Spanish Virgin Islands - Where to go ??

[john_tp]

Hi all - new to the forum. I have a question: We are planning a 7 day charter out of Fajardo and wondered what the best itinerary is. We are a family and want a mix of great scenery, snorkeling, say 3 nights at restaurants for dinner, some natural nature and hiking.

Any suggestions ?? Any "not to be missed locations" ??

Thanks

John

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, John.

➥ http://freecruisingguides.com/blog/author/frank/

➥ http://www.cruiserswiki.org/wiki/Spanish_Virgins

➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...de-110495.html

[Clipper4730]

Hi we chartered from Sail Caribe last May and had a great time, you will not be disapointed. We loosely followed their sample itinerary.

Our faves were
Rosario Beach on Culebra, free mooring balls great snorkeling and a trail over to flamenco. Melones beach is a short ride to swim with the turtles.

Culebrita, beautiful little anchorage, great trails, and the view from the lighthouse is amazing. Be forewarned though it is busy on the weekends.

Esperanza on Vieques was a nice stop. The bio bay was a bit disappointing but the wild horses made up for it.

The Spanish Virgins are pretty remote. No marinas or anything once you leave Fajardo. The only restaurants are in the towns, DeweyTown on Culebra, or Esperanza on Vieques.

Hope this helps pm me if you need any more info

Will

[Prflyer]

Have to echo Clipper 4730 comments, Culebra and Culebrita are amazing little stops, if you want to meet locals cruisers Dakiti is a beautiful anchorage, and dinghy over to Mamacitas for some cocktails!

If you have any questions will be more than glad to answer or steer you in the right direction

Have an amazing time!

Originally Posted by Clipper4730

Hi we chartered from Sail Caribe last May and had a great time, you will not be disapointed. We loosely followed their sample itinerary.

Our faves were
Rosario Beach on Culebra, free mooring balls great snorkeling and a trail over to flamenco. Melones beach is a short ride to swim with the turtles.

Culebrita, beautiful little anchorage, great trails, and the view from the lighthouse is amazing. Be forewarned though it is busy on the weekends.

Esperanza on Vieques was a nice stop. The bio bay was a bit disappointing but the wild horses made up for it.

The Spanish Virgins are pretty remote. No marinas or anything once you leave Fajardo. The only restaurants are in the towns, DeweyTown on Culebra, or Esperanza on Vieques.

Hope this helps pm me if you need any more info

Will

[Chris W]

I think Clipper 4730 really hit some of the highlights.

Culebra is one of my fravorite places to go. Don't miss the dinghy dock bar in Dewy or "the town" as the locals refer to it and for sure make a point of going to Culebrita the hike to the light house is very much worth it.

Wild horses, beautiful bays and snorkeling on Veiequez are also a treat and with a week to do it you can cover some nice ground and still not feel too rushed. Make a stop in Isabel II and have the Ruben at the Mar Azul Bar or perhaps a few cold Medalla's on the Southern side in Esperanza.

I have had a boat in Palmas Del Mar Marina for the last few years and have just loved sailing in this area. I hope you find it as wonderful and relaxing as the rest of us do!

Enjoy!

[Alex Mead]

Hey John - Just saw your post and was wondering how your trip went. I am chartering a boat out of Farado, San Juan next week. This will be our first trip to the SVI and am looking for any insights that I can get. I've done as much reading as there is out there, which isn't much. My wife is a little apprehensive about the sail from Farado to Culebra. We've done a quit a bit of chartering in the BVI but only on a multihull and have heard that the sail to Farado can be a bit rough. We were planning to spend 3 to 4 nights sailing and exploring Culebra and Calabrita and the remaining 3 days on Vieques. Can you or anyone eleborate on some great anchorages to visit, whether there are moorings and what shape they are in and how the navigation is. Thanks

[Clipper4730]

Hi Alex,
The navigation is very similar to BVI. Deep water occasional rocks, all well charted. The sail over to Culebra is challenging if the trades are blowing. Maybe spend your first night at Cayo Icacos or Isla Palominos then just motor over to Culebra. Think it's about fifteen miles. The balls were put there by the Park Service and look "okay". Check them out after you tie up. The folks a sail Caribe didn't seem to think it would be a problem. Anchoring was pretty straightforward. The way the reefs are there was plenty of sand if you choose to do so. We used balls at all of our overnights except two and we were on a ten day charter. Enjoy!
Feel free to pm me if you want more info

Will

[Rubikoop]

Alex, I've made the trip from Fajardo straight to St Thomas dozens of times in monos and cats from 36'-50'. Yes it can be rough if the trades have been blowing for a couple of days. Once you get in the lee of the islands life will get much better. Dakity is probably my favorite anchorage in rough conditions. In settled conditions (no north swell) I've enjoyed Culebrita for days. The power boaters will invade Culebrita during the day time and dash away at dusk especially on the weekends. There are many nooks and crannys which have mooring balls or good sand for anchoring. I was last there for a few weeks around Christmas and many of the moorings were not in good shape. I prefer to anchor in sand whenever possible. We like to rent a golf cart for the day and explore the roads. Zacos Tacos and the Dinghy Dock both have excellent food. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. I've not been to Vieques in a few years now. Last time there I just wasn't getting a good vibe and decided not to return.


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[Alex Mead]

Thanks for your comments.