Lately when we talk about White Bay or Jost Van Dyke, everybody seems to have been there or has it on their “list”. With it’s stunning beauty and a plethora of great beach bars, Jost Van Dyke has been discovered.
But along with its fame comes crowds. Ever been on White Bay on a sunny afternoon in high season? Yep, it can be busy.
We had the pleasure of staying on-island in the White Bay Villas & Seaside Cottages for a week a couple of years ago. One of our favorite memories about being on White Bay early in the day or late in the evening when the day crowds go home? It’s so quiet…
During our week on JVD we got up early every morning and walked White Bay. Being from Colorado originally, we equated being the first to walk the beach in the morning as being the first one down a ski slope in the morning after a fresh dusting of snow. First tracks. Except warmer. Best thing about that? All we could hear was waves gently lapping the shore and seagulls calling…peaceful.
Of course we usually headed back down to the beach later in the day for the party and a Painkiller or two…
What’s a perfect vacation memory? You know the one your mind wanders to when your day gets a little too stressful? Well, of course it’s different for everyone, but ours usually has something to do with a beautiful beach…and rum…
A few years ago, while staying on-island in this beautiful villa on Virgin Gorda in the BVI, we packed our beach bags and set off for the day to beautiful Spring Bay, a next door neighbor to The Baths. We spent the day lounging in the crystal clear water, exploring the massive boulders and simply soaking in the sun.
And, as if that weren’t perfect enough, after getting our beach fill for the day, we made our way to CocoMaya, where we ordered a Zacapa 23 on ice and a Pinot Grigio, sat with our toes in the sand around a fire pit at the waters edge,
and watched a gorgeous sunset over Tortola.
Great memory of a great day on a beautiful island.
Do you have any great vacation memories from Virgin Gorda? Share them with us!
To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
We awoke to yet another spectacular morning view through our porthole.
Morning view of the water around Anegada
We were reluctant to leave this island with the electric blue water, but were anxious for the adventures ahead.
Leaving Anegada
The sail out of Anegada was nearly as beautiful as the sail in – except for one thing.
We were leaving!
Sailing from Anegada to Virgin Gorda
Before getting back to Virgin Gorda, our captain planned to make a snorkeling stop at The Dogs, a small group of uninhabited islands just off the coast of Virgin Gorda. The four Dogs Islands, called George, Great, West and Seal, have a number of coral ridges that are great for snorkeling and diving.
Sailing Itinerary – Day 6
We stopped at George Dog, anchored, spent some time checking out the coral and fish in the clear blue water, and then found a place to lounge and relax in the sunshine.
Snorkeling at George DogInteresting sea creaturesChillaxin’ on deck
From there we had a short motor over to check out the spectacular Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda.
Little Dix Bay Resort, Virgin GordaHobie Cat in Little Dix Bay
Next stop – The Baths!
Huge boulders of The Baths
Even though we’ve been lucky enough to visit The Baths several times, we were nonetheless excited to explore them again AND show our boatmates this amazing area. The Baths National Park is found on the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda and is comprised of massive granite boulders, white sand beaches and sparkling shallow blue pools which can be explored via a trail that winds through the rocks, sand and pools.
After a great afternoon of exploring, we swam back to our boat, where we were greeted with the drink of the day and a delicious dinner! At this point in the trip, we’d gotten used to such pampering and were trying to figure out how to take our crew home with us…
Drink of the Day – fruity SangriaDelicious dinner on-board
But alas, our sailing trip was nearing the end. That night we anchored in Spanish Town and dinghied in for a drink and the view at CocoMaya.
In the morning, we began the last day of our vacation….. :(
We spent the early hours enjoying Cooper Island and Cooper Island Beach Club.
Cooper Island Beach Club
A short hop over to to Salt Island for a snorkel of the Wreck of the Rhone – and then our final stop of the trip – Peter Island.
After dinner ashore at Deadman’s Beach Bar & Grill (part of the Peter Island Resort) we reflected on the great week we had just experienced. In 7 days we were able to to see so much of the BVI, including visits to the following islands:
Tortola
Norman Island
Sandy Island
Little Jost Van Dyke
Jost Van Dyke
Anegada
Virgin Gorda
Cooper Island
Peter Island
We were also treated to some excellent sailing through the beautiful islands, pampered with great food and drinks, and we got to experience all of this with a wonderful group of friends.
Sun-tanned, relaxed and refreshed, we were completely ready to go again!
Our awesome crew
Thanks to our wonderful crew and the folks at Festiva for another really great sailing vacation!
Looks like it’s time to check out another sailing itinerary! Perhaps the Grenadines again, or St. Maarten/Anguilla/St. Barths? Or maybe Greece?…..
To find out more about a Crewed Charter Sailing Vacation with Festiva including the itineraries they offer, contact them through their website: Festiva Sailing Vacations
Wow – we were already 4 days in to our sailing vacation. How time flies when you’re having so much fun – well, and a little rum!
We woke this morning to this view of Great Harbour from our porthole…
Morning view of Great Harbour from our porthole
After a delicious breakfast of eggs, fresh pastries and fresh fruit prepared by our lovely cook, we dinghied to Great Harbour to explore just a little more. We then set sail for our next destination, Guana Island, and passed stunning Sandy Cay along the way.
Sandy Cay, British Virgin IslandsSailing itinerary Day 4
After Sandy Cay, we enjoyed a very nice sail around Tortola, passing by some of the harder to reach beaches on Tortola’s North side such as Trunk Bay, Josiah’s Bay and Lambert Bay.
Passing beautiful White Bay on Guana Island, we pulled into Monkey Point, where we spent a few hours snorkeling at one of the best spots on the trip. Here we saw very large tarpon (at least 3 ft!) and schools and schools of small brightly colored minnows.
Next stop – North Sound, Virgin Gorda.
Leverick Bay, Resort & Marina
We docked that night at colorful Leverick Bay (see more about Leverick Bay here), which allowed us to easily get off the boat and explore the area.
We’d been to Leverick several times in the past, but were never there to enjoy the “singing pirate”, Michael Bean at Jumbies…that is until this time!
Michael Bean at Happy Arrr!
It was a fun show – lots of singing, pirate shenanigans and rum punch and we enjoyed Jumbies until the sun went down.
We were welcomed back on the boat with a delicious Happy Arrr of our own. Every evening our crew would prepare a delicious round of lite hors d’oeuvres and a “drink of the day”. Tonight’s drink? A strawberry daiquiri with fresh mint…yum…
Drink of the Day
Day 5 we awoke with anticipation of a sail to “the drowned island” – Anegada.
Day 5 itinerary
Lying approximately 15 miles north of Virgin Gorda, this island just doesn’t look like the others in the BVI chain. Only 28 ft at it’s highest point, it’s flat topography is far different from the other islands. Anegada is surrounded by coral reefs and hundreds of shipwrecks and it takes an experienced captain to safely navigate the sail in – and we were very happy to leave this task in our capable captains hands (another benefit of a crewed charter!)
At about 2 hours, the sail to Anegada was the longest of the trip. It was a gorgeous sunny day with enough wind for a decent sail, but smooth enough that we could do this….
Enjoying a relaxing sail to Anegada
And a little more of this…
Making sure the tan is even…
Until we started to get close to Anegada and the water looked like this.
The shallow, blue water around Anegada
Once safely anchored in Setting Point, we dinghied to shore, rented an open cab truck for the day and set off exploring.
If you’ve yet to visit Anegada, let me tell you, it should be called “Ahhh”negada! The beaches, although devoid of a lot of foliage or palm trees, are simply spectacular. It’s almost hard to describe the water color – electric maybe? First stop – the beach north of Pomato Point.
And not another soul around….
Cow Wreck Beach and Beach Bar
We drove on a short way to Cow Wreck Beach and Beach Bar. We could have easily spent a few days here. Great beach – fun beach bar! Find out more about our visit to Cow Wreck here. After an hour or two we pressed on – intent on seeing as much as possible and landed on Loblolly Bay.
Loblolly Bay
Here we enjoyed some good snorkeling and a beverage at the Big Bamboo Beach Bar.
Read more about our visit to Loblolly here.
Totally sun and salt water drenched, we made our way back to Setting Point and then our boat to enjoy our “drink of the day”, while watching yet another amazing sunset.
Sunset from our boat in Setting Point
And to top this excellent day off, we cleaned up and went ashore for a Lobster dinner at Potter’s by the Sea. Man, I could get really used to this!
One of the best things about a crewed charter is that you can just sit back , relax and enjoy the experience. No cooking, no cleaning – just sailing, enjoying the view and soaking in the sunshine…
We awoke the first morning in the Bight of Norman Island to the smell of fresh coffee prepared by our wonderful crew. I threw on a swimsuit and cover-up (pretty much the attire for the week!), grabbed a book and made my way to the deck. It was 8:00am and the day was already gorgeous – the water sparkled in the sunshine and there was just a slight warm breeze. I grabbed a cup of coffee and settled in to a comfy seat in the sun on the front of the boat, attempting to get into the story in front of me – but my eyes kept wandering to the beautiful view around me.
View of The Bight Bay, Norman Island from in front of Pirate’s Bight Bar/Restaurant
Map of our crewed charter sailing route Day 1-3
Our sailing route through the BVI Day 1 – 3
The black line indicates our approximate sailing route and the white lines point out just a few of the places we stopped along the way.
Day 2
After a light breakfast, we motored around to The Caves of Norman Island where we spent some time snorkeling (check out that crystal clear water!) kayaking and attempting good form (or just to stand up) on the stand up paddle board. The Festiva catamarans come equipped with a SUP board, a kayak and snorkeling equipment – so you can try it all!
Snorkeling at The Caves, Norman IslandSUP-ping at The Caves
A delicious lunch on board the boat…
Lunch on board our boat
…and then we made our way to The Indians for another great snorkel.
The Indians, BVI
We’d had a full morning of playing in the water and were sun and salt-water drenched, and really enjoyed relaxing on the beautiful sail around Tortola to Cane Garden Bay where we anchored for the night.
…then back on board we spent the evening sipping on some really tasty rum punch while listening to the sound of music from Quito’s waft over the calm bay.
Enjoying a rum punch and a beautiful evening in Cane Garden Bay
Day 3 Day 3 started our with a visit to one of my favorite little islands, Sandy Spit, where we snorkeled, swam and walked the entire island (it takes approximately 10 minutes if you walk slow!) (Find out more about Sandy Spit)
Sandy Spit
Then, just around the corner, we made a stop at the new B-Line Beach Bar on Little Jost to check it out, play a little cornhole in the sand and try one of their specialties – the Passion Confusion.
Jerry the bartender mixing up a Passion Confusion
From there we sailed over to the fabulous White, Bay, Jost Van Dyke where our captain anchored for the afternoon.
Getting our dollars soggy in White Bay
After a graceful entry into the waters of White Bay, we swam to shore with our soggy dollars to check out as many of the beach bars on White Bay as possible, including One Love, Soggy Dollar and Ivan’s.
Later that evening we motored over to Great Harbour for the night, enjoyed a sunset dinner on board, then dinghied to shore for some music and dancing at Foxy’s.
Live music and dancing at Foxy’s, Great Harbour
Once again exhausted from a great day of exploring Jost Van Dyke, we retired to the nets to chat with our boatmates and relive the experiences of the day.
Many of the structures featured below were damaged or destroyed during the hurricanes of 2017. Although the businesses on the beach have been rebuilt, the information is not current. We hope to update the post with new information and photos soon. Callwood Rum Distillery is now open again.
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Cane Garden Bay is a gorgeous sheltered bay on the north side of Tortola fringed by a long and beautiful light sand beach. It’s a popular anchorage for boaters and if you’re lucky enough to visit, either by boat or while staying on-island, there are plenty of things to see and do.
We’ve had the pleasure of visiting Cane Garden Bay on multiple occasions and just can’t get enough. Cane Garden Bay is Tortola at it’s best – friendly people, great live music, delicious food, a beautiful beach and a totally laid back vibe. Here’s just a few things you should be sure to enjoy while visiting Cane Garden Bay – besides just walking the beautiful beach, floating in the calm water and enjoying a stellar BVI sunset! If you’re looking for fancy resorts and high dollar accommodations and restaurants, don’t bother visiting Cane Garden Bay. What you will find here is a place to chill, relax and enjoy real island time.
Sailing in to beautiful Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
We visited Cane Garden Bay most recently on our BVI Sail and had a day to explore. We’ll start from where we entered – the dinghy dock next to Ole Works Inn and Quito’s.
Dinghy Dock on Cane Garden Bay
We dinghied into Cane Garden Bay from our boat anchored a short way into the bay. Once we got to the end of the dock we took a right and walked past Quito’s Gazebo.
A look down Cane Garden Bay from the end of the dinghy dock
Quito Rymer is one of the British Virgin Islands most famous internationally known musicians, who plays solo several nights a week and with his group “The Edge” on Friday nights.
Quito’s Gazebo
Next stop after Quito’s – Paradise Bar & Grill, or Big Banana. When we talked to friends who are frequent visitors to Cane Garden Bay, they talked of enjoying breakfasts at Big Banana. Speaking from experience, the Big Banana house drink is delicious – rum, Bailey’s, coconut cream and banana – a Big Banana BBC?
Paradise Club
Right past the Paradise Club, is Rhymer’s – Beach hotel and beach bar. When we visited Cane Garden Bay in 2006, we enjoyed lunch at Rhymers – even with the chickens and their young un’s walking right under our feet! Rhymer’s also offers several modest rooms to rent just steps from the beautiful beach.
Rhymer’s Beach Hotel and Restaurant
After Rhymer’s, you’ll come across Elm Beach Bar & Suites, offering rooms, a restaurant, beach bar and a shop offering colorful island apparel.
Elm Beach Bar & Suites
Moving down the beach you’ll stumble on Tony’s Welcome Bar. All info we could find said this was “Stanley’s” Welcome Bar, but the sign says Tony’s(??). Regardless – this was the busiest bar on the beach while we were there and looked like a great place to chill and enjoy a beverage or two.
Tony’s Welcome Bar
Last stop for us on the beach was Myett’s. Myett’s offers accommodations and spa, a fun beach bar, and a scenic restaurant.
Myett’s on Cane Garden BayMyett’s Rum PunchMyett’s Dining Area
We walked behind Myett’s to get to Green VI, a glass studio manufacturing handmade treasures from recycled glass.
Green VI Glass Studio
Definitely worth a stop to check out the beautiful recycled glass ornaments, glasses and treasures that you can purchase and bring home.
Glass Treasures for sale at Green VI Glass Studio
We took a right at Green VI Glass Studio and headed down the street to the Callwood Rum Distillery.
Rum Tasting at the Callwood Rum Distillery
If you have a chance to visit Callwood’s Rum Distillery, you should. Callwood’s has been producing quality rum since at least the 1800’s. Spend the money to take the distillery tour (only $2 per person). It’s not a very long or extensive tour but it gives you some insight into the operations, island history, and an opportunity to ask questions and take pictures without paying a picture fee. Take home a bottle of the panty remover…
All rummed up, we headed back to the beach to catch the spectacular sunset.
Sunset in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
One of the best we’ve enjoyed in the BVI.
What do you like to do when visiting Cane Garden Bay?
All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit. Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC
Ever wondered what it’s like to take a crewed sailing vacation through the beautiful British Virgin Islands? Follow along in this series as we describe our boat, the experience and the places we visited along the way!
Imagine…
Sailing in the beautiful British Virgin Islands
Skimming over the Caribbean waters watching the colors change from deep blue to turquoise then back in your own private catamaran charter. Water so clear you feel like could just reach down to the bottom of the sea and touch the sand. Spending a week exploring some of the prettiest islands in the Caribbean while being pampered by your very own captain and cook…
Sandy Cay, British Virgin Islands
We began our love affair with sailing in the Caribbean in 2006 when we embarked on our first sail with our friend Guy, who had his own sailboat and spent months at a time sailing through the islands. Prior to this trip we’d only navigated the waters of the Caribbean on a cruise liner, and had not yet been to the BVI. As you can imagine, by the end of the first day on that first sail trip, we were hooked.
We got home from that trip already longing to do it again. Unfortunately, being landlocked most of our lives, we have not learned to sail our own vessel – yet. So, we began looking at crewed charter options. After much research, we found a company that offered a fully crewed charter (captain and a cook) and pricing that included almost everything, including food and beverage. We talked some good friends into coming with us and booked our sail. The company we booked with was Festiva Sailing Vacations.
Fast forward a few years and we recently completed our 4th sail with Festiva – the latest one in the British Virgin Islands. Each one has been very different depending on itinerary, crew and the guests on the boat, yet each one has been wonderful in its own way.
Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda
For this sail, we elected to book one of Festiva’s new Lagoon 450 catamarans. Our prior Festiva sails were on the just slightly smaller 440 catamaran which offered plenty of room for 3 couples, but we had 4 couples this time and opted for the 450 because it has one additional guest cabin. There are a few other differences as well, such as slightly bigger bathrooms in each cabin – complete with small shower stalls.
Lounge area in front of the steering wheel
The front lounge area by the nets is a little more spacious; there is a lounge area (cushions – kind of like a day bed) just in front of the steering wheel and a few changes including more room in the outdoor dining area. See boat configuration here:
Configuration of the Lagoon 450
We were to board our Festiva catamaran at 5:00p.m. Saturday in Hodges Creek Marina on Tortola (see our Tortola Map for location). Hodges Creek is not far from Beef Island Airport (EIS), and although we have flown in to Beef Island in the past, this time we got a much lower fare flying into St. Thomas (STT) and took the ferry to Road Town, Tortola. Note: when determining the best price for your flight into the BVI, be sure to take into account the taxi and ferry fees from St. Thomas to Tortola, which can add up and, and whether or not you will have to book a hotel room the night before you sail.
After a day of playing on Water Island, we caught a 3:30p.m. ferry over to Road Town where a Festiva van was waiting to shuttle us and others to our boats in Hodges Creek. Upon arrival at Hodges, Festiva dock crew helped us move our luggage to our beautiful sailing home for the week.
Once boarded, we were introduced to our lovely crew, ushered to our respective cabins, given a quick introduction on where everything was and how to use it (especially the bathroom!) and then we all met up top for a welcome drink prepared by our wonderful cook.
Our Welcome Aboard Drink – one of many delicious drinks enjoyed that week!
We were given the choice of spending that first night in the marina, relaxing, enjoying drinks and conversation as we had done on past sails, or to get the party started and head to Norman Island before it got dark.
Pre-sail net lounging
The vote was a unanimous “Sail to Norman”!
Sunset sail to Norman Island
We had a lovely sunset sail, anchored that first night in The Bight at Norman Island, enjoyed a delicious dinner on board and spent the remainder of our first evening at Willy T’s for a shot-ski or two and a little rambunctiousness.
Enjoying the “shot-ski” at Willy T’s
We returned to our boat, laid in the nets up front for a while admiring the million stars twinkling in the skies overhead, then made our way to our cabins. Totally spent, we slept like babies that night, gently rocked to the rhythm of the ocean…
Update: Corsair’s was severely impacted by the hurricanes in 2017 (as were all structures on JVD) but has since rebuilt. Still owned and run by Vinnie, it has a new look. See the photo below of the new structure.
Jost Van Dyke has more than it’s share of interesting beach bars scattered along its beautiful beaches and Corsairs, found on Great Harbour, is certainly one of them.
Corsairs Beach Bar & Restaurant, Jost Van Dyke
Corsairs is not hard to find for a couple of reasons. First, Great Harbour – although great – is not large and you can walk the entire length of it in just a few minutes. Secondly, the exterior of Corsairs is pink – kind of hard to miss. Actually, the pink exterior is kind of ironic, given the owner, Vinnie, is a tough looking biker who spends half the year in Colorado running a Harley Davidson store.
Vinnie behind the bar
Corsairs is a great place to spend the afternoon sipping on Wench Juices or Pirate Punch’s while lounging on the front porch or swinging in the hammock, but don’t overlook the eclectic and tasty menu. We totally enjoyed some Conch Fritters with Goat Cheese Aioli during a recent visit and ordered some excellent pizza that Corsairs delivered to our cottage at White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages during a previous stay on Jost Van Dyke. We’ve heard that other Italian offerings are excellent as well as some of their fresh seafood dishes such as Stuffed Lobster.
Beach and hammock in front of Corsairs
If your boat is moored in Great Harbour, you can beach your dinghy right in front of Corsairs.
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Clothes, No Problem (Pirates Welcome)Vinny’s “ride”Corsairs BarCorsairs eclectic decorDining area is small, so call ahead for dinner reservationsCorsairs at night
Next time you find yourself in Great Harbour, be sure to stop in and say hey to Vinnie and enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner or just drinks. According to their website, it’s also a good place to book for a Wedding, Divorce party, Bachelor party, Bachlorette party, Pity party, or any other Special Occasion!
Toasting the evening at CocoMaya, a beautiful restaurant and bar in Virgin Gorda…
Although we love re-visiting some of our favorite places in the islands, we also love to find and experience new ones – and then share them with you!
To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out ourIsland Blog Directory.
We’d read just a little bit about a new restaurant/bar on Virgin Gorda and during our last BVI visit, we were able to stop and experience CocoMaya.
Approaching CocoMaya from our boatCocoMaya Restaurant and Bar, Virgin Gorda
Established in 2011 and not far from Spanish Town, we found CocoMayato be a real treat.We were able to spend one evening there and enjoyed relaxing in the outdoor lounge with our toes in the sand around the fire pit.
Comfortable lounges surrounding the fire pitEnjoying the evening at CocoMayaThe outdoor lounge area at CocoMaya
CocoMaya’s outdoor lounge is an excellent place to meet up with friends or just cozy up on a lounge chair for two around the fire.
CocoMaya’s beautiful bar, complete with a couple of swing benchesReflection of the bar at CocoMayaDining area at CocoMaya
CocoMaya’s decor is appealing and relaxing and blends right in with the tropical surroundings.
Dining at CocoMaya with a view of the beach and sunset
Wonderful aromas were wafting from the dining area and if we didn’t already have dinner planned upon our return to the boat, we would have enjoyed one of their menu offerings in the open air dining room with a beautiful view of the beach and sunset.
Relaxing in the outdoor lounge, CocoMaya
Although we certainly didn’t mind just spending time on a lounge chair for two on the beach with a soft tropical breeze and the warmth of the fire on our toes…
To find out more about CocoMaya Restaurant and Bar:
All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit. Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC
On the west end of the beautiful island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands lies a stunning expanse of brilliant white sand beach and a bar, both with the unusual name of Cow Wreck.
According to the Cow Wreck Beach Resort website, this stunning white sand beach was named Cow Wreck after a ship filled with cow bones (used to make buttons and other things in the 19th century) wrecked off of the northwest coast of Anegada. Cow bones drifted ashore for many years afterwards, thus the name Cow Wreck Beach.
There’s plenty of room to relax with one of their signature drinks, Cow Killer or Wreck Punch at the bar and the word is they have excellent conch fritters. As fresh as you can get them, no doubt, given the number of conch shells used in the surrounding landscaping.
Once you have your fill of food and drink, be sure to take plenty of time to enjoy walking the miles of stunning and deserted white beach, and play in the clear turquoise water.
And if one day at Cow Wreck is just not enough, you might consider renting one of their cozy rooms or villas right on the beach…
Cow Wreck Beach Resort Villa
We rented a car in Setting Point to drive to Cow Wreck so that we could explore along the way, but there are also taxis available in Setting Point.
To find out more about Cow Wreck Beach Bar or Cow Wreck Beach Resort,
