The Virgin Islands are popular for good reason, and in the high season the famous anchorages can be busy. The Bight at Norman Island, White Bay on Jost Van Dyke and Cooper Island fill quickly in the afternoon, and the moorings at The Baths are usually taken by mid-morning.

But this is a cruising ground of dozens of islands, and there are still plenty of places where you can spend an afternoon or a night with only a handful of other boats. These are seven we love. Some are day stops; some are good overnight. All depend on the weather, so your captain will always have the final say.

1. Diamond Cay and the Bubbly Pool, Little Jost Van Dyke

At the eastern end of Jost Van Dyke, a short hop from the famous beach bars of White Bay and Great Harbour, Little Jost Van Dyke and its neighbour Diamond Cay feel far quieter. The anchorage off Diamond Cay is protected and pretty, with views of Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit. A short walk across Jost Van Dyke’s east end leads to the Bubbly Pool, a natural rock pool where Atlantic swells break through a gap in the rocks and fill it with foam, like a natural jacuzzi. It’s best when there’s a moderate northerly swell, and should be avoided when the sea is big.

2. Little Harbour, Peter Island

Peter Island’s north coast has several bays, and Little Harbour, towards its western end, is one of the most peaceful overnight anchorages in the BVI. It’s surrounded by steep green hills, with good holding and very little development. It’s a lovely contrast to the lively Bight just across the channel at Norman Island.

3. Monkey Point, Guana Island

Guana Island is privately owned and largely a nature reserve, but Monkey Point at its southern tip has day moorings and some of the best snorkelling around Tortola: a rocky point with clear water, schools of fish and the occasional turtle. It’s a day stop only, and best on a calm morning.

4. Brandywine Bay, Tortola

Most yachts sail straight past Tortola’s south coast on their way out to the islands. Brandywine Bay, a little east of Road Town, is a pretty, sheltered bay that’s well suited to a quiet first or last night of a charter close to the Tortola charter bases.

5. Eustatia Sound, Virgin Gorda

Just beyond the busy moorings of North Sound, Eustatia Sound is a shallow, reef-protected stretch of turquoise water between Virgin Gorda, Eustatia Island and the reefs to the north. It needs good light and a careful approach, which is why most yachts don’t venture in, and why it’s so quiet. The snorkelling over the reef is excellent. On a crewed charter your captain may take you in by dinghy. Our guide to Virgin Gorda and North Sound has more.

6. Salt Pond Bay, St John

Across the border in the US Virgin Islands, St John’s south-east coast is far quieter than its famous north shore. Salt Pond Bay is within the Virgin Islands National Park: a sheltered bay with a sandy beach, good snorkelling on the reef at its mouth and a walk to the cliffs at Ram Head, one of the best viewpoints in the Virgin Islands. You’ll need to clear into the USVI to visit.

7. Lameshur Bay, St John

A little further west along St John’s south coast, Great and Little Lameshur Bays are national park bays with moorings, quiet beaches and a trail up to the old Lameshur plantation ruins and petroglyphs at the Reef Bay trail. They’re among the most peaceful anchorages in the USVI.

How to find the quiet

  • Arrive early or late. Day boats from the charter bases and cruise ships arrive mid-morning and leave mid-afternoon. A famous anchorage at 8 in the morning or 5 in the evening can be blissfully empty.
  • Go against the flow. Most bareboat itineraries follow the same loop. A good captain will run your week in a different order.
  • Pick the shoulder season. In May, June and early December the islands are noticeably quieter. See our guide to when to charter.
  • Respect the moorings. National park moorings protect reefs and seagrass; use them where they’re provided, and never anchor on coral.

A note on etiquette

Quiet anchorages stay quiet because visitors keep them that way. Keep music low after dark, take all rubbish away with you, and give other boats plenty of room.

Plan a quieter week

If peace and quiet is what you’re after, tell us when you enquire. We’ll suggest yachts and crews who know the islands well enough to find it, and our snorkelling and diving guide has more places to explore underwater.

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