Anegada BVI Charter Guide

Anegada is unlike anywhere else you will visit during a BVI yacht charter.

While most of the British Virgin Islands are mountainous and green, Anegada is almost completely flat. It is surrounded by brilliant blue water, miles of beaches and Horseshoe Reef, and the island has a remote, laid-back personality all its own.

We recommend Anegada on many seven-night BVI charters — but we don’t think it’s for everyone.

The people who love Anegada tend to really love it precisely because it is quiet, casual and undeveloped. If your perfect day involves exploring an almost empty island in a Moke, hopping between tiny beach bars, looking for flamingos and ending the evening with lobster grilled on the beach, Anegada may be one of your favorite days of the entire charter.

If you prefer more people, luxury resorts and a slightly more upscale atmosphere, you may be happier spending that extra day somewhere else.

That’s one of the advantages of a private yacht charter: you don’t need to visit somewhere simply because everyone says you’re supposed to.

Why Anegada Is So Different

Anegada feels remarkably remote compared with the rest of the BVI.

There is very little development, and once you begin exploring the island, there are places where you can look toward the horizon and see little more than white sand, turquoise water and sky.  Fewer than 200 people call Anegada home!

There are no big resorts or bustling marinas. The dress code is essentially swimsuits and flip-flops, and nobody is in much of a hurry.

For some guests, that’s paradise.

Rent a Moke or scooter, or hire a safari taxi, and spend the afternoon exploring beaches and stopping at casual bars along the way. Look for Anegada’s flamingos around the salt ponds. Have a drink with your feet in the sand. Then finish the evening with fresh lobster.

If that sounds like your kind of day, don’t skip Anegada.

If you’d rather spend your time around the restaurants, resorts and activity of North Sound, that’s perfectly fine too. Use the extra day there instead.

VCY TIP: Anegada isn’t a destination we recommend just so you can check another island off your list. Go because you want the remote, quirky and incredibly laid-back experience that makes Anegada different from everywhere else in the BVI.

Is Anegada Worth Visiting on a 7-Night BVI Charter?

For the right group, absolutely.

Guests sometimes look at a chart and assume Anegada is too far away to include in a one-week charter. We don’t agree.

North Sound on Virgin Gorda is the natural jumping-off point, and Anegada fits very comfortably into a counterclockwise seven-night itinerary.

Our preferred plan is to spend the previous night in North Sound, leave in the morning and arrive at Anegada at approximately 11 AM.

That gives you almost the entire afternoon to explore the island before dinner.

Then stay overnight, enjoy Anegada again the following morning and continue west toward Jost Van Dyke.

Explore Anegada by Moke, Scooter or Safari Taxi

One of the best parts of visiting Anegada is getting off the yacht and exploring the island.

For many of our guests, renting a Moke is part of the experience. These small open-air vehicles are perfect for a casual day of beach hopping and bar hopping around the island.

Scooters are another option, or you can arrange a safari taxi if you’d rather let someone else do the driving.

There isn’t a complicated sightseeing schedule to follow.

The point is to explore.

Drive across the island, stop when somewhere looks interesting, spend some time on the beach, have a drink and then continue to the next spot.

Some of our favorite stops include Cow Wreck Beach, Tipsy’s and Big Bamboo.

Anegada is one of those places where the journey between stops is part of the fun.

Look for the Anegada Flamingos

As you explore the island, keep an eye out for Anegada’s flamingos around the salt ponds.

Seeing flamingos in the wild is an unexpected experience for many first-time visitors and another reason Anegada feels so different from the other islands you’ll visit during the week.

You may see them at a distance rather than standing conveniently beside the road, so don’t make your entire day dependent on getting the perfect flamingo photo.

Think of spotting them as a bonus while you’re exploring the island.

Anegada Is Where You Eat Lobster

If you’re going to eat lobster during your BVI charter, Anegada is the place to do it.

Anegada is famous for its Caribbean spiny lobster, and a lobster dinner on the island is part of the experience for many charter guests.

One of our favorites is Potter’s by the Sea.

Potter’s grills lobster in old drums near the beach, and we love it because the experience feels exactly like Anegada should feel — casual, authentic and right on the water.

If you’re looking for a somewhat more upscale dinner experience, The Wonky Dog is another popular choice.

Whichever you choose, make a reservation rather than assuming you’ll simply walk in and immediately have dinner.

And remember: island time is real.

If you’d ideally like to be eating around 7 PM, don’t make your reservation for 7 PM. We generally recommend booking dinner about an hour earlier than you think you want to eat. Service in the islands moves at a different pace than many guests are accustomed to in the United States.

Relax, order a drink and enjoy where you are.

Horseshoe Reef with Sherwin’s Sea Adventures

If you’re spending the night on Anegada, one of our favorite experiences happens the following morning.

We recommend arranging a morning excursion with Sherwin’s Sea Adventures, often around 9 AM.

Horseshoe Reef surrounds much of Anegada and is one of the largest barrier reef systems in the Caribbean. Exploring it with someone who knows the local waters gives you an entirely different perspective on the island.

Depending on the excursion and conditions, you can snorkel Horseshoe Reef and learn more about Anegada’s marine environment.

For us, this is what turns Anegada from simply a fun beach-and-bar destination into one of the most memorable experiences of the week.

Conch, Ceviche & the Historic Conch Mounds

Another highlight of a local Anegada excursion is learning about conch.

Guests may have the opportunity to see how conch are found and harvested and then taste incredibly fresh conch ceviche.

You can also visit Anegada’s historic conch shell mounds, where generations of discarded shells have accumulated beneath and above the water.

It’s one of those experiences that is very specific to Anegada — and exactly the kind of thing you won’t experience by simply staying aboard the yacht all day.

Our Favorite 2-Day Anegada Plan

If you have the time, this is our favorite way to experience Anegada:

Morning: Leave North Sound on Virgin Gorda.

Around 11 AM: Arrive at Anegada and secure the yacht.

Afternoon: Rent a Moke or scooter, or arrange a safari taxi. Explore the island, look for flamingos and stop at Cow Wreck Beach, Tipsy’s, Big Bamboo and anywhere else that catches your attention.

Evening: Have an Anegada lobster dinner on the beach.

Next morning: Meet Sherwin around 9 AM for a Horseshoe Reef and conch experience.

Late morning/early afternoon: Return to the yacht and begin your trip west toward Jost Van Dyke.

This gives you enough time to understand why Anegada is special rather than simply sailing there, eating dinner and leaving.

Can You Do Anegada in One Day?

Yes.

If your itinerary doesn’t allow for an overnight, you can still experience a lot of Anegada in one full day.

Leave North Sound early — around 7 AM — and head directly to Anegada.

Arrange your excursion with Sherwin for the morning, then spend the afternoon exploring the island by Moke, scooter or safari taxi.

You can visit the beaches and bars, look for flamingos and get a good feel for Anegada before continuing with your itinerary.

It is a longer and more active day than spending the night, but it’s a good option for guests who really want to experience Anegada without giving it two calendar days.

Who Should Include Anegada?

Go to Anegada if you love:

• Remote beaches
• Laid-back beach bars
• Exploring by Moke or scooter
• Snorkeling and marine life
• Flamingos and nature
• Fresh lobster
• Places that feel undeveloped and a little off the beaten path

Consider skipping Anegada if you prefer:

• Luxury resorts
• More people and activity around you
• Upscale shopping
• A larger selection of polished restaurants
• A more structured resort experience

There is nothing wrong with either preference.

If your group would rather have another resort day, spend more time in North Sound, Peter Island or Scrub Island. If the thought of cruising around an almost empty island in a Moke with the Caribbean stretching to the horizon sounds fantastic, make time for Anegada.

Where Anegada Fits Into Your BVI Charter

For most guests following our preferred counterclockwise route, Anegada comes after Virgin Gorda and North Sound.

A typical sequence might look like:

Virgin Gorda/The Baths → North Sound → Anegada → Scrub Island or Guana Island/Monkey Point → Jost Van Dyke

You don’t have to stop at Scrub or Guana afterward. Depending on your schedule, you can head directly toward Jost Van Dyke.

That’s another reason we like Anegada on a seven-night charter. It doesn’t require completely rearranging the natural flow of the trip.

Our Anegada Recommendation

Anegada shouldn’t be on your itinerary because someone told you that every BVI charter has to go there.

It should be on your itinerary because Anegada sounds like your kind of place.

For guests who love it, the combination of empty beaches, turquoise water, Mokes, tiny beach bars, flamingos, Horseshoe Reef, conch and lobster creates one of the most memorable days of the entire charter.

For guests who prefer more polished destinations, it may not be the highlight — and we’d rather tell you that before your trip.

VCY TIP: The best BVI itinerary isn’t the one that visits the most islands. It’s the one that matches your group. If remote, casual and wonderfully laid-back sounds like you, put Anegada near the top of your list.

For more ideas on where Anegada fits into your week, explore our complete BVI Island Guide

Planning your BVI charter? Virgin Charter Yachts has been based in the BVI for 30 years. Our team can help you choose the right yacht and build an itinerary around the experiences your group actually wants to have.