Top Ten anchorages in the Caribbean

Need inspiration for your next yacht charter holiday? Yachtbooker reveals 10 of the most beautiful anchorages in the Caribbean.

While sailing in the Caribbean, you will quickly discover that the famous „perfect moment“ really exists. I had my perfect moment in the BVI, at the island of Jost van Dyke. After having made our way through the reef barrier, the anchor fell in crystal clear water. With only some dollar bills in our bathing suits, we swam to the beach where the sound of steel drums welcomed us. Slightly swinging in a hammock, I watched our boat and enjoyed life.
I have asked my fellow sailors for their “perfect moment” in the Caribbean, and they told me some of their favourite spots. Maybe, among them you will find that perfect spot that makes you forget space and time, too…

1. White Bay
Jost van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Though the approach is a bit tricky, White Bay rewards you with emerald water, a snow white beach and a palm-covered beach bar. The usual way to pay your drinks is with soaked dollars you carry in your bathing suit – that is where the name “Soggy Dollar Bar” comes from. As lovely as it is as a day anchorage, the better deal for the night is right behind the corner: Great Harbour is a well-protected cove with plenty of mooring buoys and, most importantly, a vibrant scenery of bars in picturesque beach shacks.


2. North Sound
Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Snorkelling, sailing, vessel spotting: The North Sound of Virgin Gorda bustles with activity. The bay is situated between the islands Prickly Pear, Mosquito Island and Virgin Gorda and is sheltered by a coral reef in the northeast. The best anchorage, due to the refreshing air flow, is right behind Saba Rock, an island that mainly consists of a bar and a restaurant. Get your dinghy ready to explore the various snorkelling spots and the stylish Bitter End Yacht Club. More to the east, you find the luxurious Biras Creek Resort and the Caribbean division of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. In high season, you can spot some of the world´s most exclusive superyachts there.


3. Hawksnest Bay
St. John, US Virgin Islands
Connoisseurs of the US Virgin Islands will agree that Hawksnest Bay is one of the most beautiful spots in the area. The island St. John, predominantly declared nature reserve, is a sanctuary for endangered animals like the green turtle. If luck is on your side, you may be able to watch turtles swimming and diving. The surrounding reef offers spectacular under water sceneries. Hawksnest Bay is a very safe anchorage unless there is northerly swell.



4. Warderick Wells Cay
Exuma Cays, Bahamas
360 picture-perfect islets, aligned like a pearl necklace: that´s Exuma Cays. Its emerald waters and flat white beaches have served as a scenery for several Hollywood movies, such as James Bond. To protect their beauty, most of the islands are part of the nature reserve “Exuma Cays”. A beautiful anchorage is situated in the west of Warderick Wells Cay. In the J-shaped bay, there are three mooring buoy areas.


5. Anse Noire
Martinique
With its lush green hills and black beaches, Anse Noire has a completely different character. Natures` wealth doesn´t only show above the water, but also below the surface. Put on your snorkelling gear, and you will find a phantastic submarine garden with colourful fish, corals and sea anemones. The best place to enjoy the sunset is within a stones` throw: Anse Dufour has a white beach with some nice restaurants serving local food and drinks.


6. Nonsuch Bay
Antigua
Another picture-perfect anchorage with palm-shaded beaches and pristine waters is Nonsuch Bay. There are many nooks and crannies for exploration. In Nonsuch Bay there is plenty of space for anchoring and the windward reef offers protection from the sea. The reefs leading to Fanny Cove offer excellent snorkelling.


7. Palmetto Point
Barbuda, the little sister of Antigua, is a class of its own. Just some 25 miles from bustling English Harbour, you find endless beaches completely unspoiled by tourism. On the south-western end of Barbuda is Palmetto Point, a nice anchorage. From here, you can explore the endless beaches and the abundant submarine life of Barbuda. As the island is surrounded by coral reefs, plan to arrive before noon. When there is westerly swell, anchoring at the south-western coast of Barbuda is not recommended.


8. Cayo Bretón
Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
The “Queen`s Gardens”, which is the literal translation of “Jardines de la Reina”, lie beyond the surface: The archipelago is declared as a nature reserve for its rich and intact underwater ecosystem. The flat islets, some of them grown with mangrove, are a true paradise to sailors seeking peace and nature. The clean water also attracts lobster so that you can virtually dine like king and queen without spending a fortune.


9. Baie Blanche
Tintamarre, Saint Martin
A haven of peace and greenery covering 100 hectares in the middle of the ocean, the island of Tintamarre is located 2 nautical miles off the northeast coast of Saint Martin. Taking a walk around this now uninhabited island, you will find the remains of an airstrip, a small railtrack and a cotton plantation. The most accessible bay, "Baie Blanche", is situated on the west coast. Tintamarre lies within the boundary of the Saint Martin Nature Reserve.


10. Tyrell Bay
Carriacou, Grenada
Carriacou is north east of the mainland Grenada and the largest of Grenada’s sister islands. With its 6 mile barrier reef along the eastern side and its active underwater volcano, Carriacou is a divers and snorkellers paradise. Tyrell Bay is the main anchorage of Carriacou, a very large horseshoe shaped bay with good protection and excellent holding. Being on the West coast the bay benefits from calm, clear waters. When you enter the bay there are reefs and a ship wreck, so check your chart well before entering and stay close to the marker buoys.