Ideal for Winter Season
This seven-day British Virgin Islands yacht charter circuit from Tortola moves through Norman Island's Treasure Island caves and the wreck of the RMS Rhone off Salt Island, through to the granite boulder grottos of The Baths on Virgin Gorda, and the cluster of small islands around North Sound. Compact enough to cover in a week yet varied enough to combine wreck diving, white sand beaches, and exclusive resort anchorages, it is one of the more relaxed introductions to the BVIs on a single round-trip route.
- Day 1
Tortola & Norman Island
A snorkeling stop at The Indians and a legendary floating bar to start the week
Meet your Tortola yacht charter crew at Road Town and settle in with a glass of champagne as the anchor lifts for the short cruise to Norman Island. En route, watch for The Indians, four dramatic rock pinnacles rising straight out of the sea, and one of the best first-day snorkeling stops in the BVIs. The water here is calm and clear, with dense coral coverage close to the surface that makes for an easy, rewarding introduction to the marine life of the islands.
Arrive at Norman Island in the afternoon, the uninhabited island widely believed to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. While no actual treasure has ever been recovered from its caves, exploring The Caves at Treasure Point by snorkel is its own reward, with shafts of light filtering through the rock and a healthy population of reef fish in residence.
Round off the day on your charter yacht at Willy T, a decommissioned Baltic trader permanently moored in The Bight and converted into one of the most distinctive floating bars anywhere in the Caribbean. Stay ashore for a beach barbecue as the sun sets, with a strong chance of a second visit to the floating bar before the night is through.
Find out more:
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J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens
Attraction
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Cane Garden Bay
Attraction
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J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens
- Day 2
Peter Island
Cycling trails, a pirate-legend beach, and one of the BVI's most relaxed island days
Just five miles from Tortola, Peter Island is largely undeveloped and one of the more understated stops on any BVI yacht charter, a place that rewards slowing down rather than packing in activity. Start with a bike ride along one of the island's scenic trails, where the indigenous flora creates a genuinely beautiful backdrop, before a light brunch and the option of hiking trails for those who prefer to explore on foot.
Deadman's Bay is the island's largest beach at roughly a mile long, named, according to local legend, for the bodies of pirates washed ashore after attempting the swim from Dead Chest Island nearby, the same stretch of water immortalized in the old seafaring rhyme about "fifteen men on a dead man's chest."
The palm-fringed beach is equipped with the Dead Man's Beach Bar & Grill, which leans into the theme with its menu and setting alike. Barbecue ribs and other grilled favorites are the favored choice for an evening ashore away from your chosen sailing or motor yacht charter.
- Day 3
Salt & Cooper Island
A 150-year-old shipwreck dive and a complete change of pace at a family-run island resort
Day three covers two islands with entirely different characters. The first stop is Salt Island, home to the Wreck of the RMS Rhone, a Royal Mail steam packet vessel that sank in a catastrophic storm during its journey from Southampton nearly 150 years ago. The wreck now lies in two sections, encrusted in coral and home to an extraordinary range of marine life, including numerous species of fish and resident eels.
From there, a taste of a Cooper Island yacht charter offers a complete change of pace, a small, family-run resort island with a well-regarded restaurant, boutique, rum bar, and coffee shop that bring you back to civilization after the morning's diving. The Cooper Island Beach Club is the centerpiece of the island's low-key social scene; treat yourself to a relaxing spa afternoon here before returning to the yacht for a nightcap on deck under a sky free of light pollution.
Find out more:
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Rhone Marine Park
Landmark
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Rhone Marine Park
- Day 4 - 5
Virgin Gorda
Granite boulder grottos and one of the most photographed natural wonders in the Caribbean
Leaving Cooper Island, the crew sets a course past the privately owned Ginger Island en route to Virgin Gorda, a striking sight from the water, even though the day's main adventure lies ahead. On arrival, anchor off the coast and take the tender through a network of mangroves, gliding quietly through calm, sheltered water that offers a genuinely different pace from the open-water cruising of the days before.
The undisputed highlight of any Virgin Gorda yacht charter is The Baths, an extraordinary natural formation of giant granite boulders that create grottos, tunnels, and tidal pools filled with seawater, offering a welcome respite from the heat of the day. The spa-like setting, framed by palms and dramatic rock formations, is one of the most photographed spots in the entire BVI. Bring a camera, and allow plenty of time to explore at an unhurried pace.
The second day on Virgin Gorda moves to the North Sound, a naturally sheltered bay facing a scattering of small islands that together create some of the most protected anchorage conditions anywhere in the British Virgin Islands. The sound is also home to several exclusive resorts, giving the day a noticeably more polished character than the rest of the week.
- Day 6
Bitter End, Saba Rock, Mosquito, Prickly Pear Island
Four small islands, four distinct characters, all within easy reach of each other
The final full day in the British Virgin Islands offers an assortment of choices, four small destinations within the North Sound, each with its own identity, and all close enough together to combine into a single, varied day on the water.
Bitter End Yacht Club is the area's landmark institution, with a strong sailing heritage and full water sports facilities, including windsurfing and kayaking. Just offshore, Saba Rock is a tiny private island accessible only by water taxi, with a restaurant and bar that delivers some of the finest sunset views in the North Sound.
Mosquito Island, despite the unglamorous name, is a quietly luxurious private island with pristine beaches and excellent snorkeling just off its shores, and Prickly Pear Island rounds out the day with calm, shallow water that makes it one of the easiest spots in the Sound for a relaxed swim. Sample as many as time allows, then close out the evening with a candlelit supper on a private beach, a fitting send-off for the final night of a charter in this enriched corner of a Virgin Islands yacht charter.
- Day 7
Tortola
A last chance to snorkel before disembarking at Road Town
The final morning brings your luxury charter yacht back toward Tortola, cruising past Beef Island and Scrub Island, both worth a final look from the deck, and Scrub Island in particular offering one last opportunity for snorkeling if time allows before disembarkation and closing the last page of your British Virgin Islands charter itinerary.
Arrive back at Road Town for the end of the charter. Take a final stroll through the town's shops for last-minute souvenirs, local rum, handcrafted jewelry, and BVI-made goods that are all readily available within walking distance of the marina, before saying goodbye to your chosen charter yacht and the islands that have been home for the week.
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*All distances are approximate
