So there we were… drinking Caribs on the drowned island…
Anegada - about as laid back as it gets!
.
Anegada is the most remote of the British Virgin Islands. You reach it after a nice long sail, then thank your stars that you’ve got a competent and experienced captain steering you through the reefs to a safe anchorage. And then you go ashore to investigate & celebrate!
It can be tricky to get to Anegada, at least safely! It’s known as the drowned island, since it’s a flat coral island that barely reaches above the sea. With the highest point at just 28 feet above sea level, there could be palm trees higher than that!
There are also real drownings here. Not only is the island hard to spot from sea, but there’s an underwater reef that extends another 11 miles – longer than the island itself! You’re sailing along watching that island in the distance, when WHAM, CRUNCH, CRACK! The small island of Anegada has over 300 shipwrecks on its reefs, testament to how many people made that same mistake!
This is why you see fewer yachts here than at other harbors in the BVI. People who charter a bareboat are generally told not to go to Anegada, because the charter companies don’t want their boats to end up like this one, hard aground on the reef at Anegada (courtesy of Dreamchaser’s blog).
But once you get here, you’ve found a place that’s truly off the beaten path. The population is only about 200 people, and the “main town” is simply called The Settlement. What it has going for it are miles of sandy beaches, with nary a soul in sight; fabulous snorkeling and scuba diving (remember that reef!) and some of the most gorgeous water in the world!  The beach and sea at Anegada are truly incredible.
Some day, Anegada will probably be developed with large luxury resorts. Enjoy it while you still can, while it’s still unspoiled. Enjoy it while you can still sail in through the tricky reef, then jump off the boat for a swim and sink your toes in the sand as you enjoy a cold one on the beach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We’ve got another group sailing in the British Virgin Islands this week, and I’m there with them in spirit, if not in body! Some of our trips go to Anegada, some don’t – every trip is different. Ah to be out on the water again…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10 responses so far ↓
1 Ana // Jan 27, 2009 at 10:52 am
Sounds like an adventurous vacation! You never see this island on the Travel Channel. Thanks for the insight!
2 Cindy // Feb 11, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Oh, I’ve been looking for a quiet place somewhere in the BVI that hadn’t been overrun by mega resorts yet. It looks beautiful!
3 Deanna Keahey // Feb 11, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Cindy – Quiet, definitely! It’s a pretty off-the-beaten-path island, and here’s hoping it stays that way!
4 Brandon // Feb 14, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I really hope this place remains untainted by too much commercial development. While it’s nice that so many parts of the Caribbean are developed and accessible for people to enjoy the beauty, I’d hate to see too many places become commercialized. If possible, a place like Anegada should be preserved as a cultural treasure.
5 Deanna Keahey // Feb 14, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Brandon — I agree with you 1000%. Places like this keep getting gobbled up, and once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. Unfortunately, the big $$ is usually on the side of development. Let’s hope enough people recognize the value of keeping some places just the way they are. There’s more to life than generating max $ per square foot.
6 arkadeb313 // Feb 16, 2009 at 3:58 am
Appears to be a beautiful place for vacation. Away from all disturbances of daily life. Perfect location to get lost for a fe days.
7 Deanna Keahey // Feb 16, 2009 at 3:13 pm
You’re right – daily life there is a whole different matter than daily life at home!
8 Ellen // Aug 17, 2009 at 3:14 am
Sailing out to Anegada was a nice afternoon. Having a captain and cook on the chartered sailboat was a great way to travel in the BVI. They had a relationship with the restaurant where we dined. We radioed ahead the number of lobsters we wanted for dinner and had a great, fresh meal. The captain anchored up and we spent the night, to awaken at a secluded beach. Probably the best day of the week long sailing vacation (I went with The Moorings charter company).
Cheers,
Lunachance
Redmond, WA
9 Deanna Keahey // Aug 21, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Ellen – I ate at a lobster restaurant there too – it was so fun dining on fresh lobster, on the beach with your feet in the sand. Thanks for mentioning that!
Leave a Comment