British Virgin Islands

Tortola is the largest and most well-known island of the British Virgin Islands, which according to local beliefs were named as such by Christopher Columbus. We will land in Beef Island Airport and take the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, which connects the two islands, over to the port of Road Town, the capital of Tortola. After signing all the paperwork and checking in, we can board our yacht or sailing boat charter and start exploring the British Virgin Islands aboard a boat. Let the adventure begin!

Our first day at sea takes us to beautiful Salt Island, southeast of Road Town. Its name comes from the salt marshes which in former times were an important resource. Today it is very popular among scuba divers who come to explore the RMS Rhone cargo ship that shipwrecked off its coasts in 1867 during a hurricane. If you like scuba diving, then don’t hesitate. Jump in and discover the sunken remains of the ship.

On our third day aboard the yacht charter (or sailing boat or catamaran), we will wake up on an island with a very peculiar name: Virgin Gorda. It is said that Christopher Columbus gave it this name because the profile of the island on the horizon resembles a fat lady lying on her side. One of the most magical spots on this island is the area called The Baths on the south end of the island. These granite formations jet out of the sea forming large blocks some of which measure more than 20 meters in diameter. Piled one on top of another, they create an endless series of caves, vaults and passageways. This spectacular natural wonder so unique to the area will leave you breathless.

Each island is a surprise. A discovery. In Anegada, this is Horseshoe Reef, a coral reef that doubles the surface area of the island and completely surrounds it. The island has a very long and nearly deserted white sandy beach where we can anchor our boat charter. However, if we prefer, we can anchor in the south of the island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean protected by the immense coral barrier. From Anegada, we will cruise to Beef Island where the main commercial airport of the archipelago is located. At Trellis Bay, very close to the airport, it is worth disembarking to visit local artists' shops or have a drink before returning to our catamaran or yacht charter for dinner. If you can, try to be on the island when there’s a full moon during the festival of fire celebrations.

Can you imagine owning an island? Well Henry and Gloria Jarecki not only imagined it, they actually made it a reality in 1975 when they bought Guana Island, an authentic tropical paradise that’s difficult to forget and difficult to leave behind. Thanks to the couple’s interest in preservation, the entire island is today a natural reserve where scientists say there are more flora and fauna than on any other island of this size in the Caribbean and possibly in the world. From Guana Island we will cruise to Jost Van Dyke Island where we will find a good place to anchor and spend the night aboard our sailing boat or catamaran charter. Tomorrow we will cruise to Peter Island.

Before arriving in Peter’s Island, we can ask the captain of our yacht charter to stop in Soper’s Hole, west of Tortola. In the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch privateer, Jost Van Dyke built a settlement here for pirates and privateers where they could trade with Spanish settlers from Puerto Rico. From this former pirate enclave, we will cruise to Peter Island, another private island which in this case has been converted into a tourist complex.

We will go back to the port of Road Town which means that our boat trip has come to an end. If you haven't had the chance, take advantage and go shopping in the city or go out and visit the island a bit. Don’t miss out on the J.R. O'Neal Botanical Gardens, where you can observe the beauty of tropical flowers, or Cane Garden Bay with its expansive beach covered in white sand and surrounded by coconut trees. If you're travelling in April, you can enjoy the spectacular Spring Regatta in Nanny Cay Marina in which more than 150 boats from all over the world participate and cruise down the Francis Drake Channel. *The itinerary is only a guideline. Errors in the content do not justify grounds for filing a legal complaint. If you want to visit other places, the itinerary can be modified according to your preferences. If chartering a boat with skipper, the skipper may decide to change the planned itinerary due to unexpected and/or unrelated causes to the organisation.