ANEGADA

photo by Arthur Jones

This tiny British island, lying 15 miles north of Virgin Gorda, is often referred to as "the last virgin." Just nine miles long, with approximately 150 inhabitants, the island is surrounded by an extensive and treacherous barrier reef which has claimed hundreds of shipwrecks over the years.

Because it is surrounded by reef, much of the island is inaccessible to larger boats. Our kayaks gently glide over the shallowest spots, allowing for our complete mobility inside the reef. We'll paddle to distant white sand beaches and pristine snorkel spots, the sites of shipwrecks and plundered treasure fleets.

The extensive mangrove flats here offer the fly-fisherman a chance to cast to bonefish, permit or tarpon. Anegada also has some of the most diverse bird life in the Eastern Caribbean.

photo by Mauricio Handler

Sample Anegada Expedition Itinerary:

Day 1: We meet at 7:30 am at the Beef Island Airport, on the eastern end of Tortola, where we board our flight to Anegada. This flight takes only about 12 minutes. Once on Anegada, we'll head to the campground at the western end of the island (Pomato Point). Here, we will spend some time going over the fundamentals of paddling, have lunch, and then paddle a short distance to a nearby snorkeling spot. We will return to camp by 5:00 pm for cocktail hour, a fabulous sunset, and dinner.

Day 2: After a leisurely breakfast, we set out from camp, paddling around the western end of the island, and along the north shore to some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. We will be paddling inside the reef, so that we are in relatively calm water. At Bones Bay, we will stop for snorkeling and lunch before heading back to camp on Pomato Point.

Day 3: We break down camp and paddle east toward Solider Point, where we stay at a primitive campsite. The beach on Solider Point is the northern tip of Anegada, and is accessible only by boat. We will be paddling through water that is at times only inches deep, so keep your eyes open for nurse sharks or stingrays as we glide past. We have free time in the afternoon to snorkel and explore our remote location.

Day 4: We break camp and paddle west along the north shore to Cow Wreck Bay. We have lunch and the afternoon is open to snorkeling the multiple coral heads in the bay, fishing the flats for bonefish, tarpon, permit or snook or just "liming" on the beach. We will make a late afternoon paddle back to Pomato Point to camp and get cleaned up for a wonderful dinner at the Pomato Point Restaurant.

Day 5: After breakfast, we make our way by foot to the interior salt ponds to see if we can get a glimpse of the pink flamingos. After which we will take a safari taxi to Loblolly and the Flash of Beauty Beach. Loblolly is thought of as the most spectacular of all the beaches on Anegada and the snorkeling here is superb. There are giant coral heads and spectacular fish. We have the afternoon to relax and spend time snorkeling this beautiful spot. We will be leaving Loblolly in the late afternoon in time to catch our flight back to Tortola.

Please note that this is a sample itinerary, which may be changed due to wind, weather and sea conditions.

• length of trip: 5 days
• accommodations: camping
• included: all meals and equipment, round trip air Tortola-Anegada-Tortola
• departs from: Tortola, BVI

Please click here for our schedule of Anegada trip dates and prices.