Jost Van Dyke 1 Archives | Page 2 of 2

January 5, 2014September 25, 2019

Sandy Spit, British Virgin Islands

Update: Sandy Spit survived the hurricanes of 2017, but lost the little vegetation it had to begin with! Local residents have been planting a few small trees that we hope will eventually take and re-vegetate Sandy Spit. Here’s a photo of a recent visit (post Irma).

I don’t know what it is about small, uninhabited tropical islands that gets us all excited. Maybe we watched a few too many episodes of Gilligan’s Island, or maybe it’s just the allure of complete, peace, quiet and solitude…

Whatever it is, our first visit in 2010 to Sandy Spit in the British Virgin Islands ranked right up there with visits to other favorite uninhabited tropical island such as Mopion and Petit Tabac in the Grenadines and Sandy Island, Carriacou. We had Sandy Spit all to ourselves for a few wonderful hours and spent the time wandering around, lounging in the sun, enjoying a wee bit of rum punch and enjoying the sound of the gentle waves lapping the shore.

It can take all of 10 minutes to walk around Sandy Spit – if you walk slowly! From Sandy Spit, it’s just a short distance to Green Cay, and on calm days this area can be a great place to snorkel. There are some great diving areas around Green Cay as well.

Green Cay as seen from Sandy Spit

Sandy Spit is rumored to have gotten it’s name because it’s just “spitting distance” from Jost Van Dyke. It’s also quite close to it’s slightly larger sister island, Sandy Cay and many people try to spend time at both while in the area.

The island is sand all the way around with just a bit of foliage in the middle. To the east you can see Tortola, and to the west you can see Little Jost Van Dyke and Jost Van Dyke.

Tortola on the east

The first time we visited Sandy Spit, we arrived via a cat during a week-long sail in the BVI. The second time, we rented a dinghy in Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke. Just a word of advice – if taking a dinghy over, be sure to check weather conditions before embarking on the journey. When there is a strong north swell, it can be difficult – if not dangerous to beach your dinghy on Sandy Spit. We know this now…

On calm days, the snorkeling is excellent and the surf is calm and great for swimming, floating and pure relaxation.

Jost Van Dyke in the distance

Ahhh…Sandy Spit. A Gilligan-esque slice of paradise!

Have you spent time on Sandy Spit?

To see more posts on the British Virgin Islands and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

December 27, 2013June 6, 2019

Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (The Wrap Up)

From Trellis Bay, we headed over to the island of Jost Van Dyke. On our previous sail, the conditions were not favorable the day we were to head to JVD, so we were not able to get there and that made us even more excited to visit this time.

We made our first stop on beautiful little Sandy Cay between Tortola and Jost.

After spending some time in the water we took the hike through the center of the island.

We made our way back to the boat and headed just a short hop north to an even smaller uninhabited island called Sandy Spit.

The snorkeling was excellent and we felt like we had our own private island for just a few hours…

After spending a quiet night moored at East End Harbour, JVD, we began the last day of our trip motoring into White Bay.

We spent the day visiting all of the great beach bars on White Bay from one end to the other – for research purposes, of course, as well as lounging in its crystal clear blue water…

One more Nilla Killa and a few more minutes of sand and sun and we headed back to the boat for a short nap and a sail to Norman Island to spend our last night at the Willie T…

After an excellent dinner aboard the cat prepared by our Chef, our Captain dinghied us over to the Willie T where we spent the rest of the evening having a great time. We made a lot of new friends that probably didn’t remember us the next day and the only problem we had was finding our dinghy after an evening of revelry! Hmmm…and some of us somehow ended up with a Willie T tattoo… ;)

Find the rest of the Rum Therapy Sailing in the BVI series here:
Part 1 (Norman and Peter Island
Part 2 (Virgin Gorda)
Part 3 (Saba Rock and Anegada)
Part 4 (Great Camanoe, Trellis Bay, Beef Island)

To see more posts on the BVI and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

May 15, 2012September 25, 2019

Exploring Jost Van Dyke

We recently got an email from Facebook friend Angela asking “What is there to do on Jost Van Dyke besides barhopping?”. Well, the bars on Jost Van Dyke are pretty stellar and you can read more about them on our post Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke or Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke Part 2 (after Irma), but, there’s a lot more to experience and explore on the Barefoot Island and here are a few suggestions from our visits there.

1. Check out the Bubbly Pool – on the East end of the island, pass Foxy’s Taboo and take the path to the Bubbly Pool. Dubbed “Nature’s Jacuzzi” the ocean spills over the rocks when the surf is rough and breaks into effervescent bubbles in the pool.

2. Take a drive – or a hike high above the beaches. We rented a jeep in Great Harbour and then took a steep road to the top of the island close to East End Harbour.

The road was paved for a short distance and then became a “not too bad” dirt road which continued to climb and twist through the hills with stunning overlooks of East End Harbour, Diamond Cay, Sandy Spit, Little Harbour, Great Harbour and Tortola. We hiked a bit around Roach Hill – the highest point in the island (1,054 ft) and then because the road was getting steeper and rockier, we turned around and headed back.

3. Rent a dinghy for the day and explore Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit.

Sandy Spit

Sandy Cay

We rented a dinghy in Great Harbour and headed out for an island adventure. We went to Sandy Spit first, pulled the dinghy ashore and enjoyed an hour or so of….well just sitting in the sand and enjoying the beauty of this teeny little island. About 15 minutes (via dinghy) from Sandy Spit is another beautiful deserted island called Sandy Cay. Sandy Cay is bigger and has a hiking trail through middle that takes you from the calm side of the island to an overlook of the rougher side.

4. Treat yourself to some Caribbean Lobster. Caribbean Lobster is readily available in the BVI’s and an incredible treat. During our stay on Jost Van Dyke, we ordered Caribbean Lobster for dinner at Harris’ Place in Little Harbour. The service, setting and lobster were wonderful and we’ve heard that it’s equally as good at several other restaurants on island.

5. Hammock Time. If you’re staying on Jost Van Dyke for a while, you should definitely spend some time swaying in the hammocks. You’ll find hammocks all over, including Ivan’s, Hendo’s, Soggy Dollar, Foxy’s and others on the beach in Great Harbour to name a few.. Pair hammock time with your favorite rum drink for some relaxing Rum Therapy…

6. Get in the water. Snorkel, wade and float – just get in that beautiful crystal clear, take your breath away blue, warm water. The water around Jost Van Dyke is excellent for snorkeling and has some of the nicest water around for just enjoying….look at that water – don’t you just want to dive right in?

7. Watch the sun set. We were on Jost for a little more than a week and every single night we were treated to a spectacular sunset – each one just a little different. Whether you’re on the beach, in a hammock or on the deck of your villa – watch the sun disappear behind clouds with unimaginable hues of orange and pink…

8. And our favorite thing to do on Jost Van Dyke…….nothing!! Put your toes in the warm sand as the sun caresses your body, breathe in, breathe out, listen to the sound of the waves lapping the shore and feel that feeling that we don’t often feel in our busy lives – total relaxation….

And….just in case you see everything there is to see, get totally relaxed and still have time to see more – Jost Van Dyke is just a short ferry from Tortola, Virgin Gorda and St. John!

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

April 12, 2012September 25, 2019

Bar Hopping on Jost Van Dyke

White Bay

Find an “after Irma” update here: Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke, Part 2 (after Irma)

For an island with only a few hundred full time inhabitants and nicknamed The Barefoot Island for it’s laid back attitude, Jost Van Dyke has some of the best beach bars in the Caribbean and it would be a shame to miss any of them. While staying on Jost for a week last fall, we attempted to visit them all – some of them more than once! Here’s a listing of the ones we found. We’ve listed them starting at the west end of White Bay and working our way across the island.

One Love Bar and Grill – try the Lobster Quesadilla’s and a Bushwacker. Check out Seddy’s magic tricks.

One Love Bar and Grill

Jewel’s Snack Shack – stop by Jewel’s for a tasty hamburger, fries and rum punch before heading down the beach!

Gertrude’s – gotta try a BBC (Bailey’s Banana Colada). It’s rumored to be the best BBC on the island.

A BBC at Gertrude’s

Soggy Dollar Bar – if you haven’t heard of the Soggy Dollar Bar yet, well…really??? Jump off of your boat and swim in, using your soggy dollars to buy their signature drink “The Painkiller”. Can be a huge party in the afternoon with scores of thirsty partiers coming over on day trips from neighboring islands. Try your luck at the Ring on the Hook game. If staying on island, be sure to stop by the Soggy early in the morning or later in the evening to swing in the hammocks and enjoy a quiet tropical paradise. Call for reservations for dinner – beautiful setting and very good food.

Painkillers at Soggy Dollar Bar

Hendo’s Hideout – during our last visit to JVD we noticed a new building going up next to Soggy Dollar. This has since opened to good reviews as a new bar called Hendo’s Hideout. We haven’t had a chance to visit yet, but hope to soon.

Hendo’s Hideout before it opened

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar – take a short hike over a rocky outcropping and make your way over to Ivan’s. Stress Free for sure, enjoy a cold beer, or whatever…anything tastes great here. Check out the barbecue on Thursday nights (seasonal) and live music. Celebs have been known to drop by and jam with owner/musician Ivan Chinnery.

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

Corsair’s – head on over the hill from Ivan’s (or better yet, call Bunn’s Taxi) and stop at Corsair’s for Wench Juice or a Pirate Punch. Order pizza to be delivered and if you’re brave, try the Pirate Sandwich for breakfast (toast, peanut butter, cheese, onion and fried egg with a shot of flavored rum)

Corsair’s

Ali Baba’s – Great place to hang out in the morning enjoying a cup of coffee. Come back later in the afternoon for a refreshing rum drink and a 2 hole chip and putt golf course on the beach…

“Golf Course” by Ali Baba’s

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar – at the far end of Great Harbour sits Foxy’s.

Foxy is a fixture in his own bar and can frequently be found serenading and weaving a tale for his patrons. In addition to some very delicious signature rum drinks, Foxy sells bottles of his own rum – Foxy’s Firewater Rum in his gift shop – the Foxhole. We especially enjoyed the “Dread Fox” – made with his own rum and “Foxy’s Punch” which includes a mango float. On Friday and Saturday night, Foxy’s has a BBQ and live music.

Foxy’s Dread Fox

Sydney’s Peace and Love – Make your way up and over the hill to Little Harbour and pull in to Sydney’s Peace and Love. Help yourself to a beer or mixed drink at the honor bar and be sure to sign the wall.

Harris’s Place – stop by Harris’s place and have Cynthia, the owner, make you one of her fabulous Bushwacker’s. Tasty and potent and Cynthia is a a ton of fun to visit. Come back later for a sumptuous Caribbean Lobster Dinner next to the water.

Cynthia with a tasty Bushwhacker

Abe’s by the Sea – good West Indian cuisine and a pig roast on Wednesday’s. Quiet place to sit and enjoy a beverage.

Foxy’s Taboo – To get to the last stop on our Jost Van Dyke Bar Crawl, head over the hill past East End Harbour and pull in to Foxy’s Taboo.

Foxy’s Taboo is also owned by Foxy Callwood and is said to be named after his dog, Taboo. Great covered patio overlooking Diamond Cay. Try the Taboo Burger and an ice cold beer or enjoy a beverage sitting on the dock and watching the fish and stingrays swim by.

Foxy’s Taboo

So now that we’ve made our way across the entire Barefoot Island, pull up a chair, grab a beer here at Foxy’s Taboo and tell us – which bars have you had a chance to enjoy on Jost Van Dyke?

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

January 9, 2012September 25, 2019

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

18.43° N and 64.71° W – Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVI.

According to their website, this is the location of Foxy’s Tamarind Bar. For those of you, like me, who’d rather get an address you can plug into your smart phone, you’ll be hard pressed to find a street address. Just sail in to Great Harbour, go ashore and look for the party. There’s usually one of some size going on in this eclectic place that boasts one of the greatest “Old Years Eve” parties in the world.

Foxy Callwood is the man behind the name and has been serving food & strong rum drinks to sailors and visitors since 1966. He’s quite the storyteller and loves to talk with and sing to the many folks who wander into his bar.

Foxy’s is a great place to people watch and drink rum – lots of it. Foxy even has his own rum – Foxy’s Firewater Rum, which you can purchase from his gift shop. Foxy’s serves up some serious rum drinks and as hard as we tried to work our way through his Rum Drink Menu during our week on JVD, we fell short – just slightly. Darn. Guess we’ll have to go back.

Foxy has another bar on Jost Van Dyke at Diamond Cay called “Foxy’s Taboo” – named after his dog seen here.

You can listen to live music Thursday—Saturday and enjoy BBQ every Friday and Saturday night and there are many other fun events throughout the year.

We read somewhere that if dinghying in to Foxy’s for the Old Year’s Eve Party, you should bring a lock and chain for your dinghy, ’cause all dinghy’s look the same at night after some heavy drinking. Apparently revelers occasionally can’t even find their own boat, just pick another to pass out on and worry about finding their own in the morning. Must be that Firewater!!

Have you been to Foxy’s? Tell us about it!

Want to find out more about Foxy’s? Check out their website and Facebook page.

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

January 7, 2012September 25, 2019

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems…Kenny Chesney filmed the video for his hit on the shores of Ivan’s and it absolutely fits the feel of this tropical beach bar.

Located on White Bay, separated from it’s famous neighbor The Soggy Dollar Bar by a rock outcropping, Ivan’s is a great place to escape when White Bay fills up with thirsty partiers on day trips from neighboring islands.

Chatting with Ivan is like chatting with an old friend. Quiet and unassuming, he seems genuinely interested in those who wander through his doors looking for a cool libation and to check out the interesting structure lined with thousands of shells.

“Shell Man”

The beach in front of Ivan’s

Enjoying a Bushwacker and some conversation

Ivan’s boasts a real Caribbean Honor Bar – you can make it and keep your own tab, as well as a campground and several modest guest houses.

Stop in and say hi to Ivan, catch some great live music, a delicious Thursday evening barbeque, cold libations, a quiet beach and some of the most beautiful sunsets in the Caribbean. The beers are cold (Bushwackers are pretty darn good too!), the atmosphere is totally laid back and the company is warm and inviting. “Stress Free” it truly is….

Ivan’s was rebuilt in 2014. Click the following link to see photos of The New Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

Other Jost Van Dyke posts you might be interested in:

Rum Therapy On Jost Van Dyke

Barhopping On Jost Van Dyke

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

The Soggy Dollar Bar

White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages

January 5, 2012September 25, 2019

The Soggy Dollar Bar

Our first visit to Jost Van Dyke was in 2010 on a BVI sail trip. We’d come close to landing on her shores in 2006 during another sail trip, but the seas were rough that trip and the Captain elected to head toward Tortola instead – so it remained on our “places to see” list.

During the 2010 sail, we made it to Jost for the first time. Sailing in to White Bay, our jaws dropped – the combination of spectacular white sand against some of the clearest blue water we’d seen…wow!In keeping with the Soggy Dollar tradition, we jumped in the water with drinking dollars in our pockets (hence soggy dollars) and swam ashore.

During a recent 8 day stay on Jost Van Dyke we had the opportunity to spend a lot more time, drink a lot more Painkillers and take a lot more pictures at the Soggy Dollar Bar.

You’d think we’d have our fill of it by now, but instead find ourselves thinking about going back time and time again to say hi to the good folks at Soggy Dollar and enjoy lazy afternoons of extreme Rum Therapy in the beautiful water, sand and sun of White Bay…The infamous Painkiller. Love the Nilla Killa’s too.

Mic doing his magic.

Owner Jerry O’Connell demonstrating the proper Ring Game technique.

White Bay filling up with boats of thirsty partiers in the afternoon.

In the evening, the crowds thin and the real relaxation begins…

Quiet morning at the Soggy.

To find out more about the Soggy Dollar Bar,
Check out the Soggy Dollar website
and Facebook page:
Soggy Dollar Bar

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

December 5, 2011July 19, 2020

White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages, Jost Van Dyke

We visited Jost Van Dyke on a week long sail trip to the BVI’s in 2010. The day we spent wandering the beautiful White Bay enjoying Rum Therapy in every bar from One Love to Ivan’s made us realize we’d like to spend more time there. We began to research accommodation possibilities for our recent trip and decided to rent a cottage at White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages.

Jost Van Dyke is a mere 3 square miles and the smallest of the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands. It’s hard to find the exact number of full time inhabitants, but it looks to be less than 300. We realized before booking our trip that this could be a very quiet and relaxing week and reveled in the idea of walking lazily through the sugar white sands of White Bay. Jost is also home to some of the Caribbean’s best beach bars, including the infamous Soggy Dollar and Foxy’s, so we knew it would be an interesting week!

Since there was just two of us on this trip, we opted for a Cottage, which comfortably sleeps two. We flew in to St. Thomas, took a ferry to West End Tortola and went through customs, then caught a ferry to Jost Van Dyke. We grabbed a taxi from the dock and made our way to the cottage.

Papaya Cottage

Bedroom in Papaya Cottage

Living Room

Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, oven and stove

Gorgeous view of White Bay from the deck of Papaya

So, would we stay at White Bay Cottages and Villas again? Heck, yeah. We stayed there the first week of November and here are a few things we learned:

1. Our Cottage (Papaya) was simple, comfortable and clean. It was big enough to spend the day hanging out, reading and relaxing, but just a short hike away from gorgeous White Bay.
2. Food can be ordered through Bobby’s Market on Tortola and sent over on the ferry. There is at least one small market in Great Harbour, but the provisions are limited.
3. Air conditioning was really nice at night at that time of year and we were thankful that Papaya had a small bedroom unit.
4. The porch of each Cottage overlooks beautiful White Bay and is an excellent place to enjoy your meals (the Cottages have a full kitchen and a grill) or just sit and read while enjoying some Rum Therapy….
5. Bring a good bug spray to stave off the no-see-ums that come out after dark.
6. Jost Van Dyke is very hilly, which adds to it’s beauty, but if walking up and down hills is difficult for you, be sure to rent a jeep for your time there. We rented a jeep for two days to see the rest of the island, but will probably rent it a bit longer when we go back.
7. Bring some cash. Credit cards were accepted at the bars and restaurants we visited, as well as the car rental agency; however, there are no ATM’s on Jost and cash was needed for taxi’s and the ferry back to Tortola.
8. Most of the bars/restaurants were open by the end of our stay there, but some close down for a while during slow season, so be sure to take that into consideration when planning your stay.
9. Thad, the on-site manager, was very helpful and can give recommendations on what to see and do while on Jost.

There are many things to experience on Jost Van Dyke and surrounding islands and one of the best things about staying here was that you could do as much or as little as you wanted! Watch for upcoming posts on some of our experiences while on Jost Van Dyke!

The very best part of our visit? Just watch and listen….