BVI Cabin Charter

The British Virgin Islands, or BVI, are some of the most exclusive and least developed islands of the Caribbean, and that is part of their appeal. More than 60 islands and islets sit at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the turquoise Caribbean Sea.

Rich in pirate folklore and made famous by writers like Robert Louis Stevenson, the BVI offer some of the best sailing anywhere. The smaller islands, many perfect for a day's snorkelling or an overnight stay, add to the mix, and you can be as relaxed or as active as you like.

In Tortola, the largest island of the BVI chain, there is a whole variety of Caribbean activities to indulge in. Experience the beauty of Tortola: swim or stroll the white-sand beaches, explore ancient ruins or the delectable local cuisine, or simply drop anchor and rock with the rhythm of the azure ocean.

A brief sail away, sleepy Jost Van Dyke offers delicious Caribbean food and drink. On Virgin Gorda you will find The Baths, perhaps the most picturesque shore in the British Virgin Islands. For supreme seclusion, try Anegada, whose slow pace, flat terrain and sparkling sand lie almost overlooked in the Caribbean Sea.

A sample week from Marigot on St Martin, up through the British Virgin Islands and back.

• Day 1, Marigot to the BVI. Welcome at 18:00 in Marina Fort Louis, in the heart of Marigot, about 15 minutes from Princess Juliana International airport. A welcome cocktail, a briefing on the cruise and time to settle into your cabin, then an overnight sail to the BVI.
• Day 2, Virgin Gorda and The Baths. Wake with the BVI in sight and arrive at Virgin Gorda. After breakfast, a short sail to The Baths in the far south, a must-see: a huge area of round polished rocks set in white sand, with caves and natural pools that make an unreal and magnificent landscape. Visit the little souvenir shops at Devil's Bay, then a two-hour sail to The Caves at Norman Island, where an impressive underwater world awaits.
• Day 3, Tortola to Jost Van Dyke. An hour's sail to Soper's Hole Marina at West End, Tortola, for a morning of shopping, then late morning on to Jost Van Dyke and its idyllic beaches. Moor in front of the gorgeous White Bay for lunch on board, swimming and snorkelling, and an optional evening at Foxy's bar. Dinner and a night at anchor.
• Day 4, Sandy Cay to Marina Cay. Depart at 08:00 for a short sail to Sandy Cay, a small island fringed with coconut trees and white sand, or to Sandy Spit depending on the wind, then on to Guana Island for lunch. An afternoon of swimming and beachcombing, then to Marina Cay, a tiny island east of Tortola with a good souvenir shop. Dinner and a night at anchor.
• Day 5, Mosquito Island to Bitter End. Depart at 08:00 for Mosquito Island, owned by Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, where snorkellers are thrilled by reefs full of tropical life. After lunch, sail to Gorda Sound and moor at Bitter End, close to a luxury resort and festive marina. Dinner and a night at anchor.
• Day 6, Anegada to St Martin. An early departure to Anegada. Unlike the other Virgin Islands, it is a coral atoll 19 km long and less than 5 km wide, ringed by splendid beaches. The Horse Shoe and Anegada reefs host varied and plentiful life for snorkelling and swimming in the crystal-clear lagoon. Depart around 16:00 for an overnight sail to St Martin.
• Day 7, St Martin and Marigot. Arrive at Grand Case or Marigot. Lunch at anchor in Grand Case, a small town on the French side and the gastronomic capital of the French West Indies, with swimming, snorkelling and beachcombing. Baie Nettle is a small quiet village on a sandbank between the lagoon and the sea, two kilometres from Marigot with its white sand beaches, coconuts and turquoise water. Moor in the lagoon at Baie Nettle.
• Day 8, Marigot. Breakfast and disembarkation at 09:00 in Marina Port La Royale, in the heart of Marigot.

The route is a sample and may change with the weather or technical conditions.