watching the light go soft over the water.

As the sun drops, your private chef serves the first dinner of the week aboard, with an open view west across the channel.

Day Highlights

Noon boarding, safety briefing, and off the dock by early afternoon — an easy start.
A short, relaxed cruise up to Long Bay, Virgin Gorda.
Swim, paddleboard, and settle into the boat with no agenda.
First chef-prepared dinner aboard with a sunset over the channel.

Day 2 of 7 · Long Bay → North Sound

Lunch at The Dogs, Afternoon in the North Sound

Anchorage: North Sound, Virgin Gorda

George Dog — a midday snorkel stop in the Dogs on the way north.

The North Sound of Virgin Gorda — a wide, protected basin ringed by Saba Rock, the Bitter End, and Leverick Bay.

Head out mid-morning for a lunch stop at the Dogs, a cluster of small islands between Tortola and Virgin Gorda with some of the cleanest snorkeling in the BVI. Drop the hook off George Dog, swim the reef, and have lunch aboard before the short hop up to the North Sound.

The North Sound is one of the Caribbean's great natural harbors — a wide, protected basin ringed by Saba Rock, the Bitter End, Leverick Bay, and Prickly Pear Island. Your crew will tuck you in for the evening within easy reach of all of it. Tender over to the Bitter End for a wander and some shopping, or time sundowners at Saba Rock for the nightly tarpon feeding, when the big fish boil the water under the dock lights.

It's worth settling in here, because tomorrow is the day you leave the islands behind and point the bow at open water.

Day Highlights

Midday snorkel and lunch stop at the Dogs.
Afternoon into the North Sound, one of the Caribbean's best natural harbors.
Tender to the Bitter End or Saba Rock for sundowners and the tarpon feeding.
A sheltered final night before the run offshore to Anegada.

Day 3 of 7 · North Sound → Anegada

The Offshore Run to Anegada

Anchorage: Setting Point, Anegada

Cow Wreck Beach — miles of empty north-shore sand reached by truck from Setting Point.

Trolling lines out on the way over often turn up mahi or tuna for the table.

Sunset over the anchorage at Pomato Point — the end of a day on Anegada.

This is the day that sets this itinerary apart. Push off the North Sound around eight in the morning and sail out across the Anegada passage — the one stretch of open water on a BVI charter. Anegada is flat coral and reef rather than the volcanic peaks behind you, so it stays below the horizon as a low sliver of land that slowly grows ahead, and your crew will pick up a mooring off Setting Point by ten or ten-thirty. Lines go out on the way over; the run turns up mahi and tuna often enough to plan dinner around.

Ashore, the island opens up — wild, quiet, and spread out in a way no other BVI island is. Hire a moke, jeep, or truck at Setting Point, no map required, and run out to the north shore. Flash of Beauty has some of the best off-beach snorkeling in the BVI and a roti from Monica's; Cow Wreck Beach is a glowing turquoise lagoon and powdery sand that's one of the prettiest in the islands, with cold rum drinks at TIPSY by Ann right on the sand. Loblolly Bay and the Big Bamboo are close by, and the overlook at Flamingo Pond is worth the short detour for the pink flock working the salt ponds.

For divers and serious snorkelers, Horseshoe Reef — the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world — runs the length of the island, with the surreal white sand of Conch Island and clear cuts through the coral. If the tender's big enough your crew will run you out; otherwise a local guide like Kelly knows every drift on it.

Dinner is the thing people come to Anegada for: fresh lobster grilled on the beach at Setting Point — Potter's, the Wonky Dog, the Lobster Trap, and the Anegada Reef Hotel all do it beautifully — tables lit by lanterns, toes in the sand. Your crew puts the order in when you arrive so it's waiting when the sun goes down.

Day Highlights

The signature offshore sail across the Anegada passage, lines out for mahi and tuna.
Moke or truck to the north shore — Flash of Beauty, Cow Wreck Beach, and a rum drink at TIPSY by Ann.
Snorkel Horseshoe Reef, the fourth-largest barrier reef on earth, with a guide or your crew.
Fresh Anegada lobster grilled on the beach at sunset — lanterns and toes in the sand.

Day 4 of 7 · Anegada → Jost Van Dyke

The Long Downwind Run to Jost Van Dyke

Anchorage: Little Jost Van Dyke

Sandy Spit — a picture-perfect islet for an afternoon swim near Little Jost Van Dyke.

The quiet, scenic anchorages around Little Jost Van Dyke.

Today is the week's best sail — the long downwind run from Anegada along the top of the island chain to Jost Van Dyke. With the trade wind behind you it's a relaxed, fast reach; settle in on deck, keep the fishing lines out, and let the miles roll by while your crew handles the boat.

By afternoon you'll be anchored in the quiet water around Little Jost Van Dyke and Sandy Spit — a tiny white-sand islet that looks like it was placed there for the photographs. Swim ashore, walk the spit, and snorkel the surrounding reef. For the more active, there's the hike from Foxy's Taboo to the Bubbly Pool, a sea-fed natural jacuzzi that surges with the swell.

It's a calm, scenic anchorage and a deliberate change of pace after Anegada — a slow afternoon and a quiet dinner aboard before the beach-bar morning to come.

Day Highlights

The week's marquee sail — a long downwind reach off Anegada.
Afternoon at Sandy Spit, one of the most photographed islets in the BVI.
Optional hike to the Bubbly Pool from Foxy's Taboo.
A quiet anchorage and dinner aboard around Little Jost Van Dyke.

Day 5 of 7 · Jost Van Dyke → Norman Island

White Bay in the Morning, Norman Island by Night

Anchorage: The Bight, Norman Island

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke — the Soggy Dollar Bar and the birthplace of the Painkiller.

The Bight at Norman Island — a protected evening anchorage with a famous floating bar.

Willy T — the legendary floating bar anchored right in the Bight, a rite of passage on a BVI charter.

Get an early start around to White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, while it's still quiet — your crew will get you anchored off the beach before the day-trippers arrive. Depending on the boat, the right conditions may even let you tuck inside the reef for the postcard view. Swim ashore for a Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar Bar, where the drink was invented, and wander the short strip of beach bars in the sand.

After lunch, point south and cross to Norman Island, passing the scenic shores of St. John along the way. Your crew will settle you into the Bight, the island's big protected mooring field, for the evening. There's snorkeling at the Caves right there if you want one more swim before sundown.

As the sun goes down, the night belongs to Willy T — the legendary floating bar anchored right there in the Bight. Dinghy over for drinks and the obligatory top-deck jumps, then head back aboard for a late dinner with the lights of the harbor around you.

Day Highlights

Early anchorage at White Bay for a quiet morning at the Soggy Dollar Bar.
Afternoon crossing past St. John to Norman Island.
Snorkel the Caves on arrival in the Bight.
Evening at Willy T, the floating bar anchored right in the Bight.

Day 6 of 7 · Norman Island → Peter Island

The Indians and a Quiet Night at Peter Island

Anchorage: Little Harbour, Peter Island

The Indians — rocky pinnacles with some of the best snorkeling in the islands.

Peter Island — a quiet, scenic anchorage to wind the week down.

A crewed motor yacht at anchor in the Virgin Islands — this route works just as well under power as under sail.

Leave the Bight in the morning and drop down to the Indians, a cluster of rocky pinnacles a short hop away with some of the richest snorkeling in the BVI. Schools of fish, fans, and coral in clear, calm water; it's the best swim of the week for many groups.

From there it's a short sail north to Peter Island, where your crew will set you up in the calm of Little Harbour with a stern line to shore, just feet from the rocks. The afternoon is for slowing down — float, paddleboard, swim off the back of the boat, and let the pace drop ahead of the last day.

Dinner aboard, a quiet anchorage, and one more anchorage still to come — the best beach saved for last.

Day Highlights

A short morning sail out of the Bight to the Indians.
Snorkel the Indians — clear water and some of the best reef in the islands.
Short sail to a calm stern-tie anchorage at Peter Island.
An easy afternoon of swimming and floating before the finale.

Day 7 of 7 · Peter Island → Virgin Gorda

The Baths to Finish the Week

Anchorage: Valley Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda

Anchored off the beach at Valley Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda — boulders and clear water just north of the Baths.

The Baths at Virgin Gorda — granite boulders, grottoes, and tidal pools, saved for the last day.

The week ends with its showpiece. Sail back east to the bottom of Virgin Gorda and anchor off Valley Trunk Bay — in the settled winter conditions this trip is built for, the bigger crewed yachts will set a stern line and tuck right in below the boulders. It's the closest you can lie to The Baths, and one of the most spectacular beaches in the islands all on its own.

Go ashore early to explore The Baths before anyone else arrives: a maze of house-sized granite boulders, grottoes, tidal pools, and the famous caves trail that threads between them down to Devil's Bay. It's the natural wonder the BVI is known for, and arriving by tender from your own anchorage means you see it in the quiet.

Spend the afternoon back aboard, swimming off the boulders and soaking up the last of it. Your crew serves a final dinner at anchor, the best beach of the week saved for the last night.

Day Highlights

Stern-tie anchorage at Valley Trunk Bay, right below the boulders.
Early, quiet exploration of The Baths — boulders, grottoes, and the caves trail.
Swim and float off one of the most beautiful beaches in the BVI.
A final chef-prepared dinner at anchor to close the week.

Day 8 · Departure

Farewell to the BVI

Your last morning is a lazy one — a leisurely breakfast at anchor, a final swim if there's time, and one more look at the water before you go.

Your crew will sail back to the marina in time for a noon departure, where it's time to say your goodbyes. As you disembark, your onward transportation — airport, ferry terminal, or water taxi — will be arranged and waiting. You leave with a week's worth of memories, Anegada chief among them.

Frequently asked

What does adding Anegada change about a BVI sailing itinerary?: Anegada is the one BVI anchorage that sits outside the protected Sir Francis Drake Channel, so reaching it means a real offshore passage — a couple of hours each way. It's why shorter charters often leave it out. The payoff is the island people remember most: miles of empty beach at Cow Wreck and Loblolly Bay, snorkeling on Horseshoe Reef, and fresh lobster grilled on the sand at Setting Point. Build it in and the week needs the full seven days.
Is Anegada worth giving up a day of the standard loop?: For a full week, yes. Anegada is flat coral and reef rather than the volcanic peaks of the rest of the BVI, so it feels like a different country a short sail from the others — and the lobster dinner is a genuine highlight. On a four- or five-day charter we'd skip it and keep you inside the channel; on seven days it's the stop that makes the trip.
When's the best time of year for this BVI charter?: November through May is peak BVI charter season. Trade winds settle in at 15–20 knots, humidity drops, and there's no risk of named tropical systems. The Anegada passage is most comfortable in those settled winter conditions. December–March is the busiest stretch — book 6+ months out for holiday weeks. June through November is hurricane season and most operators reposition or pause.
How long does it take to sail to Anegada from the BVI?: From the North Sound of Virgin Gorda — the usual jumping-off point on this itinerary — it's roughly 12 to 15 nautical miles to Setting Point on Anegada, around two hours under sail in normal trade-wind conditions. It's the only leg of a BVI charter that crosses open water rather than staying inside the Sir Francis Drake Channel, which is exactly why a lot of shorter itineraries leave it off.
What is there to do on Anegada?: Anegada is about empty beaches, reef, and food. Most groups hire a truck or a moke at Setting Point and drive across to the north shore — Cow Wreck Beach and Loblolly Bay, miles of sand with a handful of beach bars. There's snorkeling along Horseshoe Reef, the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world, salt ponds with flamingos and rock iguanas inland, and the thing the island is known for: fresh lobster grilled on the beach at sunset, which your crew arranges ahead of time.
Is this BVI sailing itinerary good for first-timers?: Yes. The pace is gentle — an easy first day, lunch underway, an afternoon swim, and a chef-prepared dinner most nights — and the captain handles the one open-water leg to Anegada. The only reason a first-timer might prefer a shorter trip is time: if you only have four or five days, a charter that stays inside the channel makes more sense, and we build those too. With a full week, this is a great first BVI charter.
Can I customize this BVI itinerary?: Yes — every BVI yacht charter we send is custom-tailored. This Anegada loop is a starting point. Tell us how big your group is, what kind of food and drinks you like, which beach bars matter to you, and whether you want more snorkeling or more lounging — your captain reshapes the days around the answer. The route flexes for weather every charter anyway, so customizing the plan up front is normal.