Sail the British Virgin Islands
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The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are the perfect destination for a sailing holiday. Unspoiled nature, wonderful weather, a northeastern wind and happy people. Imagine you sail in the warm sun under a blue sky. In the clear water around you see whales, dolphins, giant turtles and flying fish. You will not only encounter bounty islands with many beautiful bays, but also rain forests, banana plantations and miles of white sandy beaches. You can taste the unique cuisine and the 'don’t worry, be happy' atmosphere. We can’t find any right reasons to not add this to your bucket list.
On the British Virgin Islands you can sail through dozens of islands and find perfect peace and privacy. Besides the main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, the British Virgin Islands consist of around 50 small islands. On many of them you feel like you are alone in the world. You can snorkel and dive at beautiful coral reefs. A daily discussion on the BVI normally goes like this: are we going swimming, snorkeling, diving, making a trip on an island, visiting a colourful village? Or do we want to spend an hour under a palm tree on a bright white beach?
How to get there
Rental of sailing yachts takes place on the many small islands, but Point a Pitre and Tortola are the most important. Feel free to ask for a proposal by e-mail or telephone, because this requires specific knowledge of the local market to find the right ship. If you wish, you can sail with the guidance of the skipper. There are no direct flights to Tortola, most sailers with destination BVI fly to Sint Maarten.
Where to stay
If you are looking for a great place to stay on Cooper Island (close to Tortola) we recommend Cooper Island Beach Club. Cooper Island Beach Club’s ‘eco-luxe’ ethos means they are committed to providing wonderful amenities whilst also reducing their environmental impact. They have a number of practices that help to reduce, reuse and recycle where possible. The place is absolutely stunning and they get amazing reviews on Tripadvisor and Google.
Best time to visit
The climate on the British Virgin Islands is subtropical and tempered by trade winds. There is little difference between summer and winter. Also there is not much rain and the small differences in rainfall is not worth mentioning. The Caribbean have beautiful cloud formations. At night the temperatures are comfortable and lower than during the day. Hurricanes can occur during the months of June to November, so the sailing season for the British Virgin Islands is mainly from November to May. Click here for more climate information.