Here’s Why a Private Catamaran Is the Best Way to See the British Virgin Islands

Left: The Baths National Park. Getty Images

Middle: Preening Caribbean flamingos. Getty Images

Right: A Moorings catamaran. The Moorings

Island-by-island hot takes from a sailing novice.

Emma Franke’s British Virgin Islands trip:

My first visit to the British Virgin Islands may have started amid 30-knot winds, but after a few hours the seas calmed, and the Caribbean country known for the region’s best island-hopping came into focus. I’ve always been a hotel lover, but I discovered the appeal of life on the water on a private, crewed charter with The Moorings, which gives families and friend groups the space and flexibility to design trips around party spots, teeming reefs, and quiet beaches.

My four-day trip was a meandering affair on an eight-passenger, 50-foot catamaran with a two-person crew. Between stops at moorages where cruise ships can’t fit, we sunbathed and dined on board – I’m still not over one afternoon’s grilled zucchini and orzo salad paired with rosé and turquoise water views. Each day, the expert crew followed our whims and the wind – whether we wanted to snorkel, hike, or sip Painkillers, they had a low-key spot cued up. Here, the route we traced for a crowd-free escape.

Reef resident: A blue tang. Getty Images

Best for Snorkeling: Cooper Island

The Moorings’ charters depart from their home base on Tortola, and ours made straight for Cooper Island, part of the Little Sisters group scattered to the south. It wouldn’t be the Caribbean without rum, so naturally our first stop was the Cooper Island Beach Club’s Rum Bar, with its 400-bottle collection. The BVI’s own, Arundel, was the natural choice to accompany the trip’s first sunset. The reef in nearby Manchioneel Bay attracts snorkelers hoping to spot blue tang, butterflyfish, and maybe an octopus or two. A waterproof phone pouch for snapping blurry fish pics might be the BVI’s hottest summer accessory.

Best for Getting Your Steps In: Virgin Gorda

From Cooper Island, we left early for Virgin Gorda and The Baths National Park. It was an hour-long sail, and morning arrivals avoid afternoon heat and cruisers seeking IG-worthy shots among the cavernous rocks. In the park, the flat Devil’s Bay Trail winds past scurrying anole lizards to a sandy beach, then on to the payoff: stone cathedrals hidden between clusters of giant boulders along the coast. Our echoing chatter as we tromped the flooded paths between the rocks (sandals are a must on this often-waterlogged trail) reminded me of the narrow halls in Arches National Park. For post-hike refuels, The Moorings crew can arrange a taxi to Hog Heaven restaurant for ribs and a view of Moskito and Necker islands.

Best for Stretching Out in the Sand: Anegada

Flat, eight-square-mile Anegada is four hours northeast of Virgin Gorda and too small for most cruise ships to visit. Our captain, Francesco, convinced us to add it to our itinerary with promises of the BVI’s best lobster. We hopped on a Mini Moke to traverse the island, following quiet roads to wooden platforms with telescopes overlooking flamingo stands, then to easygoing beach bars – favorites included piña coladas at The Big Bamboo Bar and Tipsy by Ann, and self-serve sips at Cow Wreck. We’d passed lobster traps on our way to shore, and dinner at Wonky Dog was heaping plates of the day’s crustacean catch. With no call times to accommodate, we lingered on the beach as music started up and a bonfire sparked to life.

Best for Day Drinking: Jost Van Dyke

The Soggy Dollar Bar reigns supreme on Jost Van Dyke, where the nutmeg-topped Painkiller (a blend of rum, orange and pineapple juices, and coconut cream) was first invented in the 1970s. It’s a well-known party spot about four hours southwest of Anegada, where friendly bartenders keep watch on beach partiers from the open-air bar (expect to see a few yachts moored out front). Follow the happy-hour crowd to Foxy’s in Great Harbour later in the evening to keep the party going. If day drinking isn’t your thing, calm waters and healthy populations of coots and blue-winged teals keep snorkelers and birdwatchers busy near Sandy Spit and Diamond Cay National Park to the island’s east.

Departures: Any day through 2025.