Anegada - island in British Virgin Islands

Anegada is an island in the British Virgin Islands. It has a year-round population of less than 200 on 15 square miles (38 sq km), which makes it the second largest island in the chain, after Tortola, but the most sparsely populated of the main islands. It is also geographically isolated, being separated by some 15 miles of blue water from the rest of the chain.

Get in

In order to get to Anegada, you will have to fly to either San Juan, Puerto Rico or Saint Thomas, and then to Beef Island Airport on Tortola. From there you can take the ferry to Anegada which runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at specific times, normally morning and afternoon, or you can take a chartered flight to Anegada via a number of airlines.

The flight is extremely short (10 minutes) and a popular option is to use one of the local air charter companies for a private flight: either Island Birds or Fly BVI. There is also a scheduled air service on VI Airlink, although service is fairly ad hoc in that they only fly if they have passengers booked, and booking in advance and confirming the day before are advisable.

The ferry service only operates three times a week. Round trip price is $55 for an adult (or $50 if you book in a group of five or more), $45 for a senior, and $35 for a child (May 2019).

People with their own yachts and boats also often sail to the island, but careful attention is necessary as the island is surrounded on all sides by reefs. Anegada, being a low coral atoll some miles away from the main island chain, is not actually visible from your likely starting point, Virgin Gorda (although the reverse is not true -- you can see Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Jost Van Dyke just fine once you're there.) Because of the reefs, the distance, and the low profile, simple line of sight navigation is not possible, making a boat trip to Anegada more of an adventure than sailing to the other BVIs. There is far less boat traffic, and for that matter far fewer people total, than on the other large islands.

Get around

Jeeps and trucks are available for rent on the island. If staying at the Anegada Reef Hotel or one of the villas on the island, you can inquire about having a rental car available for you at the airport. A taxi across the island, say between a remote beach and the Settlement, can be arranged at most restaurants or hotels.

See

• The western side of Anegada consists mostly of a large salt pond sporting flocks of flamingoes. There are miles of beaches to enjoy. It is easy to spend a day on the beach without seeing another living soul.
• You can inquire about fishing day trips with Lil Bit Taz or at Neptune's Treasure.
• There is a small museum at the Pomato Point Restaurant which has relics from centuries past that have washed ashore.

Do

See also: Scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands

Apart from the peace and tranquility of the beaches, most of the attractions on Anegada are water sports based.

• Snorkelling and diving. Anegada boasts some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the BVI, including a number of historic shipwrecks. However, there are relatively few scuba diving operators. None are local, and nearby Dive BVI (based in Virgin Gorda) will only make the trip if they have a sufficiently large group booking.
• Fishing. Both deep-sea fishing and fly fishing are popular. Anegada is fringed with a deep water ridge where you can fish for marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and tuna. Fly fishing concentrates on predominantly bonefish but also occasionally tarpon.
• Kite boarding. Anegada's wide shallows and strong prevailing winds are perfect for kite surfing.

Buy

Stop by Vera's Pottery Shop for handmade pottery. Also there are a few gift shops such as The Purple Turtle and the Anegada Reef Hotel gift shop where you can buy t-shirts, hats, jewelry and other mementos of your stay.

Eat

• Anegada Beach Club
• Anegada Reef Hotel
• Big Bamboo
• Cow Wreck Beach Bar
• Neptune's Treasure
• Pomato Point
• Potter's by the Sea

If you are staying in a villa with a fully equipped kitchen, you can also go down to the docks and ask around for fresh conch, fish and lobster that you can cook yourself. Groceries on the island are sparse. You can head down to Faulkner's Country Store for a few staples. Most visitors contact a grocery on Tortola before arriving for provisioning. Riteway in Tortola will deliver your grocery order to the government dock via the ferry which arrives Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The government dock is right by Potter's by the Sea and not difficult to find. Everyone seems to go down to meet the ferry when it comes in and the locals will help direct you there.

You can also stop by Dotsy's Bakery in The Settlement for breakfast and lunch.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are available from Henny's garden, behind an ordinary residence near the Settlement. (Just ask a local where Henny's is.)

Drink

Be sure to try a Painkiller or a Bushwacker.

• Lil Bit Snack Bar, Setting Point (3 mins from ferry dock), +1-2844959932.

Sleep

• Anegada Beach Club
• Anegada Reef Hotel

Or check out some of the islands cottages and villas such as Lavenda Breeze, Bonefish Villa, and Anegada Beach Cottages.

Go next

Visit Tortola or other Caribbean islands.