Destinations
Anegada
Where the Caribbean gets wild.
Anegada feels completely different from the rest of the BVI. While most of the territory’s islands are mountainous from volcanic activity, Anegada is a nearly flat coral-and-limestone island, rising only about 28 feet at its highest point. Surrounding it is the enormous Horseshoe Reef, a roughly 63-kilometre reef system filled with coral formations, underwater caves, tunnels and historic shipwrecks.
On land, the adventure continues with seemingly endless beaches, flamingos and other birdlife, the endangered Anegada rock iguana, and the famous conch shell mounds on the island’s eastern side. Those mounds contain thousands of shells, with evidence of Indigenous use followed by generations of local fishermen adding discarded conch shells over more than two centuries. Cow Wreck Beach and other remote stretches of coastline complete the feeling that you’ve travelled much farther than a boat ride from Tortola.
Anegada isn’t simply another stop — it’s a completely different BVI.
Anchored vibe: Wild shores. Big reef. Worth the journey.
Cooper Island
Small island. Very good decisions.
Cooper Island is one of those places where you can snorkel in the morning, step ashore for lunch with your feet almost in the sand, and somehow end up staying longer than planned.
The island sits only about five miles southeast of Tortola and is especially popular with boaters. Nearby Cistern Point and the surrounding reefs make the area a natural fit for snorkeling and diving, while the protected mooring field provides an easy base for enjoying the island.
The Cooper Island Beach Club adds a fun twist: it operates off-grid, generates its own electricity and water, has its own solar-powered microbrewery, beachfront dining, coffee shop and a Rum Bar with hundreds of rums from around the world.
Anchored vibe: Snorkel. Lunch. Rum. Repeat.
Guana Island
Secluded shores with a wild side.
Guana Island looks like the kind of Caribbean island people imagine before they ever visit the Caribbean.
Its coastline includes numerous secluded beaches, while its largest, White Bay, stretches for about half a mile. Around the northern side of the island lies Monkey Point, where clear water, rock formations and marine life make it one of the area's appealing snorkeling stops.
Because much of Guana is a private-island resort, the real Anchored Charters experience is often from the water: pulling into a beautiful bay, jumping overboard and enjoying the quieter side of the BVI without needing restaurants or crowds.
Anchored vibe: Quiet coast. Clear water. Hidden BVI.
Jost Van Dyke
Where the dress code is barefoot.
Jost Van Dyke may be small, but few islands in the Caribbean have this much personality.
Its history includes Indigenous inhabitants, Africans, Europeans and a name traditionally associated with a Dutch privateer. Today, Jost is best known for its combination of beautiful beaches, local personality, food, music and some legendary beach bars.
Spend the day floating in White Bay, enjoy lunch at Hendo’s Hideout, try the famous Painkiller associated with Soggy Dollar Bar, or head east toward Foxy’s Taboo and walk to the Bubbly Pool, where waves funnel through rock formations and create a naturally bubbling pool.
Jost can be a party—or tranquil serenity. That’s exactly why people love it.
Anchored vibe: Come for the beach. Stay for the Jost life.
Marina Cay
Small island. Big character.
Marina Cay is a tiny private island with a surprisingly rich story. Once home to author Robb White and his wife Rodie, the island later became a beloved stop for sailors and boaters, eventually gaining fame through its connection with Pusser’s and its long-standing place in BVI boating culture.
Today, Marina Cay is once again a lively little escape, with a Bar & Grill, watersports, moorings, and easy access by boat. It’s the kind of place where you can pull up, grab lunch or a cocktail, enjoy the view, and feel like you’ve found your own little corner of the BVI.
Anchored vibe: Tiny island. Easy stop. Classic BVI charm.
Moskito Island
Barefoot luxury has an address.
Moskito Island offers a glimpse into a very different side of the BVI: private-island living at an extraordinary level.
The island is home to several private estates, including The Branson Beach Estate, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition collection. The estate sits on the northeast side of Moskito and includes three luxury villas overlooking the Caribbean. Necker Island sits only about two miles away.
Moskito’s warm waters, trade winds, walking trails and striking architecture create a beautiful backdrop from the water. Private areas are, of course, reserved for their guests, but cruising through this part of the North Sound offers a fascinating look at the BVI’s ultra-private island lifestyle.
Anchored vibe: Where privacy meets paradise.
Necker Island
One of the Caribbean’s most famous private islands.
At just 74 acres, Necker Island has become one of the most recognizable private islands in the world. It is Sir Richard Branson’s private-island retreat and sits surrounded by coral reefs, turquoise water and white-sand beaches in the North Sound.
There’s also much more wildlife here than most visitors would expect. Virgin Limited Edition says Necker supports more than 140 animal species, many of which are threatened in the wild.
For most charter guests, Necker is something to admire from the surrounding water rather than a shore stop unless access has been specifically arranged. But cruising past one of the world’s best-known private islands is still a pretty memorable part of a North Sound day.
Anchored vibe: Cruise past extraordinary.
Norman Island
Where every good island day deserves a pirate story.
Norman Island is where beautiful water and BVI legend collide.
The island has a documented history associated with pirates and buried treasure and is widely said to have helped inspire Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
Today, the treasure is the experience. Swim and snorkel inside the famous Caves, head over toward The Indians for another incredible snorkel, then spend the afternoon in The Bight enjoying the beach, lunch or drinks. For guests looking for something livelier, Willy T adds a completely different personality to the day.
Norman works especially well because adventure, snorkeling, lunch and island fun are all packed into one small area.
Anchored vibe: Pirates. Caves. Cocktails. Paradise.
Peter Island
Close enough to reach. Beautiful enough to disappear.
Peter Island sits just across the Sir Francis Drake Channel from Tortola, yet some of its bays can feel completely removed from everything.
The island is home to Deadman’s Beach, a mile-long stretch of white sand, as well as Little Deadman’s, White Bay, Honeymoon Beach and Big Reef Bay.
For boaters, Peter Island also offers moorings at locations including White Bay, Sprat Bay, Deadman’s Bay, Key Bay and Little Harbour. Its reimagined resort and yacht club give guests the option of pairing secluded swimming and quiet coves with a more polished restaurant or resort experience.
This is the island for guests who want the BVI to feel peaceful rather than busy.
Anchored vibe: Your escape is closer than you think.
Saba Rock
One acre. A whole lot of personality.
Saba Rock proves an island does not have to be big to become legendary.
This tiny one-acre island sits directly in Virgin Gorda’s North Sound. Its story dates back to the 1960s, when diving pioneer Bert Kilbride established a diving base and the original Pirates’ Pub there. It eventually became a beloved gathering place for sailors, divers and boaters.
Today, Saba Rock combines restaurants, cocktails, rooms, watersports and serious North Sound scenery. One particularly fun tradition is its daily tarpon feeding around 5 p.m.
It’s an ideal lunch stop because arriving by boat is half the experience.
Anchored vibe: Tiny island. Big island energy.
sandy Cay & Spit
Your deserted-island fantasy, times two.
These two stops deliver that classic “is this place even real?” Caribbean feeling.
Sandy Cay is a protected national park of roughly 14 acres. It was privately owned for about 40 years by Laurance Rockefeller, whose conservation team planted more than 200 palms and helped establish wildlife-monitoring programs and trails. Today, the island includes sandy beach, woodland, mangroves, rocky cliffs and nesting habitat for turtles and seabirds.
Nearby Sandy Spit is the opposite experience: tiny, exposed and almost impossibly photogenic. It’s essentially a miniature sand island surrounded by turquoise water and reef—the kind of place where you get off the boat simply to say, “We actually went there.”
Anchored vibe: Nothing but sand, sea and you.
Scrub island
Island time, polished.
Scrub Island gives guests a blend of natural BVI scenery and resort comfort.
The island covers about 230 acres just off Tortola’s East End and includes protected coves, beaches, hiking terrain and a full-service private-island resort. Its marina has 55 deep-water slips, including space for large yachts.
Once ashore, the experience can shift from boat day to resort day: waterfront dining, cocktails, pools, watersports, snorkeling and North Beach are all part of the setting. Donovan’s Beach offers kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkeling, while North Beach provides the quieter side of the island.
Anchored vibe: Private-island energy without leaving the action behind.
Tortola
The heart of the BVI—and the beginning of almost everything.
Tortola is the largest island in the British Virgin Islands and home to Road Town, the territory’s capital. For many visitors, this is where the BVI adventure begins—but it shouldn’t simply be treated as the place you leave from.
From the water you’ll see steep green mountains dropping into hidden bays, beaches and harbours. Around the island are well-known boating areas such as Cane Garden Bay, Soper’s Hole and Trellis Bay, while Tortola’s history is represented ashore through places like Fort Burt, Callwood Rum Distillery, Mount Healthy Windmill and the Lower Estate Sugar Works.
It’s the commercial heart of the territory, but sail around the coastline and Tortola still knows how to surprise you.
Anchored vibe: Start here. Explore everywhere.
Virgin Gorda
The Baths are only the beginning.
Virgin Gorda deserves an entire day—not simply a quick stop at The Baths.
The island is the BVI’s third largest and takes its name from Christopher Columbus, who reportedly thought its shape resembled a reclining woman.
At the southern end, the enormous granite boulders, caves and pools of The Baths create one of the BVI’s most recognizable landscapes. But head north and Virgin Gorda changes completely. The North Sound opens into a boating playground surrounded by Prickly Pear, Eustatia, Saba Rock, Bitter End and private islands including Moskito and Necker.
There’s history here too. The remains of the Copper Mine recall mining activity involving Cornish miners in the 1800s, while Gorda Peak, at 1,370 feet, protects an important Caribbean dry-forest ecosystem.
Anchored vibe: Iconic from The Baths to the North Sound.