BVI: Tortola to Virgin Gorda and Back in 7 Days

There is a reason the British Virgin Islands appear on every "best sailing" list ever written. Forty islands and cays scattered across a compact patch of Caribbean water, all within sight of each other, all connected by steady trade winds and a network of mooring balls that removes the guesswork from anchoring. This 7-day route from Road Town, Tortola loops through the highlights: Norman Island, Cooper Island, The Baths on Virgin Gorda, the coral flats of Anegada, the legendary bars of Jost Van Dyke, and Cane Garden Bay. Total distance: roughly 80NM. Total stress: close to zero.

If you are weighing Caribbean sailing against the Mediterranean, you might also consider our best destinations for beginners in 2026. But for sheer ease, the BVI is hard to beat.

Route Overview: 80NM, 7 Days, Pure Simplicity

Your base is Road Town on the south coast of Tortola, where most charter fleets operate from Wickhams Cay or Village Cay Marina. The route forms a rough clockwise loop: south to Norman Island on Day 1, east along the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda by Day 3, north to Anegada on Day 4, then west through Jost Van Dyke before returning to Tortola.

Passages range from 8NM to 20NM, with most falling under 12NM. At 5 to 6 knots of boat speed, that means 1.5 to 4 hours of sailing per day. The prevailing east-northeast trades blow a reliable Force 3-4 (10 to 16 knots) from December to May, putting the wind on your beam or quarter for most legs. Tidal range is negligible at around 0.3 metres. The Sir Francis Drake Channel stays flat in easterlies, with chop building only on exposed northern passages.

Every anchorage on this route has mooring balls maintained by the BVI National Parks Trust. Pick one up, pay USD 25 to 35 per night, and sleep soundly. No need to set an anchor alarm or worry about swinging room. For more on choosing between bareboat and skippered charters, see our comparison guide.

Day 1: Tortola to Norman Island (8NM)

Collect your boat in Road Town, stow provisions, run through the handover briefing, and motor out of the harbour by early afternoon. Norman Island lies just 8NM south-southwest, a gentle beam reach in the prevailing trades. You will be on a mooring ball at The Bight by mid-afternoon.

Norman Island is said to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Whether or not that is true, The Caves at the western end of The Bight offer superb snorkelling: swim into sea-level caverns where tarpon, sergeant majors, and glassy sweepers fill the water column. Back at the mooring field, the William Thornton (known as the "Willy T") is a converted schooner serving as a floating bar and restaurant. It is raucous, occasionally outrageous, and absolutely part of the BVI experience. Pirates Bight on shore offers a calmer dinner option.

This short first-day hop lets everyone find their sea legs without pressure. If you are new to chartering, our 10 tips for first-time charter guests covers what to expect.

Day 2: Norman Island to Peter Island to Cooper Island (10NM)

Head east along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, stopping at Deadman's Bay on Peter Island if the mood takes you. This half-moon beach backed by palms is a fine mid-morning swim stop. The holding here is good if you want to drop the hook for an hour rather than pick up a ball.

Continue east to Cooper Island, where the total day's sailing comes to around 10NM. Cooper Island Beach Club has a microbrewery producing small-batch ales and a rum bar that sources from across the Caribbean. The mooring field is compact, so arriving before 15:00 is wise. Evening here is quiet: a drink on the beach club's terrace, snorkelling off Cistern Point, and an early night before the passage to Virgin Gorda.

Day 3: Cooper Island to Virgin Gorda, The Baths (10NM)

The 10NM passage from Cooper to Virgin Gorda's southern tip runs on a broad reach. By late morning you will be approaching the mooring field off The Baths, the BVI's most photographed spot. Giant granite boulders, some the size of houses, tumble down the hillside into the sea, creating grottos, tidal pools, and shafts of light that make the whole place feel geological rather than tropical.

Dinghy ashore and follow the marked trail through the boulders. It is slippery in places and involves some clambering, so proper footwear matters. The mooring field here can be busy by midday. Arriving early or visiting on a non-cruise-ship day helps. If balls are full, Spanish Town harbour is just 1NM north and has dockage and a chandlery.

For the night, consider moving to the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, a large enclosed bay with several restaurant options including the Bitter End Yacht Club and Saba Rock. The sail from The Baths around the eastern coast is 7NM and gives you a clear view of the dramatic Dog Islands along the way.

Day 4: Virgin Gorda to Anegada (15NM)

This is the longest open-water passage of the week. Anegada sits 15NM north-northwest of Virgin Gorda's North Sound, and because the island is flat coral rather than volcanic, it does not appear on the horizon until you are relatively close. GPS is essential here. A line of reef extends west from Anegada, so approach only from the south via the marked channel. Follow the waypoints provided by your charter company to the letter.

Once inside, the reward is a completely different BVI. Anegada is flat, quiet, and home to roughly 300 people. Loblolly Bay on the north shore has a reef you can snorkel from the beach, and the beachside restaurants serve local lobster grilled over open pits. Expect to pay around USD 50 per person for a lobster dinner. The anchorage at Setting Point is well protected, but the holding in sand can be patchy, making a mooring ball the safer choice.

Worth being honest about the downsides: the passage to Anegada can be lumpy if the trades are above Force 5, and the reef approach is the one genuinely tricky piece of navigation on this entire route. If the forecast looks unsettled, consider skipping Anegada and heading directly from Virgin Gorda to Jost Van Dyke.

Day 5: Anegada to Jost Van Dyke (20NM)

The longest sailing day of the trip. The 20NM passage runs west-southwest from Anegada, passing north of Tortola. In steady Force 3-4 easterlies, this is a fast broad reach, and you should cover the distance in 3.5 to 4 hours. The seas north of Tortola can build to 1.5 metres in the open fetch, so secure everything below before departure.

Jost Van Dyke is a small island with an outsized reputation. Great Harbour is home to Foxy's Bar, which has been serving rum punches since 1968 and hosts a legendary New Year's Eve party. White Bay, a short dinghy ride or sail away, is where the Soggy Dollar Bar invented the Painkiller cocktail (dark rum, cream of coconut, orange juice, pineapple juice, nutmeg). The bar earned its name because there is no dinghy dock: you swim ashore and pay with soggy dollars.

Mooring balls fill up quickly at both Great Harbour and White Bay, especially in peak season (late December through April). Arriving before 14:00 is advisable. If both are full, Little Harbour on the east end of the island has a quieter mooring field and Sidney's Peace and Love bar.

Day 6: Jost Van Dyke to Sandy Cay to Cane Garden Bay (8NM)

A short, sweet day. Sandy Cay is an uninhabited speck of land between Jost Van Dyke and Tortola, ringed by a white sand beach and a coral reef. There are no mooring balls here, so anchor in 3 to 4 metres of sand on the western side and dinghy ashore. A 15-minute nature trail circles the island. This is the kind of Robinson Crusoe stop that makes sailing different from any land-based holiday.

From Sandy Cay, Cane Garden Bay on Tortola's north shore is just 4NM southeast. This wide, sheltered bay has a string of beach bars with live reggae most evenings. Myett's is the best known. Pick up a mooring ball, swim ashore, and enjoy a final sunset. Total sailing for the day: roughly 8NM. If you want a quieter alternative, nearby Brewers Bay is less developed and has good snorkelling.

This penultimate day is about relaxing, not rushing. For thoughts on making the most of a sailing trip as a couple, see our guide to sailing for couples.

Day 7: Cane Garden Bay to Road Town (10NM)

Most charter companies require boats back by noon, so an early start matters. The passage from Cane Garden Bay to Road Town is 10NM, rounding the western tip of Tortola at Soper's Hole and then heading east along the south coast. In light morning trades, this takes about 2 hours under sail, though you may need to motor the last stretch into Road Town harbour if the wind drops in the lee of Tortola.

Allow 30 minutes for the return process: fuel up at the dock, pump out, and walk through the boat with the charter company's representative. Any damage or issues are noted. Then you are done.

If your flight is not until the evening, Road Town has a handful of decent waterfront restaurants and the Callwood Rum Distillery, which has been producing rum in copper pots since the 18th century. A bottle of their aged rum makes a fine souvenir at around USD 30.

Why the BVI Is the Easiest Cruising Ground on Earth

Bold claim. Here is the evidence:

• Line-of-sight navigation. From any island, you can see the next one. No overnight passages. No long stretches of open ocean.
• Mooring balls everywhere. The BVI National Parks Trust maintains hundreds of mooring balls, eliminating the need to anchor in most cases.
• Steady, predictable wind. The northeast trades blow Force 3-4 for roughly 80% of the winter sailing season. Calms are rare. Gales are rarer.
• No tidal concerns. Tidal range is under 0.3 metres. No tidal gates, no drying harbours, no current to fight.
• No licence required. The BVI has no government sailing licence mandate. Charter companies ask for competence proof (an RYA Day Skipper, ICC, or solid CV), but there is no formal regulatory hurdle.
• Simple customs. One clearance at the start, one at the end. If you visit Jost Van Dyke or Anegada, you clear in at the local customs office. The process takes 10 to 15 minutes and costs USD 35.

That said, the BVI is not without drawbacks. It is expensive: provisioning costs roughly 40% more than on the US mainland. The mooring field at popular spots like The Baths and White Bay can feel crowded in high season. And the 2017 hurricanes (Irma and Maria) caused severe damage. While rebuilding is well advanced, some infrastructure remains basic. For a full overview of the sailing area, see our complete BVI guide.

Practical Information

Currency: US dollars. Credit cards accepted at most bars and restaurants, but carry cash for mooring ball fees and smaller beach shacks.

Customs: USD 35 per person for cruising permits. Clear in at Road Town, Jost Van Dyke, or Spanish Town. You need passports, boat documentation, and a crew list.

Mooring balls: USD 25 per night for standard balls, USD 35 in National Parks areas (The Bight at Norman Island, The Baths). Pay on the honour system via envelopes or the BVI National Parks app.

Provisioning: Bobby's Supermarket in Road Town is the main option. Stock up before departure. Island shops carry basics but at steep markups. Pre-ordering provisioning through your charter company saves time and typically costs USD 400 to 600 for a week for four people.

Charter costs: A 40-foot monohull runs roughly EUR 2,800 to 4,500 per week in high season (December to April). Catamarans start around EUR 3,500 to 6,000. For a detailed cost breakdown, see our 2026 charter pricing guide. To understand the differences between boat types, our monohull vs catamaran comparison is worth reading.

When to go: December to May. Peak season is mid-December through Easter, with the busiest (and priciest) weeks around Christmas and New Year. The shoulder months of November and early December offer lower prices and fewer boats, but carry a slim residual hurricane risk. June to November is hurricane season. Do not charter during those months.

Getting there: Fly to Beef Island/Tortola (EIS) via San Juan, Miami, or Antigua. Alternatively, fly to St. Thomas (USVI) and take a 45-minute ferry to Road Town.

What to pack: Light layers, reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes for The Baths, a waterproof bag for dinghying ashore. Our full packing list for sailing holidays covers the rest.

Eighty nautical miles. Seven days. Forty islands to choose from. The BVI route does not test your sailing skills so much as it rewards them with warm water, reliable wind, and a cold Painkiller waiting at the end of each short passage. For first-time charterers and experienced sailors alike, it remains the benchmark against which all other cruising grounds are measured.