For one of the most memorable family vacations you can imagine, or to have a perfect romantic getaway for a honeymoon or an anniversary, it would be difficult to find anything better than luxury yacht stays USVI & BVI. These are also a wonderful idea for two or three couples to spend time relaxing and enjoying the island, and also as a corporate retreat that is sure to set a very high bar for the future.
The wonderful thing about chartering a yacht for an overnight stay or several nights is that it really becomes your floating home. You will stay in beautifully appointed cabins, enjoy the galley for cooking and the onboard grills, and eat out on the deck watching the beauty of the islands from your own private yacht.
The idea of a private yacht charter also appeals to those who like to take in all the sights and not just the common tourist areas. While these are fun to visit, it is also nice to get to know some of the more secluded places to see that are less traveled and off the beaten path. Imagine having your own white sand beach to enjoy for a day, and then spending the evening watching the stars without another person in sight.
If you are planning to include yacht stays USVI & BVI there are some definite highlights to see throughout these groups of islands. Each of the bigger islands in the BVI and USVI offers restaurants, beachfront bars, shopping, historical sites, and all the amenities you would expect in cities throughout the world.
United States Virgin Islands
There are three main islands in the USVI including St. Thomas, with the capital city of Charlotte Amalie, as well as St. Croix and St. John. Of course, you want to spend some time in Charlotte Amalie and take in the amazing shops, jewelry stores and boutiques all selling local and unique items from the islands and beyond.
For evening entertainment on St. Thomas, head down to Frenchtown for some of the best restaurants and some upscale dining and entertainment. You may also want to visit Red Hook, another area that is known for great food and things to do.
From Charlotte Amalie, you can travel across the island by taxi or tour around the island on your yacht. This will take you to Magen’s Bay, a local hotspot beach with lots to see and do.
For those that love to snorkel, plan to take in Coki Beach. This is a perfect place to learn to snorkel and a wonderful place to just explore underwater. You will also want to take in Coral World, which is located on Coki Point. Tour the underwater observatory and take in the rest of the events which is great for a day in itself.
St. John is home to the Virgin Islands National Park, which takes up almost a full two-thirds of the island. This is a wonderful place to hike the trails and see the fauna and flora of this part of the world. You can also take in the U.S Virgin Island Coral Reef National Monument, which is located along the southern shoreline.
You will definitely want to take in Watermelon Cay and the Annaberg Sugar Plantation. It is also well worth the hike to the Salt Pond, and this provides a less traveled and more rugged looking beach that is great for a picnic or just a few hours to relax and swim in the crystal clear waters.
St. Croix is the best known of the USVI and is all by itself to the south. This is also the largest island in the group, and it offers some amazing beaches and some historic Dutch architecture in the cities of Christiansted and Frederiksted.
For snorkelers a must off St. Croix is the Buck Island Reef National Monument, which actually has an underwater snorkeling trail. Historical and interesting sites to see include Point Udall, which is the easternmost point of the USA. You will also want to walk through the rainforest to find the Annally Bay tidal pools.
The British Virgin Islands
The BVI is actually a group of 50 islands and cays, with several completely uninhabited. Most of the population lives on the four islands of Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Tortola, which is home to the capital city of Road Town.
When you are booking yacht stays USVI & BVI be sure to talk to your captain about spending some time in Smuggler’s Cove on Tortola. This is one of the best places to swim with sea turtles, and it is also a quiet and relaxing place to stay.
Other things to see in Tortola include Fort Burt, Callwood’s Rum Distillery and the J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens. For those that love the outdoors, plan to spend time hiking through Sage Mountain National Park.
Virgin Gorda is home to the famous Devil’s Bay and nearby to The Baths, an amazing natural grotto and saltwater pool area formed by granite boulders and millions of years of erosion.
You will also like Gorda Peak, a great place to take in a panoramic look of the island and the surrounding BVI territory. For some terrific historical sites go to the Cornish Copper mines to the southeast of the island or take a stroll through the ruins left by the Spanish at Little Fort National Park.
Jost Van Dyke is a very small little island, but there are some amazing natural beaches. One of the great things to take in on the island is the Bubbly Pool, which is really a natural Jacuzzi. Just make sure to arrive when there is some good wave action to get the full effect.
For a very traditional BVI event, you have to go to the Soggy Dollar Bar that is home to the famous Painkiller drink, and enjoy some of the great Caribbean foods served in the restaurants dotted around the island.
Anegada is the only island in the BVI or the USVI that is not volcanic. It is, in fact, a coral island, and it is virtually at sea level. You will have easy access to the coral reefs all around the island, and this is a great place to just relax and watch the waves.
Anegada has wonderful hiking trails through some amazing natural vegetation. It is also a great place to go underwater exploring through reefs and even through ancient wreckages.
With your own yacht stays in USVI & BVI you can pick and choose which areas, and which islands, you want to visit. As there is a lot to see and do, you may want to focus on just a couple of islands on your first visit, and then come back again to see more.
