Anegada | BVI

Anegada is a unique and tranquil paradise in the British Virgin Islands, named from the Spanish for "Drowned Land". An atoll formed of limestone and coral surrounded by Horseshoe Reef, the landscape differs vastly from the steep and mountainous volcanic rock that defines the rest of the Virgin Islands. 

There are no road signs or stoplights on Anegada. With a population of 200 it is so quiet that at times it feels deserted. Cattle, donkeys and goats roam freely. If you look hard enough, there are locals hidden among various beach and resort bars just waiting to pour you a funky rum drink or take a shot of fireball with you.

Getting there: Spanish Town Virgin, Gorda --> Setting Point, Anegada - the passenger ferry runs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and is $55 round trip - cash only - and takes about an hour. (The ferry originates in Tortola.)

Getting Around: A rental car will give you freedom to explore - you can expect to pay about $60/day. Taxis and scooter rentals will also be available at the dock if you arrive on a scheduled ferry. 

A day on the Island: 11 miles long and 3 miles wide, it's easy to see the entire island in one full day. After getting situated with our jeep we drove through The Settlement before spending the morning on the secluded shores at the far eastern point of Loblolly Bay. It was windy and the reefs are super shallow, so snorkeling wasn't ideal but we made the best of it. We took a short nap and wandered off the beach into Daddy's Love Shack where the solo bartender/caretaker made us (his only customers) some refreshing Cucumber Crushes blended with coconut rum. He was also thoughtful enough to call in our Lobsters for lunch at Big Bamboo - a restaurant and beach bar further down Loblolly. They pluck your catch fresh from the traps set in the bay, and those spiny crustaceans head straight for the grill. Served hot and dressed simply in butter and lemon with potatoes and carrots, Caribbean lobster is rich and sweet, an island delicacy not to be missed!! After a few Caribs in the sun we headed west to check out the vast pink-toned salt flats where a flock of flamingos dot the horizon. Continuing to cruise along the dirt road a single sign on the right leads us to the Anegada Beach Club for poolside painkillers. Next, we retreat to the pearly white sands of Cow Wreck Bay and can't help but jump in for one last swim. Back at the main dock, we leave the jeep and make our way on foot to the Anegada Reef Hotel. At the outdoor beach bar a crowd of locals celebrates a birthday. They welcome us to the point where we feel like one of them, even inviting us behind the bar where Leah plays bartender and pours all 20 of us a round of shots. Spending the last of our time with this lively Caribbean crew makes our day trip to Anegada feel complete. 

Next time, I'm staying longer. 

The Baths & Devil's Bay

The Baths National Park is Virgin Gorda's best known landmark, where along the islands south shore giant boulders form exotic pools and light filled grottos. We arrived early around 8am to ensure we wouldn't have to dodge cruise-ship crowds. Sure enough, besides a local artist and a chicken and her baby chick, we had the place to ourselves. We climbed over massive granite rocks and through tiny crevices, eventually reaching the picturesque horseshoe shaped beach at Devil's Bay. The snorkeling here is phenomenal; as all those boulders explored above the sea exist below it, too, only with tons of beautiful flora and fish. We snorkeled for a couple hours and then hiked the trail back up to the top of the baths. We opted to eat lunch at home and relax at our pool that afternoon, before a night out at Coco Maya just down the street. Earlier in the week we had explored Spring Bay and Little Trunk Bay - just to the west of The Baths, (also in some photos above, with a similar landscape) which I would recommend in conjunction if you had a limited number of days. 

With her luxurious, otherworldly beaches and safe, serene homes and towns, I can't say enough about how special and splendid Virgin Gorda is. 

Mahoe Bay | Virgin Gorda

On this vacation, I am pretty confident that we spent more time underwater than we did on the beach. While the BVI is know for excellent Scuba diving, I've never been particularly interested - the simplicity and ease of snorkeling is more appealing to me. Floating along in the warm water with tropical fish, my soul is happy. At Mahoe Bay we snorkeled in the most gorgeous sparkling aquamarine waters to a deserted beach just around the cove where we discovered lots of unique coral. Mahoe Bay didn't have as many fish as some of the other spots, but it did have an incredible under water landscape. Being here, exploring the bay and this quiet, pristine strip of beach was enough. (Our next snorkel adventures will have lots of fish!!) 

P.S. These and other water photos were taken with my Nikon CoolPix S32. It's a fun, easy to use and reliable underwater/shockproof camera. This trip wouldn't have been the same without it!

Coco Maya | Virgin Gorda

We cooked more at our cottage than we dined out - with a spot like that, why wouldn't you!? We found ourselves on a schedule of early to rise, early to bed. This is a daytime island and nightlife is slim. But Coco Maya gives you a taste. A chic, open air beachside lounge serves excellent maki rolls, ceviche and lots of shareable plates with a Caribbean Asian Fusion. 

What the four of us ate, pictured:
Spicy Calamari Salad ($16) | kimchee/mixed capsicum/dashi/cucumber ribbon/sesame oil
Spicy Salmon & Avocado Roll ($16) | salmon/avocado/sriracha/sesame oil
Spicy Tuna Roll ($17) | yellowfin tuna/sriracha/black tobiko
Sunset Roll ($14) | crispy salmon/avocado/mango purée
Scallop Ceviche ($17) | pickled red onion/zucchini ribbons/wasabi mayo/ponzu/micro fries/nori
Chocolate & Walnut Brownie ($9) | mint-choc-chip ice cream/coconut anglaise

Also devoured, not pictured:
Edamame ($9) | Japanese soybeans/chili butter/rock salt
Tom Yum Soup ($8) | shiitake mushroom/plum tomato/lemongrass/cilantro
Coco Maya House Ribs ($14) | sweet chili/honey/agave/garlic sauce
CFC Wings ($16) | kimchee/sambal/agave/honey sauce
Coco Maya Roll ($16) | tempura shrimp/avocado/spicy mayo/deep fried  
Dulche de Leche Cheesecake ($9) | salted caramel 

We followed up dinner with pineapple hookah in the sand around a charcoal firepit overlooking the turquoise waters of the Sir Frances Drake Channel. 

CocoMaya Beach Restaurant

Virgin Gorda, VG1150

British Virgin Islands