BVI Yacht Itinerary for a Partially or Unvaccinated Traveler

Updated December 23, 2021, from the Charter Yacht Society of the British Virgin Islands.

Sample Itinerary from a BVI crew on a charter this past February 2021

This is an actual itinerary run for 6 guests on a 7-night / 8-day charter in the BVI in early February 2021. This was their 4th trip to the BVI in 5 years. The guests arrived via air at EIS (BVI) and completed their Day 0 testing at the airport. Permission was obtained to complete their second test on Day 4 at the Virgin Gorda Clinic (previously all yachts have had to test on Tortola via Nanny Cay Marina). Test results from the Day 4 tests were received around 10:30 am on Day 5 while sailing to Anegada. The Day 4 tests results were also used to meet re-entry requirements to the USA.

Our guests prioritized a day ashore at Anegada and Jost Van Dyke for the days after they were released from quarantine. From previous trips, their favorite anchorage is Little Harbor, Peter Island and they requested extra time there during their initial isolation period.

The weather during the week was typical February trade winds of 10-20kt easterlies and mostly sunny. We had a few stray showers, but most passed in under 15 minutes. There was a minor northerly swell during the first half of the week, so we opted to spend our time in the southeastern quarantine anchorages until the swell eased.

Day 0

Our guests arrived at EIS (BVI) in the late morning and completed their Day 0 Arrival Protocols at the airport. They joined the yacht at Nanny Cay Marina. We served welcome drinks and lunch aboard, and guests were given a safety briefing and tour of the cabin amenities before departure. We sailed to Soldier Bay, Norman Island on a single tack, and guests enjoyed their first dip in Caribbean waters, a floating cocktail bar, and paddleboarding. We had the anchorage to ourselves, anchored in flat water and stern-tied to shore.

Day 1

After breakfast, the crew led a guided snorkel tour in Soldier Bay. We then sailed to Little Harbor, Peter Island. After lunch, guests snorkeled with the sea turtles that are commonly found in Little Harbor. They spent the afternoon relaxing, reading, swimming, and paddleboarding in one of the most scenic anchorages of the BVI.

Day 2

After a relaxed morning in Little Harbor, we sailed upwind to Hallover’s Bay, Cooper Island. After lunch, we went for a short hike to the windward bay, then snorkeled the reefs on the southern end of the bay. The wind was a bit southerly, causing the anchorage to be a bit bouncy for the night, so we opted to return to Little Harbor, Peter Island.

Day 3

After breakfast and one last swim with the turtles, we sailed windward through the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Everyone got time at the helm and assisted with tacking. After a beautiful two-and-a-half-hour sail, we stopped for lunch at Valley Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda. Later that afternoon, we sailed to our overnight anchorage; Lee Bay, Great Camanoe. Lee Bay has good snorkeling on the south side of the bay, as well as a great spot for cliff-jumping. This is also one of the most reliable bays to see an octopus.

Day 4

After an early breakfast, we motored to Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor where we were met with a warm welcome from the harbormaster. The guests were taxied to the Virgin Gorda Clinic for their required Day 4 Covid test; which took about an hour. Upon returning to the boat, we sailed to George Dog and the Captain led a guided snorkel tour of the reefs nearby, and to the sandy beach at Kitchen Point. After lunch, we sailed to Mountain Point (Long Bay), Virgin Gorda. Long Bay offers one of the best sunsets in the BVI and after dark, the guests went for a night snorkel with dive lights and saw turtles, crabs, lobsters, a nurse shark, and many sleeping parrotfish.

Day 5

After breakfast, we set sail for Anegada in nearly perfect conditions. The sail took just over an hour and a half, and upon reaching the Anegada Channel, our guests received negative results from their Day 4 test. They rented two Mokes to explore the Anegada north shore beach bars (Cow Wreck, Anegada Beach Club and Big Bamboo). We saw the Anegada flamingos and enjoyed sundowner cocktails on the west-facing beach at Pomato Point before having a lobster dinner ashore at Sid’s Pomato Point.

Day 6

We departed Anegada shortly after breakfast around 8:30am and had an exhilarating sail under spinnaker to Jost Van Dyke. We arrived to White Bay just in time for lunch, and guests went to shore and spent the day enjoying the sun, cocktails and beach games at Soggy Dollar Bar. In the late afternoon we motored across the top of Tortola to White Bay, Guana Island, enjoying an amazing sunset.

Day 7

In the morning, our guests explored the beach at White Bay, Guana Island, one of the most scenic white sand beaches in the BVI. We then motored to Trellis Bay so that guests could catch their flights home. Trellis Bay is located about a 5min walk to the airport, so we said our goodbyes and our guests departed the yacht about 1hr 15min prior to flight time.