Sailing Mystic Hearts

We’ve now chartered three times in the British Virgin Islands and have gone to almost all of the larger islands in the chain. The one island we keep coming back to the most is Norman Island. Just south of Tortola and Peter Island, Norman Island is a great spot for beginning and ending week-long charters. It only takes a few short hours to get there (depending on how fast you’re sailing!) and is convenient for its proximity to Road Town, the port where most charter boats depart from in Tortola.

Norman Island is beautiful. While all of the islands in the BVI have special beaches, bars, and nature to explore, Norman Island was the first stop we ever made and it quickly became our favorite. The main mooring field in The Bight Bay is huge, and we’ve never had a problem grabbing a ball while there. It’s also pretty protected from wind overall, making it a comfortable stop for a day or two on the front/back end of your charter. The dinghy dock is located in front of the restaurant, Pirates Bight, and there are great trails to explore and snorkeling to be done while there.

We’ve also stayed on a mooring ball overnight in Privateer Bay, though there were limited balls (maybe a half dozen total). During high season, I imagine it’s hard to get a ball there. If you find one available, I’d highly recommend snagging it.

Here’s our list of our 5 must-do activities while at Norman Island:

1. Have a meal at Pirates Bight, the only restaurant on Norman Island, which is located in The Bight Bay. Our favorite time to dine there is lunch because that’s the only time of day you can get their mahi fish tacos. The tacos are served with pickled red onions and crispy french onion strings on top, giving them a little bit of tart and crunch. Dinner prices are going to run a bit higher, which is to be expected while in any of the Caribbean islands. That being said, we’ve also enjoyed their rack of ribs for dinner and love their conch fritters as an appetizer. Do yourself a favor and get a drink (or two) while at Pirates Bight. They serve my absolute favorite pina colada and bushwacker in the world. Both are incredibly creamy, flavorful, and they don’t skimp on the rum!

2. Enjoy the sunset from your boat while at the mooring field in Privateer Bay. This is one of the few spots in the BVI that you can watch the sunset unobstructed by another island.

3. Go for a hike on one of the many trails that run across the island. We prefer to do our hiking earlier in the day before the sun peaks and end with lunch at Pirates Bight. Be sure to wear proper footwear, head coverage, and sunscreen and bring plenty of water. Each trail that we took began behind the restaurant and was an immediate uphill walk. Once we more or less got to the top, it leveled out a little. The hikes weren’t overly strenuous (we’ve done the hike to Money Bay and the southwestern trail on our most recent visit), but if you haven’t done any hiking in awhile, be kind to yourself and go at a comfortable pace, taking rest breaks as needed. Also, be sure to stay on the trail! They aren’t marked, but should be obvious based on prior foot traffic. In a brief moment of not paying attention, I stepped off the trail and my ankle hit a small cactus. It was painful and caused some redness, but most importantly, it could have been easily avoided.

4. Snorkel the caves or along the beach in The Bight. The caves are most easily accessed from Privateer Bay. Our crew each took two pool noodles so we could effortlessly float and look down into the water as we swam into each of the three caves. We saw a number of tropical fish, including a stunning parrotfish. While there was a lot of life in the coral around the caves, it was also evident that the coral isn’t as healthy as it should be. I’m hopeful that in the future, it will be more vibrant and teeming with life.

5. You deserve a break. Kick back, relax, and enjoy a day sitting on the beach reading your favorite book, sipping a fruity drink, or just floating on some pool noodles. Life is good.

On Our To-Do List The Next Time We Go to Norman Island:

1. Visit the Willy T. This infamous floating bar, while not the original (thanks Hurricane Irma) is still legendary in its own right. We hope to make a stop here next time we’re at Norman Island and maybe even make the jump from the upper deck into the water!

2. Explore more trails. We’d like to head back to the eastern side of the island next time and check out other trails similar to the one that ends at Money Bay. They will be longer than the southwestern trail, but with more views to encounter.

Have we missed anything on our list? Let us know in the comments below!