It’s nearly the big day, Christmas is just around the corner now. However, once that hoop is jumped it’s time to welcome in a new year – but how will you be doing it? Perhaps its a night in with the family, or maybe you’ve headed into town with a group of friends to see 2016 out in style. However, have you considered doing it in the BVI?
Want to escape this winter? One of the best destinations for a winter charter is the British Virgin Islands! The BVI offers warm weather, calm seas and an astonishing array of beautiful spots. One of the Boatbookings team, Lambros, thinks that you should go to The Baths; a giant rock formation in Virgin Gorda, right by the sea…
Virgin Gorda is the third largest of the British Virgin Islands, and a popular destination for anybody who is looking to charter in the Caribbean. Said to have been named the 'Fat Virgin' by Christopher Columbus, the island's profile on the horizon looks like a fat woman lying on her side. If you're looking to charter a yacht to explore Virgin Gorda, The Baths are a necessary stop-off point.
The Baths are situated about 2 km south off the main town Spanish Town at the southern tip of the island between Spring Bay and Devil's Bay. The beach here shows evidence of how the BVI were formed through volcanic activity. White sand beaches are scattered with huge granite boulders, which create spectacular grottos with sea pools reflecting the light that shines down on them. The boulders form an inviting maze, which you can clamber through as you explore. The Baths provide an excellent chance to marvel at
the wonders the world can create, so taking your yacht around to view them will leave you stunned. Along with such beauty on land, snorkelling in the warm waters will also amaze you. Around The Baths you will find a great range of fish and rays; if you're lucky you may even spot a herd of seahorses in the clear blue sea.
If you are looking to explore Virgin Gorda and The Baths, GYPSY PRINCESS is an excellent choice to charter. A stunning Lagoon 450, she was one of the favourites at the BVI Yacht Show, where she won Best Catamaran Under 55ft. GYPSY PRINCESS has a very experienced and friendly crew, who will welcome you on board for an unforgettable sailing vacation. New this year, she has 3 spacious cabins and will comfortably accommodate 6 guests, whether you choose to spend time inside or on the padded sun deck which is
perfect for catching some rays.
Interested in chartering a yacht? At www.boatbookings.com, we welcome everyone from sailing professionals to complete novices and will help you at every step of the way to make your dreams a reality. We have a team of highly skilled professionals who are extremely knowledgeable in their destinations and will be able to help you with any questions you may have.
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Virgin Gorda is the third largest and the second most populated of the British Virgin Islands. The island is a well-known destination for romantic getaways and for relaxing holidays with friends and family. Christopher Columbus is said to have named the island “The Fat Virgin” because its profile on the horizon looked like a fat woman lying on her side. Whether this is true is still open for some debate.
The population of Virgin Gorda was only about 600 when American venture capitalist Laurence Rockefeller constructed the Rosewood Little Dix Bay resort in 1964. The resort is credited with establishing the tourism industry on the island, whose population now stands at over 3,200. Rosewood Little Dix Bay is a 4-diamond resort offering luxury villas and suites, an award winning spa and its own spectacular bay and beach. It is located near Spanish Town, the island’s capital city.
Although the pace of life can be slow on Virgin Gorda, the island provides the ideal blend of stunning scenery, good restaurants and plenty of activities and tourist attractions for those who have had enough of sunbathing on the beautiful white beaches.
The giant granite rock formations of the Baths, found in the south-west of the Island, are the biggest tourist attraction in the BVI. The rock pools and secret beaches found here are fascinating to explore and show evidence of the island’s volcanic origins.
This protected area also includes Devil’s Bay, a horseshoe shaped bay that is a 15-minute hike from the top of the Baths. Alternatively, hikers can take a second, more challenging path that involves climbing a series of ladders that scale the boulders. This is the perfect location for swimming, snorkeling and unwinding on some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.
Established in 1974, the 265-acre Gorda Peak National Park is also extremely popular. The park, which is the perfect example of Caribbean dry forest, contains a path leading up to the island’s highest point of 1,370 feet. Here you will find a wide variety of indigenous and exotic plants and an observation tower that offers panoramic views of some of the surrounding islands.
One yacht that is perfect for a romantic getaway in Virgin Gorda is the stunning Sun Odyssey 54 DS SAYANG. This crewed sailing yacht is hugely popular for honeymoon charters and ideal for sailing vacations and holidays around the Virgin Islands.
Please have a look at the 7-day BVI sailing itinerary on our website. If you would like some advice and help in planning a trip to the BVI, please send us an email to [email protected], where one of our Brokers would be delighted to assist you.
The British Virgin Islands (commonly called BVI) is an archipelago to the East of Puerto Rico, made up of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, amongst many other smaller islands.
Tortola is a lush mountainous island, which is also the vibrant hub of the financial and government sectors with Road Town as its capital. Tortola also provides the main port of entry for a growing mega yacht and cruise tourism industry. Charming guesthouses dot the hills and sleek resort hotels border some of the most beautiful beach expanses on the island. Beef Island (just a short bridge span away from Tortola on its eastern tip) is the site of the BVI’s International Airport and adjacent to it is sailboat-filled Trellis Bay, a unique cultural village with craft shops and restaurants.
Virgin Gorda is another of the BVI’s larger islands, of which Spanish Town is the main business and financial centre. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, a major port for ferries and visiting yachts, flanks it. The harbour has an array of gift and clothing shops, banks, provisioning markets and outdoor cafes.
If endless white sand beaches are what you’re looking for, Anegada is your island. It is the only all-coral atoll in the BVI at a mere 28 feet above sea level. Surrounded on one side by the infamous Horseshoe Reef, a watery graveyard for many an unsuspecting wind-tossed ship, it is known to have over 300 wrecks in its waters, some of whose artifacts can be seen in a local nautical museum.
Finally, Jost Van Dyke, named after a famous Dutch pirate, has been a sailor’s haven for years. Great Harbour, it’s main port of entry, is always bobbing with sailboats and sailors coming ashore to the charming West Indian village that lines the beach with gift shops and restaurants.
Gastronomy in the BVI includes Caribbean favourites, such as rice and peas, fish and salt fish, mutton and goat, “ground provisions” such as tania, sweet potatoes and plantains, and an array of soups: fish soup, bullfoot soup, goat head soup, pea soup, and pumpkin soup. The majority of the food is highly seasoned, and soups are commonly served with dumplings. A favourite local dish is fungi (cornmeal and okra) and fried fish; favoured beverages are drinks made from local fruits, and include Limeade, Soursop, Mauby, and Passion fruit. Other Caribbean foods, such as Jerk Chicken, Roti (a curry-filled pancake), and Patties (meat and fish-filled dumplings) are becoming a very popular staple in the BVI.
One of our favourite yachts for chartering in the BVI is SCOTT FREE, a magnificent 120ft luxury motor yacht. She has 4 fantastic cabins, as well as a spacious saloon with the latest technology and a large flybridge.
If you wished to take things a little slower, then we would highly recommend CATSY, an elegant Sunreef 62 Catamaran. She also has 4 cabins but her real beauty lies with her exterior. She has a fantastic flybridge as well as al fresco dining areas, perfect for entertaining friends or family. If you would like to enquire about either of these luxury yachts, please do so via our website. If you would like some advice and help to plan your BVI yacht charter, please send us an email to [email protected], where one of our Brokers would be delighted to assist you.
