One of the best things about chartering a yacht in the British Virgin Islands is how much you can experience without traveling enormous distances.

But that doesn’t mean you should try to visit every island.

After 30 years of operating yacht charters in the BVI, our advice is to think less about how many islands you can check off a list and more about how you actually want to spend your vacation.

Some stops are worth an entire day or two nights. Others are perfect for snorkeling and lunch before continuing onward. Families may prioritize completely different places from couples, while guests who love beach bars may plan a very different week from those who prefer resorts, spas and quieter evenings.

For most first-time VCY guests, we recommend traveling counterclockwise through the BVI. Starting from our base at Nanny Cay, a typical route might take you from Norman Island toward Peter or Cooper Island, then Virgin Gorda and North Sound, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and eventually back toward Nanny Cay.

This route works naturally with the geography of the islands and generally works well with the prevailing tradewinds.

But think of it as a framework rather than a schedule. Weather and sea conditions matter, and so does what your group feels like doing that day.

A great BVI charter isn’t measured by the number of islands you visit. If everyone is having an incredible afternoon somewhere, don’t leave simply because an itinerary written before your vacation says you’re supposed to.

For most first-time guests, Norman Island is our favorite first-night stop.

It’s close enough to Nanny Cay that you don’t need to make a long passage immediately after your charter begins, and The Bight has a very large, protected mooring field.

Moorings at Norman Island are first come, first served rather than reservable, but there are hundreds of moorings in the area, making it an excellent choice for your first evening.

Norman also gives you several options ashore. You can have dinner at Pirates Bight, enjoy Pirate Night when scheduled, or visit the famous floating Willy T.

Friday and Saturday nights tend to be particularly lively at Willy T, which works well because many BVI charters begin on Friday or Saturday due to guests’ travel schedules.

The following morning is a great time to snorkel the Caves at Norman Island or stop at The Indians before continuing east. The Caves are an easy snorkeling option, particularly for families, while The Indians are one of our favorite snorkeling and diving sites in the BVI.

One of our favorite ways to begin Day 2 is to leave Norman, snorkel The Indians in the morning and then continue to Cooper Island for lunch.

Learn more in our Norman Island BVI Charter Guide. 

Cooper Island is one of our favorite daytime stops, particularly when traveling from Norman Island toward Virgin Gorda.

Our preferred itinerary is to snorkel The Indians in the morning and then continue to Cooper Island for lunch at Cooper Island Beach Club. After lunch, visit the Rum Bar, which has more than 400 varieties of rum, and spend some time snorkeling before continuing to Virgin Gorda.

The snorkeling in Manchioneel Bay is different from many of the BVI’s coral reef sites. Much of the bottom is seagrass, which makes it an excellent place to look for sea turtles and stingrays.

Cooper is certainly possible as an overnight stop, but it isn’t one of our first choices for an overnight anchorage. Moorings are limited and the bay can be more exposed to swell than some other BVI anchorages. If you spend the entire day and night there, your shoreside dining and entertainment choices are also fairly limited.

That’s why we particularly like Cooper as a lunch and afternoon stop.

One of our favorite routes is:

Morning: Snorkel The Indians

Lunch/Afternoon: Cooper Island Beach Club, Rum Bar and snorkeling

Late Afternoon: Continue to Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and arrive around 5 PM

Evening: Enjoy the marina’s land showers, get ready for dinner and take a short taxi to Coco Maya

This gives you a great variety of experiences in one day without rushing from island to island.

Learn more in our Cooper Island BVI Charter Guide. 

Peter Island is one of our favorite alternatives to Cooper Island for the second night of a BVI charter, particularly for guests who enjoy a more upscale resort experience.

Peter Island Resort offers something relatively unusual along this part of a typical BVI charter route: marina dockage combined with a full luxury resort experience. For guests who enjoy getting off the yacht for an afternoon or evening, this can be a wonderful change of pace.

Resort amenities include a beautiful pool, spa, pickleball courts, beaches and dining. Drake Steakhouse is one of our favorite choices for a more upscale dinner ashore.

Peter is particularly appealing to guests who appreciate the convenience of being at a dock. You can step directly ashore, enjoy the resort, have dinner and return to your yacht without relying on a dinghy.

It also works naturally into a first-time BVI itinerary. After spending your first night at Norman Island, snorkel The Indians the following morning and then choose your next stop based on what your group enjoys most:

Choose Peter Island if you want an upscale resort, spa, pool, dockage and a relaxing afternoon ashore.

Choose Cooper Island if you would rather have a casual lunch, visit the Rum Bar and snorkel with turtles and rays before continuing toward Virgin Gorda.

You don’t necessarily need to do both. One of the biggest mistakes guests make when planning a BVI charter is trying to fit every possible stop into seven nights. Choosing the places that best match your group usually creates a much better vacation.

Learn more in our Peter Island BVI Charter Guide. 

The Baths are one of the BVI’s most famous attractions and absolutely worth including on a first-time charter, but how and when you visit makes a big difference.

Our preferred plan actually starts the evening before. After an afternoon stop at Cooper Island, continue to Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and reserve a slip for the night. We like arriving around 5 PM, which gives everyone time to use the marina’s land showers, get ready and then take a short taxi to Coco Maya for dinner.

The following morning, get an early start. The Baths are only about a five-minute taxi ride from Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, and we recommend arriving as early as possible. Spend the morning walking through the enormous granite boulders, exploring the caves and enjoying the beaches before the area gets busier.

We generally prefer visiting The Baths this way rather than from an offshore mooring. Boats cannot take their dinghies onto the beach, so guests visiting from the water must swim ashore. That swim can be longer and more strenuous than people anticipate, particularly when there is swell.

Arriving by land is easier, allows everyone in your group to enjoy The Baths at their own pace and eliminates the need to swim between the yacht and shore.

After exploring The Baths, you can stop at Top of the Baths for lunch or relax by the pool before returning to your yacht.

From there, continue north to North Sound, where we recommend spending considerably more time.

VCY TIP: Don’t treat The Baths as a quick stop to squeeze into an already busy day. Staying at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour the night before, visiting The Baths first thing in the morning and then continuing to North Sound makes for a much more relaxed experience.

North Sound is one of the places where we frequently recommend slowing down. Rather than arriving late, spending one night and immediately leaving the next morning, many groups can easily spend 1½ to 2 days and two nights here.

There are several different resorts and destinations around North Sound, and each offers a different experience.

Saba Rock is always a fun stop for lunch, drinks or dinner. One of the highlights is the daily tarpon feeding at 5 PM, which is particularly popular with families.

Bitter End Yacht Club is another favorite, with multiple places to eat and drink, including a casual and popular pizza option. It’s an easy place to spend an afternoon wandering around, swimming, eating and enjoying the waterfront.

Leverick Bay is especially fun when there is entertainment scheduled. Michael Beans’ “Happy Arrr” pirate show is a favorite with families, and Friday night beach BBQs with Moko Jumbie stilt walkers are a memorable BVI experience.

For something considerably more upscale, we love Oil Nut Bay. Nova is an excellent choice for lunch, and the pool and lounge area make it a great place to spend part of the afternoon.

North Sound is also one of the best areas in the BVI for watersports. Depending on conditions and availability, guests can kiteboard or rent jet skis here. It’s a particularly good place to build an active day into your charter without having to travel somewhere else afterward.

One of the advantages of spending two nights is that you don’t have to choose just one of these experiences. You might spend an afternoon at Oil Nut Bay, have dinner elsewhere in North Sound, and then devote the following day to watersports, swimming and exploring another resort.

North Sound also puts you in the ideal position for the next major destination on our recommended route: Anegada.

If you’re going to Anegada, we generally recommend departing North Sound in the morning. Depending on how you want to structure your Anegada visit, you can either spend the night there or get a very early start and make it a full-day experience.

VCY TIP: North Sound is one of the places we think guests most often underestimate when planning their itinerary. If your schedule allows it, give yourself two nights rather than trying to experience it in a few hours.

Learn more in our Virgin Gorda BVI Charter Guide. 

Guests often ask us whether Anegada is too far to include on a seven-night BVI charter.

We recommend it.

Anegada feels completely different from the rest of the British Virgin Islands. Rather than the mountainous landscape you’ll see throughout most of the BVI, Anegada is flat, quiet and known for its beaches, reefs, salt ponds, flamingos and, of course, lobster.

Our favorite way to experience Anegada is to leave North Sound in the morning and arrive at approximately 11 AM.

Once you’re settled, head ashore and explore the island. Rent a Moke or scooter, or arrange a safari taxi, and spend the afternoon traveling from beach to beach and bar to bar.

Keep an eye out for Anegada’s flamingos around the salt ponds, and make time for some of our favorite beach stops, including Cow Wreck Beach, Tipsy’s and Big Bamboo.

Then finish the day with one of the experiences Anegada is most famous for: lobster on the beach.

We particularly like Potter’s by the Sea, where the lobster is grilled in old drums near the beach for a casual and authentic Anegada experience. For guests looking for something a little more upscale, The Wonky Dog is another favorite dinner option.

The Next Morning: Horseshoe Reef & Conch

If your schedule allows, we recommend booking Sherwin’s Sea Adventures for around 9 AM the following morning.

You’ll have the opportunity to snorkel Horseshoe Reef, explore Anegada’s marine environment and learn about conch.

One of our favorite parts of the experience is visiting the historic conch mounds and tasting fresh conch ceviche. It is the kind of experience that makes Anegada much more than simply another beach stop.

After the morning excursion, return to the yacht and continue west toward Jost Van Dyke.

Can You Do Anegada in One Day?

Absolutely.

If your itinerary is tighter, leave North Sound at approximately 7 AM and arrive in Anegada early enough for a morning excursion with Sherwin.

Then spend the afternoon exploring the island by Moke, scooter or safari taxi, visit the beaches and bars, look for the flamingos and finish with lobster on the beach.

The important point is that you don’t need to skip Anegada just because you only have seven nights.

If your group doesn’t care about Anegada, that’s also fine. Use the extra time for Peter Island, Scrub Island or another night elsewhere. But for most first-time guests, we think Anegada offers an experience different enough from the rest of the BVI that it is well worth including.

VCY TIP: Don’t think of Anegada as simply a long cruise for a beach and dinner. The island tour, flamingos, beach bars, lobster, Horseshoe Reef and conch experience are what make the trip worthwhile.

Learn more in our Anegada BVI Charter Guide. 

Scrub Island is an easy stop to incorporate as you begin making your way west toward Jost Van Dyke. It works particularly well coming from Virgin Gorda, and it’s also an easy trip down from Anegada.

We don’t consider Scrub a must-do stop for every charter, but it can be an excellent choice—particularly for families or anyone who wants a resort break midway through the week.

To stay aboard your yacht at Scrub Island, you’ll need to reserve and pay for marina dockage. One of the big advantages is that your marina stay includes access to the resort amenities.

For families, the large pool and waterslide are usually the biggest attraction. After several days of beaches, snorkeling and exploring by yacht, children often love having an afternoon at a resort pool.

Adults tend to appreciate something else too: beautiful land-based showers.

It may not sound like an itinerary highlight before your charter begins, but midway through a week aboard, a resort afternoon with a pool, lounge areas and a long shower can be surprisingly appealing.

Scrub therefore works well as a completely different type of BVI experience. Instead of another beach bar or snorkeling stop, you can dock the yacht, step ashore and enjoy a resort for the afternoon and evening.

If your group doesn’t care about resort amenities, you don’t need to add Scrub simply to check another island off your list. Continue west and use that time somewhere else.

But for families—or guests who like mixing yacht chartering with a few upscale resort experiences—Scrub Island is one of our favorite optional stops.

VCY TIP: Scrub is particularly easy to work into a counterclockwise itinerary. Consider it while traveling west from Virgin Gorda, or as a stop after returning south from Anegada before continuing toward Jost Van Dyke.

Learn more in our Scrub Island BVI Charter Guide. 

As you make your way west toward Jost Van Dyke, there are a couple of stops worth considering if you have the time and conditions are good.

You don’t need to build an entire day around either one. Think of them as opportunities to stop, get in the water or stretch your legs before continuing to Jost.

Monkey Point, Guana Island

Monkey Point on Guana Island is one of our favorite snorkeling stops and works particularly well when you’re already traveling west.

When conditions cooperate, the snorkeling can be excellent, and it’s a particularly good choice for families because you can spend an hour or two in the water and then continue with the day’s itinerary.

We generally think of Monkey Point as a snorkeling stop rather than an overnight destination.

If you’re coming from Scrub Island, Virgin Gorda or Anegada and heading toward Jost, check the conditions and consider stopping at Monkey Point along the way.

Sandy Cay

Sandy Cay offers something completely different.

It’s a small, picturesque and undeveloped island near Jost Van Dyke with National Parks moorings available for visiting yachts.

There are no restaurants, beach bars or resorts here—and that’s exactly the appeal.

Go ashore and walk along the beach, swim, or follow the short hiking trail around the island. It’s an easy way to experience a quieter and more natural side of the BVI before heading into the much livelier atmosphere of Jost Van Dyke.

You don’t need to spend hours here. Sandy Cay is the kind of stop where you can pick up a National Parks mooring, go ashore for a walk and a swim, and then continue to Jost.

VCY TIP: Don’t feel like you need to stop at both Monkey Point and Sandy Cay. If your group wants to snorkel, choose Monkey Point. If you’d rather go ashore for a beach walk and short hike on an undeveloped island, choose Sandy Cay. If everyone wants to get to Jost, simply keep going.

Learn more in our Guana Island/Monkey Point BVI Charter Guide.

For most first-time BVI charter guests, Jost Van Dyke is a must-do stop.

The island is famous for White Bay and the Soggy Dollar Bar, but there is much more to Jost than a Painkiller on the beach. Depending on your route, you can easily combine Diamond Cay and the Bubbly Pool, Great Harbour and White Bay into your visit.

Diamond Cay & the Bubbly Pool

If you’re approaching Jost from the east, Diamond Cay makes a great first stop.

Have lunch or drinks at B-Line Bar or Foxy’s Taboo, then walk over to the Bubbly Pool.

The Bubbly Pool is a natural rock formation where waves enter through a narrow opening in the rocks. When there is swell on the north shore, the water creates the bubbling effect that gives the pool its name.

It’s a fun stop, but the experience depends on the conditions. With very little north swell, the “bubbles” can be considerably less dramatic.

From Diamond Cay, continue around to Great Harbour, which is where we generally recommend VCY bareboat guests secure the yacht for their Jost visit.

Great Harbour

Great Harbour makes an excellent base for exploring Jost Van Dyke.

Foxy’s is the institution here and one of our favorite places for drinks and atmosphere. It’s worth experiencing simply because it has been such a famous part of the BVI charter scene for so long.

For food in Great Harbour, we prefer Tipsy Shark.

Most importantly for VCY bareboat guests, staying in Great Harbour makes it easy to visit White Bay without taking your yacht into White Bay itself.

White Bay — Visit by Dinghy

White Bay is absolutely worth visiting, and we encourage our guests to spend time there.

We just don’t allow VCY bareboat yachts to enter or moor in White Bay.

Our recommendation is simple: secure your yacht in Great Harbour and take your dinghy around to White Bay. You can also take quick land taxi ride in a safari bus from Great Harbour to White Bay. 

There is a reef at the entrance to White Bay, and the area can become extremely congested with yachts, moorings and anchored boats.

The concern isn’t only whether you are capable of safely handling your yacht.

Even if you’re securely attached to a mooring, other boats may enter and anchor nearby. An improperly set anchor can drag while that boat’s guests are ashore, or another vessel can maneuver too close to yours.

For VCY, the risk of damage created by the congestion and actions of other boats simply isn’t worth taking when there is such an easy alternative.

Leave the yacht safely in Great Harbour and visit White Bay by dinghy instead.

You still get the full White Bay experience without putting the yacht in the middle of a crowded and higher-risk mooring area.

What to Do in White Bay

Once you arrive, don’t over-plan it.

White Bay is somewhere to spend a few hours swimming, walking the beach, eating lunch and moving between beach bars.

For food, Hendo’s Hideout is one of our favorites.

And of course, have a Painkiller at the famous Soggy Dollar Bar, where the drink originated.

Other White Bay favorites include:

• Ivan’s Stress Free Bar
• Gertrude’s
• Coco Loco’s

If you’re on a fully crewed yacht, White Bay is also one of those places where eating ashore can make sense even though you have an excellent chef aboard. If everyone is having a fantastic afternoon on the beach, sometimes it’s more fun to have lunch at Hendo’s and stay ashore than interrupt the day to return to the yacht for lunch.

How Long Should You Spend on Jost Van Dyke?

We recommend giving Jost enough time that you’re not simply rushing into White Bay for a drink and leaving.

Depending on your itinerary, you can stop at Diamond Cay for lunch and the Bubbly Pool, continue to Great Harbour for your overnight, and spend part of the afternoon or following day enjoying White Bay.

That lets you experience three very different sides of Jost without adding another long passage to your charter.

VCY TIP: White Bay is one of the BVI’s most famous destinations, but don’t make it your only Jost experience. Diamond Cay, the Bubbly Pool and Great Harbour are all worth incorporating into your visit.

Learn more in our Jost Van Dyke BVI Charter Guide. 

There is no single perfect BVI itinerary. One of the advantages of chartering here is that the islands are close enough together that you can tailor the week around what your group actually enjoys.

For first-time visitors:

Norman Island, Virgin Gorda and The Baths, North Sound, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke give you an excellent introduction to the BVI.

For families:

Consider adding Scrub Island for its resort pool and waterslide, Leverick Bay for family-friendly entertainment, and plenty of snorkeling stops along the way.

For a more upscale experience:

Peter Island, Coco Maya on Virgin Gorda, Saba Rock and Oil Nut Bay are some of our favorite choices.

For snorkeling and time in the water:

The Indians, Monkey Point, Cooper Island and the waters around Anegada are excellent additions.

For beaches and beach bars:

Anegada and Jost Van Dyke should be high on your list.

For guests who want a more relaxed week:

Don’t try to see everything. Spending two nights in North Sound or lingering somewhere you’re enjoying is often better than adding another island simply to check it off your list.

Most charters naturally travel counterclockwise through the Sir Francis Drake Channel, but weather, sea conditions and what your group enjoys should ultimately determine your route.

Explore Each Island in More Detail

This guide is designed to help you understand how the major BVI destinations fit together. For more detailed information about beaches, snorkeling, restaurants, moorings and things to do, explore our individual BVI island guides.

VCY TIP: Don’t over-schedule your charter. Some of the best days in the BVI happen when you discover somewhere you love and decide not to leave.

Individual Island Guides

Tortola — The Gateway to the BVI

Discover the largest island in the BVI, home to marinas, provisioning hubs, and some of the most beautiful beaches.

👉 Explore Tortola:
/british-virgin-islands/tortola

Virgin Gorda — Natural Wonders & Luxury

Famous for The Baths, dramatic rock formations, and world-class resorts.

👉 Explore Virgin Gorda:
/british-virgin-islands/virgin-gorda

Jost Van Dyke — Beach Bars & Island Vibes

A lively island known for its iconic beach bars, including Soggy Dollar and Foxy’s.

👉 Explore Jost Van Dyke:
/british-virgin-islands/jost-van-dyke

Anegada — Remote & Untouched Beauty

A coral island offering quiet beaches, flamingos, and exceptional seafood experiences.

👉 Explore Anegada:
/british-virgin-islands/anegada

Norman Island — Pirate Legends & Snorkelling

Known for its caves, history, and excellent snorkelling locations.

👉 Explore Norman Island:
/british-virgin-islands/norman-island