Land trip - Virgin Gorda & Anegada

My husband and I will be staying on Virgin Gorda for 8 nights, with a day trip to Anegada. We've been to VG twice (2013 and 2016), so not since the storms. From what I've seen, the Yacht Harbor has moved somewhere else, as has Buck's. Also wondering what's open there, and what is not. Any new places worth checking. out? So excited to get back there!

We've never been to Anegada,so would also appreciate any feedback/advice on a day trip there.

Thank you all!

We’ve done two land based trips to VG since Irma. There were only a few places open in 2018, but we were glad they were. Ate at the Bath and Turtle quite a bit, iirc. 2019 had a lot more open. We missed the opening of Mad Dog’s by a few weeks, but that used to be our lunch spot. Bath and Turtle, Coco Maya, Top of the Baths, Fischer’s Cove, The Village Cafe, Leverick Bay were all open. Now Little Dix is open. For Groceries, there were 3 places last year (no Bucks). I know I’m not naming them all.. was there a place in particular you wanted to know about? There was a new place in Spanish Town we never got to try but heard good things about their take away. Anyway, we stay out at Guavaberry and usually just check the menus poster there and chat with Tina, Valerie, or Michelle about them. Although they are very diplomatic. We will be there Friday and need to pick a place for our anniversary on Saturday. The older I get, the more I enjoy the low-key places like the Village cafe.

OHstate -- We are going for our anniversary. Will probably have dinner that night at Coco Maya, though I hear the new and improved Sugar Cane is really great also.

I've never been to Village Cafe - where is that?

Where the Old Yard used to be. As you head out towards Leverick from Spanishtown, just around the big curve. Sugar Cane is on the list. They used to have a very good lobster risotto pre-Irma. CocO Maya is ok. Their menu and I just don’t click. Not a huge fan of Asian tapas. https://virgingordavillage.com/

For groceries, Bucks Wholesale and Riteway are near each other on the road to the Baths from Spanishtown. Rosy's is also nearby close to the junction to Coppermine Road. Supa-Valu is near the road to the airport. They were all open and fully stocked when we were there in December.

Guavaberry harps a good map of the valley. https://www.guavaberryspringbay.com/media/2263/2019-update-map_valley-sm.jpg and the rest. https://www.guavaberryspringbay.com/media/2264/2019-map_northside-sm.jpg

We just returned from VG, second trip since 2018.

The yacht harbor shops area is still closed. However, work was being done to the old grocery store. Anyone know what is going in there?

Little Dix looks fantastic. We went for lunch one day. While the food was good, it was a tapas style menu for lunch at the Sugar Mill and that just isn’t our thing. One definitely needs to call ahead for Little Dix.

We ate twice at the new Sugar Cane. Wow!!!! You won’t recognize the place. We all enjoyed our meals and the views and atmosphere were just perfect.

Excellent meals at Upstairs at Leverick.

Work is progressing at Saba.

I second everything everyone else has said. Additionally, if you want a super local experience you should check out Rada's. It is run by a Guyanese family and they are so friendly and cook amazing local dishes such as Fish Roti and Hard Nosed Jacks. Rada's is located in The Bond in the North Sound. I would also add Oil Nut Bay to your list. You can take our complimentary water taxi from Gun Creek in the North Sound and dine at Nova (tapas style restaurant in our marina) or make lunch or dinner reservations at our resort options, The Beach Club and The Pavillion. We also have a variety of different events going on such as: Tacos and Tequila Mondays, Wine Wednesdays, Buffet Saturdays and Sunday Brunch! I have attached our ferry and event schedule here.

Oh, also you can't forget about Hog Heaven on VG for lunch! Best views in the BVI. As for Anegada, there are now round trip ferry options from VG to Anegada 7 days a week which is awesome. Either Road Town Fast Ferry or the Anegada Express depending on the day. I attached photos of the ferry schedule here for you. As for what to do on Anegada, rent a car, moke, or moped and go explore! I recommend a bar crawl around the island. Every place you find has something unique and fun to offer but for a day trip I would recommend: Flash of Beauty for snorkeling, Loblolly Bay, Anegada Beach Club, Cow Wreck for a party scene and Sid's on the West End.

A suggestion for Oil Nut Bay - you should make sure there is a common message being shared about non-resort guests visiting and patronizing the resort restaurants. Prior to our last trip, I emailed about having lunch. The reply was curt and I was told we would be restricted to the dock/marina area only and were not welcome to visit the main resort restaurants.

Hi Cleo. I do apologize for that. There have been some kinks and confusion on our end as to communicating exactly what and how we offer our specific amenities. Basically, everything at Marina Village and all three of our restaurants are open to the public at no additional charge. The resort restaurants (Beach Club and Pavillion) will sometimes have blackout dates due to high levels of resort occupancy, so I do definitely recommend reservations if you are interested in dining there. If you want to use The Beach Club amenities (pool, beach, watersports equipment) then you are required to purchase a Resort Pass.

Virgin Gorda Resident--I sent you a PM regarding advertising on this site. Please respond.

Hi VVR - I did specifically ask about lunch and purchasing the Resort Pass, which is why I was a bit shocked at the terse response.

Its perfectly understandable resort guests get first priority and non-resorts needing reservations. I had to sweet talk Little Dix Bay to get a lunch reservation.

Thanks for the Ferry schedule to Anegada. Once we get there, taxi or rent a car? We’ve been before where everything was pre-arranged, it generally like independent travel.

If you plan on going to more than one beach, I would rent a car. We usually go to Big Bamboo/Flash of Beauty. Then Anegada Beach Club, then onto Cow Wreck.

I would highly recommend renting a car or mopeds and driving yourself around. The mopeds are really fun, but do be careful if you go that route as I have seen some bad accidents with them. The reason I recommend renting a car is: 1.) It is affordable and easy to do (like $65 for the day and there are a bunch of places to rent one right by the anchorage) 2.) You can't get lost. Anegada literally has one road and it is a loop. 3.) You are on your own schedule!

A couple other things to check out on Anegada if you are interested: 1.) Kelly's Boat Tours. Kelly is a local Anegada guide who does boat tours around the island. He will take you to the east end of the island for a tour of the conch pile (incredibly cool and unique), flamingo sighting and snorkeling. He often will even dive for lobster that you can then take and eat at dinner! 2.) The Francis Family Farm. Kenny Francis actually operates a horse farm on Anegada that offers Beach and Trail horseback riding around Anegada. If that is your type of thing there is few things I have enjoyed more than a sunset horseback ride on the Anegada Beach with Kenny.

Thanks for these maps! I had heard that the road that goes up from Nail Bay to Hog Heaven is closed? Anyone know if that is true?

It's back open again.

I've never seen Little Dix Bay area. Is this an area that we can explore if we aren't staying there?

Little Dix hasn’t been open since Irma, so no updates, but it used to be that you could use the beach, order drinks, as long as you didn’t use their chairs, etc. it has been many years since we did it, and it was a high swell day, so we went thinking it might be a bit more sheltered. Still couldn’t snorkel that day. Again no idea how it is now, and we aren’t planning on checking it out other than for lunch/dinner maybe. I can report back after next week. We will be there on Friday!

I would say..dont rent mopeds/scooters on Anegada..get a pickup or Moke....or cab...

I would second that. My girlfriend and I were there in November and rented a moped and took a trip to Cow Wreck. No issues, we enjoyed it... but the end of that ride is soft sand and less than ideal to be doing with a passenger on the back or after a couple pain killers. Looking forward to our next trip back in May, probably sans mopeds.

Third on no scooters! After Cow Wreck, I wrecked. Bruises lasted months

Thanks all for the advice on Anegada. The Mr. might want to rent a scooter, after all, we’ve rented them in Bermuda, Key West, and most amazingly Rome, but I’ll talk him into the car if we decide to go. Weather is looking iffy starting Tuesday next week (when he is scheduled to go out w/ DiveBVI) so if we go, it will likely be Sunday. Best to weather swells at the Crawl when on VG. Can’t wait!

We were there for lunch last month. We were turned away at the security gate the first time we tried to eat because we didn’t have a reservation. Called and got a reservation for the next day. We walked around part of the resort before and after lunch. Staff was friendly but definitely was interested in what we were doing.

It is open.

Yes, Little Dix reopened in late December.

Yes, I should have clarified that it hasn’t been open the last two years when we have been on island (2018 and 2019) so I don’t have any up to date personal information.

Some of our guests went there last month - were shocked at the 19 dollar drinks and 40 dollar salads - I think they are still seeing relatively low occupancy since holding their opening in January

Lets just kill the golden goose..that is obscene..Just had a great $6 cheeseburger at Stout's Lookout. Those places are still out there if you seek them out.

I've been using their map since our first trip in 2010

Agree - our guests ate there only once on a 3 week stay and went out to Coco Maya, Hog Heaven and Nail bay the rest of the time.

Is David Johnson still involved with Oil Nut Bay?

Yep, we spent $400+ on lunch for three. Granted, we had several (6?) dishes, a bottle of wine, two desserts and two drinks but it is shocking expensive. What bothered me more than the price was the small plates menu, that just isn’t our thing.

I was all set on extending our stay on VG for three nights to stay there until I saw the cheapest (ha!) room was over $2,300 per night. I am used to resort prices but that is beyond extreme. I heard they reduced the number of rooms to make larger rooms, hence the increased price. The resort looked empty for middle February.

Just looked at their website and dining options. Didn't see prices quite like that but not far off. Wine runs $15 - $20 a glass. Not the way I drink wine!!

Here's a sample from the Pavilion restaurant dinner menu.

"8 Oz Prime Beef Burger on Johnny Cake, Garlic and Chili Crispy Potatoes 35"

$35 hamburger 😂

Joking aside, the food was excellent.

I had octopus that made me want to stab my husband and son when they each asked for a bite, it was that good. I also had conch and calaloo (sp?) curry with rice that was fantastic. Both of those were over $20 each. The octopus was a small portion, the curry was almost lunch entree sized. My son had the flank steak that would have satisfied a normal person as a single dish but he is a 14 yo approaching 6’ tall so it only dented his hunger. My husband can’t remember what he had but says it was very good.

Unfortunately that $35 hamburger is not a joke. Prices there are freaking absurd! How about upwards of $1,500/nt for a room?

Makes renting a villa elsewhere almost cheap

You hit the nail on the head! As I said elsewhere I like " Stout's Lookout" $6 cheeseburgers just fine..Some things are getting really silly.

Based on what I've seeing here, I think we'll skip Little Dix Bay. I am wondering now though where "Stouts Lookout" is?

Who do you recommend for renting a car on Anegada? We definitely want to do this. No mopeds for me!

Found one on Tortola.

Stoutt's Lookout

At the top of Windy Hill as you leave Cane Garden Bay to the West. 1.5 miles from Myett's.

On Virgin Gorda - you can get a great burger, great coleslaw and fries with a spectacular view at Hog Heaven - no need for gold plated burgers.

I'll have to try the burger next time. I had the worst bbq of my life at Hog Heaven in December. 3 people had 3 different meals and all were very dry and over cooked.

Dean Wheatley = 284-544-3703 (dwjeep@hotmail.com)

I believe Stoutt's is on Tortola. I don't plan on spending any time on Tortola this trip - just VG w/ a day trip to Anegada.

This May will be our first time back post Irma. Previous trips we ate lunch at Hog Heaven at least 2 - 3 times and it was always awesome! BBQ and Conch in butter sauce couldn't be beat. Hope it hasn't changed. I'm curious to look on Trip Advisor to see recent comments.

Just looked at TA and saw mostly 4 & 5 stars for food in reports starting with this new year. Of course the view is always a 5. The worst food comment was that the food was average but the majority rated the food from very good to awesome. Hope that's accurate.

Hopefully. The view is incredible and I'll be back for that and a drink for sure! Could have been an off day but it tasted like food that was good 3 days ahead and left to stay warm on the grill.

Stouts is on Tortola, on Windy hill between Cane Garden Bay and Carrot Bay. The views are breathtaking and Prince is such a joy to be around.

For those that don't like the BBQ at Hog Heaven,
the fried chicken is pretty good.

So is the conch in butter sauce!

Yes. David Johnson is still the owner and operator of Oil Nut Bay. He is highly involved and lives down here for the winter season.

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If you want to rent a mokke jeep from anegada reef club, put in your reservation now (not joking!). If you just want a regular car, I highly recommend VNJ’s gift shop next door. You can probably call and book one in advance but we didn’t need a reservation and they saved our day trip. Don’t bother with taxi’s on anegada, waste of money and there is NO traffic.

What is a mokke jeep? Is there some advantage to having one of those over a regular car?

I'll pass

Its a MOKE..a design going back to the early 60's..a buggy based on real Mini parts. Front wheel drive and tons of fun. BMC made them, then Leyland Australia made them, then Gadiva in Portugal. Recently a company acquired the rights to the name and design and brought them back into production. I had a 65 Moke and did over 100,00 miles in mine..have not driven a new one. Caribbean dealership for the Caribbean is out of St Barth's. They are not legal in the US although someone is doing a 30 mph electric one ..YUK! A real one will cruise at over 70.

Imagine a regular Jeep that is stretched out and sits much lower to the ground. We saw several on VG last month. What made us chuckle is the “shifter” looked like a standard but was an automatic drive.

We just rented a car from DW Jeep rentals yesterday. Small SUV, nothing fancy, a bit beat up but just fine for heading to the beach. We booked in advance so he met us at the ferry dock. We did a quick stop at his shop to sign the paperwork and we were on our way to Loblolly beach. At the end of the day, just put some gas in it, and drop it off at the pier.

We took the 8 am ferry from Virgin Gorda, which departs from the gas docks in Spanish Town (near Dive BVI). On Sundays, it departs Anegada at 5-ish.

We started at Loblolly, had a nice snorkel before rain hit. Lunch at the Anegada Beach Club (the BLLT (lobster BLT) was great, probably the best thing we’ve had since getting here. The rain was blowing sideways by the time we got to Cow Wreck, so we opted for the Wonky Dog instead where it was more sheltered. Had a good day despite the weather but would definitely wait for a day when things were clearer next time. Unfortunately rain and northern swells have arrived. It is a red flag day at the Baths ( we can see the flag from our deck).

How much was the rental? And did you reserve it ahead of time, or can we just ferry over and rent a vehicle last-minute?

Should be right at about $65 per day. I would call ahead just to be sure.

Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Moke

$65 plus gas, we called ahead and he met us at the pier.