Anegada: the BVI's coral island

Every other island in the British Virgin Islands is the top of a volcanic mountain. Anegada isn’t. It’s a low, flat island of coral and limestone, its highest point barely 8.5 metres above the sea, so low that you won’t see it until you’re well on your way there. Its name is usually taken to mean “the drowned island”.

That’s exactly what makes it special. Anegada feels a world away from the rest of the BVI: miles of nearly empty white beaches, salt ponds with flamingos, a tiny population and a reef so large that it’s claimed more ships than anywhere else in the islands. For many guests, the day they spend here is the one they talk about most.

Horseshoe Reef

Anegada sits at the western end of Horseshoe Reef, which stretches around 29 kilometres (18 miles) and is often described as the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean. Over the centuries it has wrecked hundreds of ships, including HMS Astraea in 1808, which is why the approach has always been treated with respect.

Today the approach is straightforward in good light, using the marked channel into the anchorage at Setting Point. It does need settled weather and the sun overhead or behind you, so it’s a morning passage, and many bareboat companies set conditions on it or ask you to check in before you go. On a crewed charter, your captain decides on the day.

The sail itself is a lovely one: around 12 nautical miles north from Virgin Gorda’s North Sound, usually on a comfortable reach in the trade winds, watching the island slowly rise from the sea.

What to do on Anegada

Once you’re at anchor off Setting Point, the best way to see the island is to hire a taxi, a car or a scooter for the day. The roads are quiet and it’s almost impossible to get lost.

The beaches. Anegada’s north shore is one long run of white sand, protected by the reef and usually close to empty.

• Loblolly Bay has good snorkelling over reef close to the beach, and a couple of beach bars for lunch.
• Flash of Beauty, at the eastern end of Loblolly, is a favourite snorkelling spot, with coral heads and plenty of fish in shallow water.
• Cow Wreck Bay, at the western end, is a picture of the Caribbean as it used to be: a long beach, a laid-back bar and a few hammocks under the palms.

The flamingos. Caribbean flamingos once lived on Anegada’s salt ponds in their thousands, but they had gone by the middle of the 20th century. A small group was reintroduced in the 1990s, and the flock has grown since. You can see them from a viewing point by the western ponds, which are protected as a wetland of international importance.

The rock iguanas. Anegada is the only home of the Anegada rock iguana, one of the rarest lizards in the world. A small head-start facility raises young iguanas until they’re big enough to be released safely, and you can sometimes visit.

Lobster on the beach

Anegada is famous for its spiny lobster, and dinner on the beach at Setting Point is one of the BVI’s great traditions. Several restaurants grill lobster over half oil drums as the sun goes down. They usually ask you to order by mid-afternoon, so they know how many to catch and prepare. Your crew will radio ahead.

If lobster isn’t for everyone in your party, there’s always grilled fish, chicken or a vegetarian option, and your chef will happily cook aboard instead.

How much time to spend

A single night is enough to see the beaches and enjoy a lobster dinner, but many guests wish they’d stayed two: one full day for the north shore and the flamingos, and a lazy morning before the sail back. Most yachts leave in the morning or around midday, downwind to Jost Van Dyke or back to Virgin Gorda.

When to go

The months from December to April bring the steadiest winds and the best visibility, though winter northerly swells occasionally make the north shore rough. May and June often have flat calm days and superb snorkelling. Through the hurricane season, from June to November, the passage is weather-dependent, and some services on the island close for part of the autumn.

Good to know

• Bring cash. Some taxis and beach bars prefer US dollars in cash.
• Mosquito repellent is useful at dusk near the salt ponds.
• Reef-safe sunscreen helps protect one of the Caribbean’s great reefs.
• Check bareboat rules. If you’re skippering yourself, ask us before you book whether your yacht’s charter company allows the passage.

Planning a charter that includes Anegada

If Anegada matters to you, tell us when you enquire. We’ll make sure your yacht and crew are happy to make the trip, and plan the week so it falls on a settled day. Anegada fits naturally after a stay in Virgin Gorda and North Sound.