Anegada is the one island in the BVI that most bareboat crews skip, and the one most of them wish they had not. It is flat, ringed by reef and quiet, with miles of empty beach, the best snorkelling in the territory and lobster grilled on the sand. Here is how to do it in a day and a night from North Sound.
Leave North Sound early
It is about 13 nautical miles of open water from North Sound to Setting Point. In the usual easterly trade winds it is a reach both ways, and one of the best sails of the week. Leave in the morning so that you arrive with the sun high. Anegada sits only a few feet above the sea, so you will not see it until you are close, and you need good light to read the water over the reef.
- Check with your charter company first. Some want a briefing before you go, and a few do not allow the trip at all.
- Follow the marked channel into Setting Point. There are coral heads on both sides.
- Pick up a mooring or anchor in sand. Moorings go early in high season. Our notes on the anchorage are in the anchorages guide.
Rent a moke or a scooter
The beaches are on the north shore, across the island from the anchorage. Rent a moke or a scooter at Setting Point and you can see the whole island at your own pace. Open safari taxis also run from the anchorage if you would rather not drive. Driving is on the left.
Work your way along the beach bars
- Loblolly Bay. Big Bamboo sits on the beach with hammocks in the shade, and the reef is a short swim from the sand. This is the best snorkelling on the island.
- Cow Wreck Beach. Lunch on the sand, a swing over the water, and some of the clearest shallow water you will find anywhere in the BVI.
Bring cash, reef-safe sunscreen and more water than you think you need. There is very little shade on the roads.
Take the boat tour to the conch mounds
Off the island’s shore are mounds built over generations from discarded conch shells, a sight you will not see anywhere else in the BVI. Johnny’s boat tour with Kelly’s Land and Sea Tours runs out to the mounds, and on our trip the fresh conch was cleaned right on the boat. Ask at Setting Point or find them on Instagram at @anegada_tours_bvi.
Lobster on the beach
Anegada lobster grilled on the beach at Setting Point is the reason many crews come. The restaurants need your order by mid-afternoon so that they know how many to cook, so book on your way out to the beaches, not when you get back.
Next morning: sunrise, then on to Jost
Watch the sunrise from the cockpit at Setting Point, then make an early start. From Anegada it is a long day west to Jost Van Dyke, so leave early and you will be on a mooring in the afternoon. You can fit Anegada into a full week with our sample itineraries or move the nights around in the itinerary planner.
Quick answers
How far is Anegada from North Sound?
About 13 nautical miles of open water from North Sound, Virgin Gorda, to Setting Point. In the trade winds it is usually a reach.
How do you get around Anegada?
Rent a moke or a scooter at Setting Point, or take an open safari taxi. The beaches and beach bars are on the north shore.
When should you order lobster on Anegada?
By mid-afternoon, so the restaurant knows how many lobsters to cook for dinner.
