The largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, serving as the administrative and maritime center of the territory. The coastline is a mix of deep bays and high green headlands, offering safe harbors such as Road Harbour, Soper’s Hole, and Trellis Bay. The island’s interior is mountainous, with Mount Sage rising to 543 m and covered by tropical forest. Tortola is home to the capital, Road Town, where most charter companies, marinas, and yacht services are based.
A protected marina on the southeast coast of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, facing the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The basin is surrounded by mangroves and breakwaters, giving complete shelter from swell and wind. It serves as one of the main charter bases in the BVI, offering berths for sail and power yachts up to 20 m, with fuel dock, maintenance facilities, and direct channel access for easy departure to Virgin Gorda or Cooper Island.
A hilly island at the southern tip of the British Virgin Islands, often associated with pirate legends and said to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. The coastline offers several well-protected anchorages, including The Bight, one of the safest harbors in the BVI with sandy bottom and full shelter from swell. Along the cliffs at Treasure Point lie shallow caves popular for snorkeling, and the surrounding reefs hold clear turquoise water teeming with fish.
A large private island southwest of Tortola, forming part of the central British Virgin Islands. The coastline alternates between deep bays and steep headlands, offering several well-protected anchorages such as Great Harbour, Little Harbour, and Deadman’s Bay. The island’s interior is hilly and mostly undeveloped, covered by tropical vegetation and overlooking the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Peter Island is known for its calm waters, scenic anchorages, and the historic Peter Island Resort, one of the earliest luxury retreats in the BVI.
The third-largest island of the British Virgin Islands, stretching north to south with a mix of steep hills, sheltered bays, and coral shallows. The southern tip is home to The Baths and Devil’s Bay National Parks, famous for their granite formations and calm lagoons. The central and northern coasts offer secure anchorages such as Spanish Town, North Sound, and Leverick Bay. Virgin Gorda is known for its quiet atmosphere, scenic landscapes, and clear navigation channels linking to surrounding islands.
A dramatic shoreline at the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, composed of huge round granite boulders, white sand beaches and secret tidal pools. The bay offers shallow water and sandy bottom in sheltered areas — suitable for daytime anchorage in settled weather with strong visual character. The rock maze is unique, with granite blocks up to 12 m in diameter creating grottos and walk-through passages for snorkelers and swimmers
The northernmost island of the British Virgin Islands and the only one formed from coral and limestone rather than volcanic rock. Unlike the other high islands, Anegada is flat, rising barely 8 meters above sea level, surrounded by the 29-kilometer Horseshoe Reef - one of the largest barrier reefs in the Caribbean. The island is known for its endless white sand beaches, shallow turquoise flats, and lobster restaurants near Setting Point. Approaches require careful navigation due to coral heads, but the anchorage inside the reef offers calm water and firm sandy bottom.
A small island off the east coast of Beef Island, surrounded by coral reefs and shallow turquoise water. The bay on the southern side provides one of the most protected anchorages in the area, with sandy bottom and mooring buoys managed by the marina. The island is home to a small bar and dock, historically known as the setting of the 1930s memoir Our Virgin Island by Robb and Rodie White. The reef and nearby shallows offer excellent snorkeling in calm conditions.
A private island north of Tortola, separated by the narrow Guana Channel and known for its seven beaches, nature trails, and coral reefs. The coastline combines steep green hills with white sand coves and calm anchorages in Lee Bay and Monkey Point. The water around Guana is exceptionally clear, with reef walls ideal for snorkeling and diving. The island is privately owned and managed as a wildlife sanctuary preserving native seabirds and iguanas.
A rocky headland at the southern tip of Guana Island, known as one of the best snorkeling sites in the British Virgin Islands. The underwater slope drops quickly from shallow coral gardens into deeper water filled with schools of jacks, tarpon, and colorful reef fish. The anchorage is small and exposed, suitable only for short daytime stops in calm conditions. The area is part of the Guana Island Marine Protected Zone and often visited by sea turtles and pelicans.
A wide bay on the western side of Guana Island, facing Tortola across the channel. The bay has a long curve of soft white sand bordered by forested hills, with calm turquoise water protected by an outer reef. The anchorage is shallow with a sandy bottom and good holding, suitable for daytime visits in settled weather. The beach is part of the island’s private nature reserve and remains undeveloped, offering quiet scenery and clear swimming water.