Sailing the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands are widely regarded as the finest sailing and yacht-chartering destination in the world, and island-hopping by boat is the quintessential way to experience them. A compact cluster of some fifty green islands and cays lies scattered across the calm, protected and reliably breezy waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel, with short, easy hops between them, sheltered turquoise anchorages, and a wealth of deserted beaches, snorkelling spots and legendary beach bars. From the party at Jost Van Dyke's Soggy Dollar Bar to the wreck of the RMS Rhone off Salt Island, sailing the BVI is a laid-back, idyllic Caribbean dream.

What you actually see

• The sailing grounds - the sheltered, breezy Sir Francis Drake Channel.
• Jost Van Dyke - the island and its legendary beach bars.
• The deserted beaches and cays - the anchorages and empty shores.
• The RMS Rhone wreck - the famous shipwreck dive off Salt Island.

When to go

December to April, the dry season, is the peak and best sailing season, with steady trade winds, calm seas and fine weather; the summer is hotter with a hurricane risk from June to November. Yachts are chartered, crewed or bareboat, from Tortola, and even non-sailors can join crewed charters or day sails to experience the islands by water.

Honest expectations

The BVI is fundamentally a boating destination, so experiencing its best, the scattered cays, deserted beaches and anchorages, really requires chartering or joining a yacht, which is an upscale, pricey pursuit, though day sails and ferries offer a taste; the islands were badly hit by the 2017 hurricanes though they have recovered. For sailors and those who take to the water, though, the BVI's sheltered, island-studded sailing grounds, beach bars and turquoise anchorages are a genuine and idyllic Caribbean paradise.

Nearby

Virgin Gorda, Tortola, Anegada and the US Virgin Islands are within the archipelago.