White Bay
Blinding sand, electric water, and the Soggy Dollar — birthplace of a proper Painkiller.
The barefoot island
Jost Van Dyke
Beach bars, pirate lore, white sand
Jost Van Dyke is the BVI at its most informal. White Bay’s powder sand is the reason people stay all afternoon; the Soggy Dollar Bar, so named because dinghies land through the surf, is the reason they stay after dark. Great Harbour is the main village and ferry landing, home to Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, a legend of wooden-boat regattas and handwritten lyrics on the walls. The island is small enough to walk, and the water between here, Sandy Cay and Sandy Spit is some of the prettiest in the chain. Bring cash, a sense of humour, and shoes you do not mind leaving on the boat.
Highlights
Foxy’s
Great Harbour’s famous beach bar. New Year’s Eve here is a BVI rite of passage.
Great Harbour
The island’s village: ferries, customs, grilled lobster, and a slow clock.
Sandy Spit & Sandy Cay
A short hop by boat to postcard sandbars with nothing on them but palms.
Beaches
All beachesLively
White Bay
Powder sand and the Soggy Dollar Bar. Come by dinghy, stay for a Painkiller.
Where to stay
Featured partnerJost Van Dyke · Boutique hotel
Sandcastle Hotel
$$White Bay, a handful of cottages, and the Soggy Dollar a few steps down the sand.
Check ratesThings to do
Beach-bar hopping
Soggy Dollar, Foxy’s, Pusser’s, Trellis Bay. The Painkiller is the house cocktail of the BVI.
Getting there
Ferries from West End, Tortola, and from St. John / St. Thomas. Most visitors arrive by yacht or day boat. There is no airport.
Full travel info
