Guana Island & Monkey Point BVI Charter Guide

Guana Island is a beautiful private island in the British Virgin Islands, but for most Virgin Charter Yachts guests, the reason to put it on your itinerary is simple: Monkey Point.

Located on the western side of Guana Island, Monkey Point is one of our favorite snorkeling stops in the BVI and fits naturally into a counterclockwise charter itinerary as you make your way west toward Jost Van Dyke.

We generally don’t think of Guana Island as somewhere you need to build an entire day around. Instead, stop at Monkey Point, pick up a National Parks mooring, spend an hour or two snorkeling, and then continue with your day.

Sometimes the best BVI itinerary stops are the simplest ones.

Monkey Point — One of Our Favorite Snorkeling Stops

Monkey Point is known for clear water, rocky shoreline and abundant marine life.

Depending on conditions and the time of year, you may encounter schools of small fish, larger fish feeding around them, and a variety of other marine life.

What we particularly like about Monkey Point is that it gives guests a great snorkeling experience without requiring an entire day.

Pick up a National Parks mooring, get everyone into the water, snorkel for a while and then continue west.

For families, it’s also an easy way to break up a travel day. Instead of going directly from one overnight destination to another, everyone gets a chance to swim and explore along the way.

Where Monkey Point Fits Into Your BVI Itinerary

Monkey Point is particularly convenient when you’re traveling west from Scrub Island or Virgin Gorda toward Jost Van Dyke.

It can also work well after returning south from Anegada.

A typical day might look like:

Scrub Island → Monkey Point snorkeling → Jost Van Dyke

Or:

Anegada → Monkey Point → Jost Van Dyke

You don’t need to force Monkey Point into the schedule if you’re running late or everyone would rather get directly to Jost. But when conditions are good and your group enjoys snorkeling, it’s an easy stop to add without substantially changing your route.

VCY TIP: Think of Monkey Point as an experience rather than another island you need to “visit.” Stop, snorkel, enjoy the water and then keep going.

What Is Snorkeling at Monkey Point Like?

Monkey Point offers a different experience from sites such as The Caves or The Indians near Norman Island.

Rather than snorkeling into caves or around dramatic rock pinnacles, you’re exploring the waters around Guana Island’s shoreline.

Conditions matter at any snorkeling site, so visibility and marine life will vary from day to day. If conditions aren’t favorable when you arrive, there is no reason to force the stop.

That’s one of the advantages of chartering your own yacht in the BVI: the itinerary can change with the conditions.

If Monkey Point looks beautiful, stop and enjoy it. If it doesn’t, continue west and find somewhere else to swim.

Guana Island — A Different Kind of BVI Island

Guana Island itself is privately owned and considerably less developed than many of the destinations you’ll visit during a BVI charter.

That contributes to the feeling of Monkey Point. You aren’t arriving at a busy marina surrounded by restaurants and shops. The attraction here is the natural setting and the water.

For our charter guests, we generally recommend enjoying Guana Island from the water at Monkey Point rather than treating it as a major shoreside destination.

If your group wants restaurants, beach bars and activity, save that part of the day for Jost Van Dyke.

Monkey Point or Sandy Cay?

If you’re traveling toward Jost and don’t want to make every possible stop, Monkey Point and Sandy Cay offer two very different experiences.

Choose Monkey Point if you want to snorkel.

Monkey Point is the better choice when your group wants to get into the water and explore marine life.

Choose Sandy Cay if you want to go ashore.

Sandy Cay is a tiny, picturesque and undeveloped island near Jost Van Dyke. There are National Parks moorings, a beautiful beach and a short trail where you can walk around the island.

There are no restaurants, bars or resorts on Sandy Cay. That’s exactly why people enjoy it.

If you have plenty of time, you can certainly do both. But you don’t need to.

A Great Stop for Families

Monkey Point is one of the stops we particularly like for families.

Children don’t necessarily care that you’re traveling from Scrub Island to Jost Van Dyke — but they generally care quite a lot about getting back into the water.

Breaking up the trip with a snorkeling stop gives everyone something to do and turns what might otherwise feel like travel time into another part of the vacation.

Families can snorkel for an hour or two, have a snack or lunch aboard and then continue toward Jost.

If the children have already spent half the morning in the pool at Scrub Island and everyone wants to get to White Bay, skip it.

Again, the itinerary should work for your group, not the other way around.

Monkey Point vs. The Indians and The Caves

If snorkeling is one of the main reasons you’re chartering in the BVI, we’d happily include Monkey Point along with The Indians and The Caves.

But if your group only wants to snorkel once or twice during the week, you don’t need to stop at every well-known site.

The Caves offer the experience of snorkeling into the rocky caves at Norman Island.

The Indians provide dramatic rock formations and some of our favorite snorkeling and diving near Norman Island.

Monkey Point is particularly valuable because it fits so easily into the route toward Jost Van Dyke.

Choose the sites that fit your itinerary rather than trying to collect all of them.

How Long Should You Spend at Monkey Point?

For most guests, an hour or two is plenty.

This isn’t somewhere we generally recommend allocating half a day simply because a guide says you should.

Pick up a National Parks mooring, snorkel, swim and enjoy the scenery. When everyone has had enough, continue west.

That leaves plenty of time to arrive at Jost Van Dyke and enjoy Diamond Cay, the Bubbly Pool, Great Harbour or White Bay.

Our Guana Island & Monkey Point Recommendation

We love Monkey Point because it is easy.

It doesn’t require a reservation, a complicated excursion or a major detour from your route. When conditions are good, it’s simply a beautiful place to stop the yacht and get into the Caribbean.

For guests traveling from Virgin Gorda, Scrub Island or Anegada toward Jost Van Dyke, it is one of our favorite ways to break up the journey.

Stop if the conditions look good and your group wants to snorkel.

Skip it if everyone is ready to get to Jost.

Either choice is completely fine.

VCY TIP: A great BVI itinerary doesn’t need an activity scheduled for every hour. Monkey Point is exactly the kind of place we like to leave room for — see how the day is going, check the conditions and stop for a snorkel if everyone feels like it.

For more ideas on snorkeling stops and islands to explore during your week, see 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 plan an itinerary around your group’s interests, whether that means snorkeling every day or spending more time at beaches, resorts and beach bars.