BVI Cruising Guide

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The dark cave mouths in the cliff at Treasure Point, Norman Island, from the air

BVI Anchorages and Mooring Guide

42 places to stop in the British Virgin Islands, written for the person at the helm: whether to take a ball or drop the hook, whether it is a lunch stop or a night stop, and what a winter north swell does to it.

These are our own notes from years of working these waters. They are a starting point, not a substitute for your chart, your charter briefing and your own eyes.

Map of BVI anchorages and mooring fields

All 42 anchorages on one map, with every restaurant and dive site alongside them. Tick the boxes to show or hide each layer, and tap a pin to see how you tie up and what is ashore. Choose an island to zoom in, and the filter buttons below work on the map as well.

Not for navigational purposes. Positions are approximate. Navigate with official charts and your own eyes.

  • Overnight on a mooring
  • Overnight at anchor
  • Marina or dock
  • Day stop
  • Reef: keep clear

Jost Van Dyke and the cays

Foxy’s, the Soggy Dollar, the Bubbly Pool and two of the best sandbars in the Caribbean.

Great Harbour

OvernightMooringsGood in a north swellProvisions

Take a ball. The bottom is deep with poor holding, so this is not the place to trust your anchor overnight. Customs and immigration, Foxy’s and the village shops are a short dinghy ride in, which makes it the natural stop if you are clearing in from the USVI.

Ashore in this bay: Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

  • Eight second aerial video of the mooring field at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke
  • Foxy's Tamarind Bar on the beach at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVI
  • Aerial view of the ferry and customs dock with powerboats alongside at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke
  • Catamarans and monohulls on the moorings in Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, with the village along the beach and the hills behind

White Bay

Day stopAnchorExposed in a north swell

A day stop, not an overnight. A shallow reef guards the entrance and the wind clocks around after dark. Come in through the marked cut with good light, anchor in sand, swim ashore to the Soggy Dollar, and be gone by late afternoon. In a north swell skip it entirely.

Ashore in this bay: Soggy Dollar Bar, Gertrude’s Beach Bar, Hendo’s Hideout, One Love Bar and Grill, Coco Loco, Ivan’s Stress Free Bar, Alice’s JVD
In the water here: White Bay Reef

  • Eight second video of the floating spa and the beach at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
  • Red umbrellas, picnic tables and palms on the sand at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
  • The dark line of reef across the mouth of White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, seen from above
  • Yachts on the moorings at the east end of White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, with the white sand beach and the green hill behind

Little Harbour

OvernightMooringsGood in a north swell

A snug harbour on the south coast with a reservable BoatyBall mooring field. Sidney’s Peace and Love and Harris’ Place are ashore for lobster. One of the better places to sit out a north swell.

Ashore in this bay: Sidney’s Peace and Love, Harris’ Place

Little Jost Van Dyke (Diamond Cay)

OvernightMooringsExposed in a north swell

BoatyBall moorings off Diamond Cay. Dinghy in for Foxy’s Taboo and the walk to the Bubbly Pool, which is at its best when a north swell is running outside.

Ashore in this bay: Foxy’s Taboo

  • Eight second aerial video of the reef and moorings off Little Jost Van Dyke
  • Aerial view of the Bubbly Pool, a rock-ringed tidal pool on the north-east tip of Jost Van Dyke

Sandy Spit

Day stopAnchorExposed in a north swell

The postcard sandbar. Make your snorkel your anchor: pick a clear sand patch and never drop on reef. A lunch stop for most boats, and only an overnight in properly settled weather.

In the water here: Sandy Spit and Green Cay, The Playground

  • Sandy Spit, the tiny palm-topped sand island off Jost Van Dyke, from the air

Sandy Cay

Day stopMooringsExposed in a north swell

An uninhabited national park cay you can walk around in twenty minutes. National Parks Trust day moorings only, no overnighting, and you need a parks permit from your charter base.

Tortola

Where most charters start and end, plus the north-shore beach bays.

Soper’s Hole (West End)

Start, finish or overnightMooringsDockGood in a north swellProvisions

Moorings and a marina dock at the west end of Tortola, with customs, fuel, water, provisioning and Pusser’s. Handy first or last night, and the usual clearing-in point coming back from Jost or St John.

Ashore in this bay: Pusser’s, Soper’s Hole

Nanny Cay

Charter baseDockGood in a north swellProvisions

South-shore marina and charter base with a haul-out yard, chandlery, pool and restaurants. If something on the boat needs fixing, this is where it gets fixed.

  • Palm-lined beach and beach bar at Nanny Cay marina, Tortola, BVI
  • Charter catamarans and monohulls on the docks at Nanny Cay marina, Tortola, on a calm morning
  • Drone view of Nanny Cay marina and charter base on the south coast of Tortola, with the Drake channel beyond

Road Town

Charter baseDockGood in a north swellProvisions

The capital and home to the biggest charter bases. Best supermarkets in the territory, so do your main provisioning here. Not somewhere you come back to mid-week for fun.

  • Drone view of the marinas in Road Town harbour, Tortola, with the town and hills behind
  • The Road Town waterfront, Tortola, seen from a drone over the harbour

Cane Garden Bay

OvernightMooringsAnchorExposed in a north swellProvisions

The prettiest beach bay on Tortola, with live music most nights. First-come and BoatyBall moorings, and you can anchor between the swim buoys and the mooring field. Busy on cruise-ship days. Wide open to the north: if a ground swell is forecast, do not go.

Ashore in this bay: Quito’s Gazebo, Myett’s

  • The beach at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, with yachts anchored off and green hills behind
  • The wooden dinghy dock at Cane Garden Bay leading to the beachfront bars, Tortola
  • Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, seen from a boat in the anchorage
  • Thatched umbrellas on the sand at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, with yachts anchored in the bay

Brewers Bay

OvernightMooringsAnchorExposed in a north swell

A quiet north-shore bay next door to Cane Garden Bay, with reef snorkelling off the beach and the old Callwood rum distillery a walk away. Park moorings and room to anchor in sand. Same rule in a north swell: stay away.

In the water here: Brewers Bay Reef

  • A reef-fringed bay and green headland on the north shore of Tortola from the air

Maya Cove (Hodges Creek)

OvernightMooringsDockGood in a north swellProvisions

Tucked behind the reef on the south-east corner of Tortola, with a marina and moorings at Penn’s Landing. Follow the markers in. Flat water in almost anything.

Norman Island

The Caves, the Indians, Pirates Bight and the Willy T. Most first nights end up here.

The Bight

OvernightMooringsAnchorGood in a north swell

The big, deep natural harbour and the main overnight stop. First-come moorings fill by mid-afternoon in season. If you anchor, tuck in close along the shore where the holding is best, because the middle is deep. Pirates Bight is on the beach and the Willy T floats in the south-west corner.

Ashore in this bay: The Willy T

  • Looking out of The Bight, Norman Island, across the moorings towards Pelican Island
  • A catamaran on a mooring in The Bight at Norman Island, seen from the deck of the Willy T
  • The mooring field in The Bight at Norman Island, full of charter yachts, with the Willy T floating bar in the foreground

Privateer Bay

OvernightMooringsAnchorGood in a north swell

Just south of the Bight, right beside the Caves. Quieter than the Bight and you can snorkel the Caves from the boat before the day-trip crowd arrives. Can be rolly.

In the water here: The Caves at Treasure Point, Angelfish Reef

  • The orange cliffs of Treasure Point on Norman Island seen from the water on the swim to The Caves

Soldier Bay

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

A small north-side anchorage for settled conditions, with good snorkelling and rarely more than a few boats.

Ashore in this bay: Pirates Bight

Benures Bay

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

On the north-east side. Well protected from the usual trades, good holding in sand, and a fraction of the Bight’s traffic. One of the better quiet nights in the southern islands.

Peter Island

Deadman’s Bay beach and a handful of quiet anchorages close to Road Town.

Great Harbour

OvernightMooringsGood in a north swell

A large, deep bay on the north side with first-come moorings. Quiet, and close enough to Road Town to work as a first or last night.

  • Yachts and catamarans in Great Harbour, Peter Island, from the air

Little Harbour

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

A dramatic little hurricane hole where boats anchor and stern-tie to the rocks. That takes practice and extra hands. If you have never stern-tied before, this is not the place to learn.

Sprat Bay (Peter Island marina)

OvernightDockGood in a north swell

Dockage at the resort marina, with the resort ashore. Call ahead.

Ashore in this bay: Peter Island Resort

  • Peter Island Resort and the sheltered water beside it, from the air, BVI
  • Peter Island from the air with its private marina, moored yachts and horseshoe bay

Deadman’s Bay

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

Anchor off the famous palm-lined beach on the north shore. Lovely in settled weather, but swell works its way in and it can roll at night.

In the water here: Deadman’s Bay Reef, Painted Walls

Salt Island

The old salt ponds and the wreck of the RMS Rhone.

Salt Pond Bay

Day stopAnchorExposed in a north swell

Anchor below the old salt ponds and take the dinghy round to the National Parks moorings over the Rhone. Most boats treat it as a day stop and spend the night at Cooper or Peter.

In the water here: RMS Rhone

Cooper Island

The Beach Club, a rum bar and turtles under the boat.

Manchioneel Bay

OvernightMooringsExposed in a north swell

First-come and BoatyBall moorings off the Cooper Island Beach Club. No anchoring: the bottom is seagrass. It gets uncomfortable in stronger winds and seas, and the current runs hard off the point, so keep swimmers close to the boat.

Ashore in this bay: Cooper Island Beach Club, The Rum Bar, Cooper Island

  • The mooring field in Manchioneel Bay, Cooper Island, from the air
  • Yachts moored off the palm-backed beach at Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands

Hallovers Bay

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

A quieter alternative on the south side. Watch for coral heads on the way in and anchor in sand.

In the water here: Cistern Point, Wreck Alley, Vanishing Rock

Marina Cay, Scrub, Trellis and the Camanoes

Easy first and last nights, ten minutes from the airport.

Marina Cay

OvernightMooringsGood in a north swell

A tiny cay inside the reef with a big mooring field. A classic easy first or last night and a good bolt-hole in a north swell.

In the water here: The Aquarium

  • Marina Cay, the tiny island off Beef Island, seen from a boat in the mooring field

Scrub Island

Start, finish or overnightDockGood in a north swellProvisions

A resort marina with pools, restaurants and a spa. The splurge night, or a comfortable place to start and finish.

Ashore in this bay: One Shoe Beach Bar

  • The small beach and cove beside Scrub Island Resort and marina, BVI

Trellis Bay

Start, finish or overnightMooringsAnchorGood in a north swellProvisions

On Beef Island, a five-minute walk from the airport terminal. Moorings and room to anchor, an artist community ashore and the Full Moon party. The easiest crew change in the BVI.

Ashore in this bay: Trellis Bay and the Full Moon party

  • The beach at Trellis Bay, Beef Island, with the steel fire sculptures lit for the full moon party and moored boats behind
  • The floating dinghy dock at Trellis Bay with boats on the moorings, Beef Island, BVI

Cam Bay (Great Camanoe)

OvernightMooringsAnchorGood in a north swell

Quiet, undeveloped and good snorkelling. Park moorings and some room to anchor.

White Bay (Guana Island)

Day stopAnchorExposed in a north swell

Anchor off the beach of a private island and dinghy round to Monkey Point for the silversides and tarpon. Day stop.

Virgin Gorda

The Baths, Spanish Town and the long west-coast beaches.

Spanish Town (Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour)

Start, finish or overnightDockGood in a north swellProvisions

Marina, fuel, water, customs, provisioning and taxis to the Baths. When the Baths moorings are full or the red flag is up, leave the boat here and go by road.

Ashore in this bay: Fischer’s Cove

  • The approach to Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour from seaward, with the channel buoys and Spanish Town beyond
  • Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and Spanish Town seen from the air across St Thomas Bay
  • The breakwater and entrance channel into Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, seen from the air
  • Catamarans and yachts on the docks inside Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, seen from the air

St Thomas Bay, north

OvernightAnchorExposed in a north swell

Anchor under the headland at the north end of the bay, clear of the buoyed channel into the yacht harbour. Anchoring only for now, with no moorings, and watch for coral heads when you drop the hook. The ferries work through here all day and their wash rolls the anchorage, so it is livelier than it looks. Best in the normal easterly trades; exposed in a north or south swell. Ashore, use the dinghy dock between Fischer’s Cove and CocoMaya rather than beaching the dinghy.

  • The entrance to Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour at the north end of St Thomas Bay, seen from the air
  • Yachts anchored along the north shore of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda, below the green hillside
  • Yachts anchored under the headland at the north end of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda, with the buoyed channel into the yacht harbour
  • The headland at the north end of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda, with yachts anchored inside it and the outer islands on the horizon

St Thomas Bay, south

OvernightAnchorExposed in a north swell

Not recommended for bareboats: the way in is a tight gap through unmarked reef. Sand between the reef patches at the south end of the bay, off the beach where the boulders begin. Eyeball your way in with the sun high and drop in clear sand, well off the coral. Best in the normal easterly trades; exposed in a north or south swell. Ashore, use the dinghy dock between Fischer’s Cove and CocoMaya rather than beaching the dinghy.

Ashore in this bay: CocoMaya

  • Wide aerial view over the reef at the south end of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda, with yachts anchored off the beach
  • Catamarans anchored in sand between reef patches at the south end of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda
  • Catamarans anchored in clear sand alongside the reef edge at the south end of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda
  • The beach and dock at the south end of St Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda, with a boat anchored close in and boulders beyond

Savannah Bay

OvernightAnchorExposed in a north swell

A long white-sand bay north of the yacht harbour. Eyeball your way in between the coral with the sun high. Settled conditions only.

Long Bay

OvernightAnchorExposed in a north swell

On the north-west coast. Dinghy to the Kodiak Queen art-reef wreck. Open to the north-west, so check the swell forecast first.

In the water here: Mountain Point, The Kodiak Queen (BVI Art Reef)

The Baths

Day stopMooringsExposed in a north swell

The granite boulders and grottoes everyone comes for. National Parks day moorings only, no anchoring, no overnighting, and no dinghies on the beach: tie to the dinghy line and swim in. Get there before 9 am. A red flag means the mooring field is closed.

Ashore in this bay: Top of the Baths, Poor Man’s Bar
In the water here: The Baths and Devil’s Bay

  • Granite boulders and clear turquoise water along the shore at The Baths, Virgin Gorda, from the air
  • The giant boulders of The Baths seen from the water, with the dinghy swim line in front
  • The narrow grotto between giant granite boulders at The Baths, Virgin Gorda
  • Paddleboarding among the boulders off The Baths, Virgin Gorda, BVI

North Sound, Virgin Gorda

A reef-protected lagoon with half a dozen places to spend the night. The best shelter in the BVI.

Leverick Bay

OvernightMooringsDockGood in a north swellProvisions

Fuel, water, ice, a small supermarket, BoatyBall moorings and dock space. The Friday night jump-up is an institution.

Ashore in this bay: Leverick Bay

  • Walk from the Leverick Bay car park into Chef's Pantry, the supermarket and deli at the marina, and round its aisles: drinks, dry goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, and the deli counter
  • Tie up at the Leverick Bay dinghy dock in North Sound and walk ashore past the beach bar, the pool deck and the Friday night jump-up poster
  • Coming into North Sound, Virgin Gorda, from the air, with yachts moored off a green island
  • Catamarans and yachts in the sheltered water of North Sound, Virgin Gorda

Saba Rock

OvernightMooringsGood in a north swell

Moorings off the rebuilt resort, bar and restaurant. Tarpon feeding at happy hour.

Ashore in this bay: Saba Rock

  • Dinghy ride in to the dock at Saba Rock over the turquoise shallows, with the open-sided restaurant and bar deck right on the water, North Sound
  • Saba Rock, the tiny island resort in North Sound, Virgin Gorda, from the air
  • The restaurant deck and dinghy dock at Saba Rock seen from the water

Bitter End Yacht Club

OvernightMooringsDockGood in a north swellProvisions

Moorings and a marina at the rebuilt Bitter End: watersports, restaurants and provisions.

Ashore in this bay: Bitter End Yacht Club

  • Drone flight along the beach to the docks, moorings and marina at the Bitter End Yacht Club, North Sound, Virgin Gorda
  • Walk in past the ice chest and round The Market at the Bitter End Yacht Club: dry goods, wine and spirits, fresh produce and the drinks fridges
  • Rainbow over charter catamarans on the moorings in North Sound, Virgin Gorda
  • The beach at Bitter End Yacht Club, North Sound, Virgin Gorda, from the air

Vixen Point (Prickly Pear)

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

No mooring balls here, which is the point. Sand, good holding, room to swing and a beach bar ashore. The best place in the Sound to use your own anchor.

Ashore in this bay: Prickly Pear beach bar

  • Eight second aerial video over Vixen Point on Prickly Pear Island, North Sound, Virgin Gorda

Gun Creek

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

Ferry landing with a dinghy dock and customs. Anchor off, then taxi or hike up to Hog Heaven for the view.

Deep Bay and Biras Creek

OvernightAnchorGood in a north swell

Protected, quiet and usually empty.

Oil Nut Bay

OvernightMooringsDockGood in a north swell

A high-end marina village in the south-east corner of the Sound. Reservations required.

Anegada

The flat coral island, eleven miles of open water north of Virgin Gorda, and its lobster.

Setting Point

OvernightMooringsAnchorExposed in a north swellProvisions

The island’s one anchorage. The approach is reef-strewn and low-lying, so leave North Sound early, arrive with the sun high and follow the marked channel. Take a ball if you can; otherwise anchor in sand in seven to nine feet. Book your lobster dinner by radio or phone before mid-afternoon. Some charter companies want a briefing before you go, so ask at the base.

Ashore in this bay: Anegada Reef Hotel, Potter’s by the Sea, The Lobster Trap, The Wonky Dog

  • The Anegada Reef Hotel sign and dock at Setting Point with catamarans on moorings at sunset
  • Dinghy dock and waterfront bars beside clear turquoise water at Setting Point, Anegada
  • The anchorage at Setting Point, Anegada, from the air
  • The painted ANEGADA letters near Setting Point, Anegada, with two people standing on top of them

BVI anchorage questions we get asked most

Can you stay overnight in White Bay, Jost Van Dyke?

We would not. White Bay is a day anchorage: a shallow reef guards the entrance, the wind clocks around after dark and a north swell sends surf straight in. Spend the day at the Soggy Dollar, then move round to Great Harbour or Little Harbour for the night.

Where should I go in the BVI when a north swell is running?

Head for water that faces south or sits behind a reef. Our usual refuges are The Bight at Norman Island, Great Harbour and Little Harbour on Jost Van Dyke, North Sound on Virgin Gorda, Trellis Bay and Marina Cay. Avoid Cane Garden Bay, Brewers Bay, White Bay, Sandy Cay and The Baths until it drops.

Do I need to reserve mooring balls in the BVI?

Most moorings are first come, first served, and in high season the popular fields fill by early to mid afternoon. The orange BoatyBall moorings can be reserved online and are found at places like Cane Garden Bay, Cooper Island, Leverick Bay, Little Harbour and Little Jost Van Dyke. National Parks Trust moorings at dive sites, Sandy Cay and The Baths are day use only and need a parks permit.

Can you anchor or stay overnight at The Baths?

No. The Baths has National Parks Trust day moorings only. There is no anchoring, no overnighting and no dinghies on the beach: you tie the dinghy to the line and swim in. Arrive before 9 am for a ball, and if the red flag is flying the mooring field is closed.

What is a good first night on a BVI bareboat charter?

Keep it short and easy. From Road Town or Nanny Cay, The Bight at Norman Island or Great Harbour on Peter Island are about an hour away. From the Beef Island and Scrub Island end, Marina Cay or Trellis Bay are minutes from the dock.

Is it difficult to sail to Anegada?

It is about eleven miles of open water from North Sound, and the island is so low you do not see it until you are close. The anchorage at Setting Point is surrounded by reef, so go in settled weather, leave early, arrive with the sun high and follow the marked channel. Some charter companies ask for a briefing first.

About the north swell tags. From November to April, long swells from North Atlantic storms reach the islands a few times each winter. “Exposed” means we would not plan to be there when one is forecast. “Good” means it is where we would go instead. No tag means it depends on the size and direction of the swell. Check the live marine forecast each morning. BoatyBall moorings are the orange reservable ones: book online, they go fast in season. Everything else is first come, first served.