I'm planning a trip in June to the Bitter End Yacht Club. We plan to stay there in a cottage for at least a week. We will be flying into tortola to Beef Island Airport. I'm looking for advice/suggestions for the trip. The only people I know that have been there haven't been for many years.
Bitter End Yacht Club
- Thread starter jcrumpley
- Start date
- Status
If your sailing there from Tortola there is an entrance into "Blunder Bay" from the west that is narrow. It looks like you can squeeze through but you will run aground. I had some guide literature that made it look like this was a valid way to get to the club but its bad advice for a sailboat given our draft (~6ft).
Checkout the "Baths" and dive the wreck of the Rhone. The latter is said to be the best wreck dive in the Bahamas. Its shallow and can still see propeller intact.
been there
4 times in the past 3 years. Love the place. Make sure you motor to the top of Virgin Gorda. You can see forever! Enjoy "The Baths" and Saba Rock resort is a great place for drinks and dinner. we also really like Leverick Bay shops and restaurants.
If you're spending the entire week at the Bitter End the water taxis can take you anywhere close by - Leverick, Biras Creek. Regular taxis for Baths, Spanish Town, Top of Virgin Gorda. If you'll have a sailboat then get to Cooper Island Beach Club for the best Pina Coladas in the world and the Willy T in Norman's Bight for a crazy night! There's a great little place right at the end of the Beef Island runway on a rock in the middle of Trellis Bay called The Last Resort. Great food and sunsets.
We like to dine at the Dove in Road Town at the end of the trip. The best high class food in the BVI.
Have a great time - I'm envious!
4 times in the past 3 years. Love the place. Make sure you motor to the top of Virgin Gorda. You can see forever! Enjoy "The Baths" and Saba Rock resort is a great place for drinks and dinner. we also really like Leverick Bay shops and restaurants.
If you're spending the entire week at the Bitter End the water taxis can take you anywhere close by - Leverick, Biras Creek. Regular taxis for Baths, Spanish Town, Top of Virgin Gorda. If you'll have a sailboat then get to Cooper Island Beach Club for the best Pina Coladas in the world and the Willy T in Norman's Bight for a crazy night! There's a great little place right at the end of the Beef Island runway on a rock in the middle of Trellis Bay called The Last Resort. Great food and sunsets.
We like to dine at the Dove in Road Town at the end of the trip. The best high class food in the BVI.
Have a great time - I'm envious!
Top of the Rock for lunch
The Rock Cafe for dinner (go after dark, insist on sitting outside)
Saba Rock for dinner (go after dark, sit by the water)
The Baths, bring snorkeling gear, best snorkeling is out around the rocks between the two beachs
The Rock Cafe for dinner (go after dark, insist on sitting outside)
Saba Rock for dinner (go after dark, sit by the water)
The Baths, bring snorkeling gear, best snorkeling is out around the rocks between the two beachs
Been there 3 times in the last 4 years, but chartered a boat through the moorings each time. Not sure why you would want to stay in a cottage... exploring the islands is the best part of the BVI.
Jared is right about the entrance to blunder bay. I made that mistake once but got away with it.
Not sure how mobile you will be if you are staying at the yacht club, but my order of favorite places is as follows.
#1 Norman Island (not sure I can explain why but this is my fav place on the planet)
#2 Anegada
#2 The Baths
#3 Cooper Island
#4 BEYC (good for renting hobies and paddle boards).
#5 Trellis Bay and The Last Resort
Cane Garden bay is a favourite for my family and JVD is great too. The snorkeling on the north side of Anegada (take a jeep) is unlike anything else I have ever experienced.
The best advice I can offer is to get out and explore as many of the Islands as you can. You can go anywhere and sit on a beach...
Gareth
Jared is right about the entrance to blunder bay. I made that mistake once but got away with it.
Not sure how mobile you will be if you are staying at the yacht club, but my order of favorite places is as follows.
#1 Norman Island (not sure I can explain why but this is my fav place on the planet)
#2 Anegada
#2 The Baths
#3 Cooper Island
#4 BEYC (good for renting hobies and paddle boards).
#5 Trellis Bay and The Last Resort
Cane Garden bay is a favourite for my family and JVD is great too. The snorkeling on the north side of Anegada (take a jeep) is unlike anything else I have ever experienced.
The best advice I can offer is to get out and explore as many of the Islands as you can. You can go anywhere and sit on a beach...
Gareth
On Tuesdays BEYC has a cookout/BBQ you MIGHT have to make a reservation for. I think the BBQ was 45$. Lots of food available. I was just there in Feb by charter boat and they had live music after BBQ dinner for dancing. The Pub there is 1/3 to 1/2 half the price of the BBQ and I'd recommend it since it looks over the sound. I think someone said the Trellis Bay restaurant on the rock is now a Pussers?
Save yourself a fortune and fly into St. Thomas and then take the fast ferry over to Tortola. When we went last year, it was less than $600 r/t to St. Thomas, over $1,400 r/t to Beef Island. The ferry was $35 each way.
We just returned from the BVI/USVI. The Bitter End is an all-inclusive resort with lots of amenities, most of which are water-sports related. They have an amazing assortment of sailboats for guest use, from lasers to small keelboats. They do beer can racing once or twice a week. If weather and conditions allow, snorkeling out at Eustasia Reef is really great. All the other suggestions here are also worthy, except, Jared 1048, it's NOT in the Bahamas (but the Rhone is a good dive site). Best advice: if you are a sailor you will probably wonder "why am I on land when I could be on a yacht?" Next time you go you probably will be! P
Out the door, turn left
As you face the water, get into some sort of boat and go left. The Biras Creek resort is at the very end of the cove. Don't stop there - they're very snooty and require "gentlemen to dress in jackets for dinner." I could tell you about the snoot at the front desk when we inquired...but won't.
But....just before you get to the end of the cove there's a little restaurant/joint with picnic tables out front. It's part of the Biras Creek resort - but it caters to folks like me who didn't even take a "jacket" to the BVIs this February. The food is simple, down home, reasonably priced and delicious. And the beer is cold. Can't remember the name of it - it's next to the gas pump/dock on the starboard side of your boat as you head toward the end of the cove.
Have fun!
As you face the water, get into some sort of boat and go left. The Biras Creek resort is at the very end of the cove. Don't stop there - they're very snooty and require "gentlemen to dress in jackets for dinner." I could tell you about the snoot at the front desk when we inquired...but won't.
But....just before you get to the end of the cove there's a little restaurant/joint with picnic tables out front. It's part of the Biras Creek resort - but it caters to folks like me who didn't even take a "jacket" to the BVIs this February. The food is simple, down home, reasonably priced and delicious. And the beer is cold. Can't remember the name of it - it's next to the gas pump/dock on the starboard side of your boat as you head toward the end of the cove.
Have fun!
COTTON PAJAMAS... We chartered a boat out of Virgin Gorda some years ago. The charter people suggested bringing lightweight pajamas because the sun down there will roast your hide. They were right. We ecountered a few french fried naturists who decided less was more. Ouch!!! Also found the folks who live down there very nice. I've never seen such clear water. If you get to St Thomas they make a great local banana flavored rum. Iree Mon!!
Thanks to everyone for the input. We plan to use beyc fleet boats to explore the area by day. I thought about a charter, but I wanted to get a feel for the area and people first. All booked and ready. It is a tough place to get to but I finally got that sorted. Flying in to Beef Island and then taking NSX ferry was the fastest way, though as noted not the least expensive. Now just the waiting.
- Status