Yachting in the British Virgin Islands: A week in paradise under sail

Day 1: Start on Tortola and pirate caves on Norman Island

We set off from Road Town on Tortola. The marina is bustling with activity, everyone is rushing around, but we are already relaxed. Our first destination? Norman Island. It's only a short distance away (about 6 nm), so no stress.
Norman Island is legendary. It is said that Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired here to write Treasure Island. We didn't find any treasure (unless you count empty rum bottles), but the Treasure Point caves are amazing. Put on your goggles, jump into the water, and you're in another world.
In the evening, we anchored in The Bight. And here comes the cultural interlude – the floating bar Willy T. Imagine an old ship where alcohol flows freely and people jump from the deck into the water (often fully clothed, sometimes not). "What my friends think I'm doing: Navigating by the stars. What I'm really doing: Drinking Painkillers on Willy T and trying not to fall into the sea."

Day 2: The underwater world at The Indians and the wreck of the RMS Rhone

In the morning, while our heads are still a little sore, we head over to The Indians. These are four rocks sticking out of the water that look like an Indian headdress. Underwater, however, it's like an aquarium. Fish of all colors, corals... simply beautiful.
For connoisseurs, there is the wreck of the RMS Rhone near Salt Island. This mail ship sank in the 19th century and today is one of the best diving spots in the Caribbean. It's a little chilling to swim above something where people once walked in top hats, but it's a powerful experience.
We spend the night on Cooper Island in Manchioneel Bay. This is where the Boaty Ball app comes in handy, because spots disappear faster than steam from a pot.

Day 3: The Baths rock formations and the atmosphere of Virgin Gorda

The third day is all about rocks. But not just any rocks. The Baths on Virgin Gorda are huge granite boulders scattered across the beach, as if giants had been playing marbles here and then forgotten to tidy up. Climbing between them, wading through pools and searching for the path to Devil's Bay is fun that takes you back to your childhood.
"I'm crouching like a beast," I say to myself as I squeeze through a narrow gap between the rocks to emerge on a beach that looks like something out of a Bounty ad.
In the evening, we moved north to North Sound. Leverick Bay has the right Caribbean atmosphere – colorful houses, music, and grilled fish.

Day 4: Art and beaches on Beef and Scrub Islands

If you have an adventurous spirit and your catamaran can handle the shallows of the British Virgin Islands, you can try Anegada. However, we opted for a more relaxed trip and headed for Beef and Scrub Islands.

On the way, we passed Necker Island. Yes, the one owned by Richard Branson. We looked through binoculars to see if we could spot him kitesurfing with a model on his back, but we were out of luck. Instead, we anchored off Beef Island in Trellis Bay. It's a place with an artistic soul, full of strange sculptures and shops.

If you want luxury, Scrub Island has a marina with swimming pools where you feel a little out of place if you're wearing a salt-stained T-shirt and have messy hair, but the drink by the pool is worth it.

Day 5: The unspoiled island of Guana and the legendary bars of Jost van Dyke

On the fifth day, we felt like Robinson Crusoe. The stop on Guana Island (specifically White Bay) was balm for the soul. No one around, just white sand and us. Does that mean the beautiful girls we admire on the streets are hiding here? Maybe.
In the afternoon, we sailed to Jost van Dyke. This place has a reputation. And that reputation is called Painkiller. This cocktail was invented at the Soggy Dollar bar (named because sailors used to swim there and pay with wet dollars). It's a mixture of rum, pineapple and orange juice, coconut cream, and nutmeg. It tastes like milk, but after three, you don't know who you are anymore.
We spent the evening at Foxy's in Great Harbor. Foxy is a local legend, a bartender and entertainer who could teach charisma at university.

Day 6: Relaxation in Cane Garden Bay and sunset on Peter Island

In the morning, with heavy hearts (and perhaps heads), we said goodbye to Jost van Dyke and headed back to Tortola, to Cane Garden Bay. It's classic Caribbean kitsch – palm trees, bars, live music. We rented paddleboards and tried to look elegant, which ended in a mass fall into the water to the general amusement of onlookers.

We crossed over to Peter Island for the night. Little Harbor is a quiet bay full of turtles. If you still have energy, the hike to Sunset Loop is worth it. The sunset from here looks as if someone has set the sky on fire. You sit there, look at the beauty and tell yourself that the answer to the question "where is my home" would not be Central Europe, but here.

Day 7: Farewell to paradise and return to Road Town

The last morning. The air smells of salt and coffee. We only have a short way left back to Road Town. It's a strange feeling. On the one hand, you look forward to a firm bed that doesn't rock, but on the other hand, you'd rather throw away your passport and become a local coconut seller.
We return the boat. No scratches (thank God and my caution), deposit returned. I bought plane tickets for every penny I had, and now I'm flying back to reality.

Day 8: Weekly itinerary

• Day 1: Tortola Island (home marina) – Norman Island (The Bight/Privateer Bay)
• Day 2: Norman Island – Pelican Island (The Indians) – Cooper Island (Manchioneel)
• Day 3: Cooper Island – Virgin Gorda Island (The Baths/North Sound)
• Day 4: Virgin Gorda Island – Beef Island (Trellis Bay) or Scrub Island
• Day 5: Beef/Scrub Island – Guana Island – Jost van Dyke Island
• Day 6: Jost van Dyke Island – Tortola Island (Cane Garden Bay) – Peter Island (Little Harbour)
• Day 7: From Peter Island back to Tortola Island