The last time Robert and I visited the British Virgin Islands (BVIs) was in May 2017. Less than three months later, Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes, devastated the northeastern Caribbean. The BVIs were among the areas hardest hit by Irma, with the North Sound on Virgin Gorda as the epicenter of the destruction. The eye of the storm swept away everything on land and in the water. We watched the news on TV with horror and sadness, knowing that some of our favorite spots in North Sound would never be the same.
From our first sailing experience in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in 2007 to our last charter in 2017, we observed a significant increase in the popularity of sailing holidays on chartered yachts. The mooring fields became increasingly crowded, restaurants grew fancier, and the charter fleets evolved from modest monohulls to large catamarans. Sadly, the authentic laid-back Caribbean atmosphere gradually faded away.
Now, returning to the BVIs as full-time cruisers on our own sailing yacht after nearly a decade, we were eager to experience them from a new perspective and revisit some of our favorite spots, such as the Bitter End Yacht Club and Saba Rock.
After we anchored in the North Sound, we took the tender to visit the Bitter End Yacht Club (BEYC). Originally built in the 1970s, the Bitter End Yacht Club evolved into a beautiful resort featuring lush landscaping and hillside wooden cottages that blend seamlessly with the surroundings. The casual waterfront area includes restaurants, bars, and a beach with a swimming area. I remember the resort as well-pointed yet low-key, capturing the essence of old Caribbean charm and its nautical history.
As we approached the yacht club with much anticipation, the first thing we noticed was a few ski-chalet-style buildings situated at the water’s edge. Oh no! This is not the BEYC I remembered! The change is significant and somewhat upsetting for me.
After reconciling the disappointing discrepancies between my memories and reality, I must admit that the new BEYC is a beautiful resort, even though less than half of the property is complete and open to the public. The rebuilding effort is undoubtedly a tremendous undertaking. While I appreciate the resilience shown throughout this process, I can’t help but feel a bit melancholic that the old charm of the BEYC seems to be gone. Perhaps, in the future, the new BEYC will develop its own personality and charm. Or maybe the special atmosphere it once had was a product of time; once lost, it is lost forever.
Next, we went to the Saba Rock. This time, I was not disappointed. The new Saba Rock is bigger, better, yet still the same in many ways. Most importantly, somehow, it has managed to keep the same happy vibe. https://sabarock.com/our-story
Our daily activities in the North Sound included hiking, snorkeling, happy hours at Saba Rock with a game or two of pool, and watching the mega-yachts. At one point, the combined value of mega-yachts in the anchorage was in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
During our charter holidays in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the longest we ever spent in any anchorage was two days. This time, however, we enjoyed a luxurious 15-day stay in North Sound. I must admit that when our time was limited during the holidays, we experienced the BVIs more intensely. The paradise remains the same, but we’ve become accustomed to its beauty. How quickly one gets used to their surroundings and starts to take things for granted!
Our time in North Sound was blissful, but by the end of the second week, we were ready to head to a new destination. Our next port of call is St. Martin/St. Maarten. Before we left, we had one last place to visit – the Baths.
Some places never get old, and the Baths are one of them. Even though this was my fourth visit, it still took my breath away. The best part was that the park was nearly empty that morning. Unbeknownst to us, it was a “red flag” day, meaning swimming from the day mooring balls to the beach was prohibited. Guess what we did? Exactly that! Oops…
Without our fins, swimming to shore in the rough sea became quite an aerobic adventure, but the reward was having the beach almost entirely to ourselves, which is a rare treat! Here are a few short video clips of the Baths.
The majority of visitors to the BVIs are on one-week to ten-day charter holidays. As such, most restaurants are tourist-oriented and, in my opinion, overpriced with underwhelming food. We cooked on Juno most days. CocoMaya, however, is one of the exceptions. CocoMaya Beach Restaurant is located in the heart of Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. The restaurant is on a stretch of idyllic white sand beach, just minutes from the Baths. We first visited CocoMaya in 2017 and really enjoyed our experience there. This time, we went to see how it fared after Irma. We learned that it survived the hurricane exceptionally well. The business has been booming. We enjoyed an excellent dinner, and it did not break the bank either. I’d recommend it to anyone visiting Spanish Town.
One of our sailing friends once remarked that the British Virgin Islands were so much more special 20 or 30 years ago, yet they are still awesome today despite commercialization and large charter crowds. I wholeheartedly agree.
As we reminisce, it’s time to set sail for a brand new destination: St. Martin/St. Maarten!
