Jost Van Dyke
Jost Van Dyke, now known as the 'barefoot island' because of the casual lifestyle. An island named for a female pirate. It has magnificent beaches and two small settlements. Main street here is a beach. It is four miles long and known for it's protected anchorages, fine beaches and beach front restaurants and bars. A favorite destination of boaters and those who really want to relax.
Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke has become very popular, with great food, lively entertainment and unbeatable atmosphere. There are only about 140 residents on the island, all of whom are busy catering to the various visitors in one form or another.
The whole island gives you the feeling of having stepped back in distant time. Spacious, and sheltered by small mountains. An ample holding anchorage, Great Harbor has moorings as well as an easy entrance down the center, but avoid the large reef that extends 300 yards from the beach.
To get there go by boat or the ferry, one runs from Soper's Hole on Tortola's West End and another ferry that connects from St. John (which connects to St. Thomas).
Sea & land taxis are available. Walking to White Bay takes about 20 minutes walk.
Foxy's New Year's Eve party is perhaps the most famous in the Caribbean and fills Great Harbor with rafted up boats.
Foxy's is open air, and personally attended to by Foxy Callwood. What began as little more than a lemonade-stand-size bar which was supposed to be open for one day only, has evolved into a major cultural force.
Big annual events at Foxy's are his Halloween party, Halloween Cat Fight (catamaran race) and Wooden Boat Regatta. Foxy's has Friday and Saturday barbecues, rotis and flying fish sandwiches for lunch and grilled fresh fish and lobster for dinner. Foxy is founder of the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society.
Great Harbor encompasses a large water area but a small settlement on flat land bordered by steep hillsides. The ferry dock extends via a small road, The Alley, transecting the plain to the local Ice House (which has ice by the block as well as cubes) and a bypass road, Back Street, that forms an arc toward the back and invites a stroll through the community. Jost Van Dyke has lots of goats but no chickens.
Much of the diving is in water of under 80 ft, with the reefs generally being in excellent condition.
Named for its long and lovely white sand beach, White Bay, now very popular with boaters, is protected by extensive reefs. Hammocks and lounge chairs can be found among the palms. The Soggy Dollar Bar, at the Sandcastle, got its name from the soggy condition of the dollar bills from sailors who swam ashore. The Painkiller, born here, is a frozen delight made from dark rum, pineapple juice (4 parts), orange juice ( 1 part), and Coco Lopez (1 part sweetened cream of coconut) with fresh nutmeg ground on top.
The white bay walk is a short but scenic walk to White Bay over the small mountain and takes about 20 minutes (10 minutes more along the beach). This is a good morning walk to help stretch your legs after traveling by boat. Take the second left down to the White Bay Campground, possibly stopping at the Local Flavor Bar for a refreshment. Continue along the White Bay beach, over the rocky outcropping via a path above it, before reaching the Soggy Dollar Bar, stop here for another drink, you've earned it. Call Bun's cab for the ride back.
The White Bay campground, has bare campsites, tent campsites equipped with a bed, lamp and ice chest, and screened cabins similarly equipped. The cabin and tent platforms are nestled into a beautiful natural setting. However, the bare campsites on the bluff right above the beaches of White Bay are truly magnificent, the finest camping sites in the world. Snorkeling is good in White Bay and is even better out on the point off the White Bay Campground.
All Little Harbor restaurants have great lobster dinners for reasonable prices. It's a good anchorage with moorings as well. Little Harbor is known for its small hiking mountain and its three restaurants. One of which, has groceries and sundry items too. Some restaurants capture most of their lobster from the Anegada reef. Pig roasts are often a regular occurrence on the island.
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