Published: February, 2025
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British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

"The Caribbean is not just a place; it's a state of mind."- Unknown
— Melissa Cristo
  • More about your Oliver Guide:
  • Trip type: Family, Group getaway, Beach
  • Activity level: easy
  • Ideal length of trip: At least a week on the boat (and maybe some land time after!)

to & from

We flew SFO to Washington DC (redeye) and then flew direct to Saint Thomas. We took a ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola which is where we boarded our boat.

  • Going through customs can be slow, I highly recommend Dolphin Shuttle expedited taxi service to get through customs.
  • Highly suggest a rental car in Tortola, after the boat portion of the trip.

Where to Stay

We rented a catamaran through Dream Yacht Charters. There are many Charter companies you can rent from when sailing in the BVIs – some large international companies as well as smaller family owned companies. We had a new boat (48ft catamaran for two families, 4 cabins, 4 bathrooms, 9ppl total) that was very nice and we had no problems. We hired a captain which is mandatory unless you are a certified captain, and highly recommended even if you are certified. The captain plans the itinerary (order of islands to visit etc.) with the guests input and also will make dining reservations. We did not hire a chef but next time we would go the chef route because the additional cost is minimal and the luxury and flexibility would have been an extra plus.

Our captain also recommended looking into smaller charter companies for our next trip as he reported the boats to be in better condition on whole and possibly better service. However, we were very pleased with our experience using a larger charter company.

After the trip, I highly recommend a few days on land. We stayed in Tortola in a condo in the Long Bay Beach Resort area. However, next time, I would stay in Virgin Gorda where there is a Rosewood and more going on.

Where to Eat and Drink

You are not going to the BVIs for the food! Your dining experience is really about visiting the different islands. There is a surprising lack of fresh food at the restaurants in the BVI’s-including fresh fish. That said, these spots were fun!

  • Our favorite restaurant was Cocomaya on Virgin Gorda – is was festive and the vibes were beach chic.
  • Bitter End Yacht Club – This is a very famous place. It is a great setting for drinks with decent food.
  • Saba Rock – We had after dinner cocktails here and danced. Fun!
  • Cooper Island Beach Club – loved! (This is the only option on Cooper Island.)
  • Soggy Dollar – Best “bar” food and great setting for a day of fun. There are other options next door too.
  • Foxy’s Bar – Great for drinks and dancing
  • Hendo’s Hideout – Right next to the Soggy Dollar. We had a great dinner here!
  • Lobster Trap (Anegada) – You will get FRESHLY caught lobster here. Note, you will need to order your food at the time of making your reservation.
  • Tipsy Beach Bar (Anegada) – Great place for lunch. It is located on a beach so you can swim, drink and eat all in one location. They have corn hole and other outdoor games too.
  • Willy T’s Floating Bar & Grill – Fun place for a drink; food was okay.

Tortola

  • 1748 Restaurant – this is part of the Long Bay Beach Resort.  It is a great atmosphere on the beach.  Good food with spotty service.
  • The Sugar Mill – great service, great food!
  • Brandywine Estate restaurant was highly recommended but it was far from where we were staying.  Next time!

What to Do

  • Most mornings started with a “sail” to the next island
  • Swim
  • Snorkel
  • Paddle board
  • Fish
  • Did a little hike on Peter Island
  • Jet ski (ask your captain to arrange)
  • Get a massage on beach near the Soggy Dollar
  • Rent a Moke or scooter on Anegada so that you can go see the beautiful beaches on the far side of the island
  • The Baths on Virgin Gorda is a popular place to visit and explore however be wary of the tides/winds and the crowds. We skipped this during high season and heard we did not miss much.

Inside Scoop

  • Bring cash (us dollar) – you may need for customs and the credit card machines at restaurants don’t always work.  Same for ATMs.
  • Bring bug spray – between 4pm to 6pm the bugs on the beach can be bad.  We discovered “Charleston by The Buzz” which is a multi-tasking perfume and repellent.
  • We loved our captain! You can work directly with Mihai (mihai.avram81@yahoo.com ).
  • Bring flags or stickers from your schools, local places, etc. to hang or stick on wall of bars and restaurants.  It’s a thing in the BVIs!
  • Not a lot of real sailing goes on, most of the time we were motoring around. This is based on the winds and the itinerary– easier and faster to motor most of the time.
  • We had wifi on the boat which we paid extra for.

What to Pack

Pack light!!  There is not much storage in the cabins and you really don’t need much.  It is very casual!  I was in flip flops or barefoot!  You live in bathing suits and coverups.

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