Anchorage· Culebrita· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Tortuga Bay (Culebrita)
18° 19.2′ N · 65° 13.8′ W · approximate
The reef-fringed bay off Playa Tortuga on Culebrita's north side: a white crescent of sand, turtles in the shallows, and the ruined lighthouse on the hill above. Easily one of the most beautiful anchorages in the Virgin Islands in settled weather.
Practical
Position is approximate: about 150 m off Playa Tortuga (OpenStreetMap way 426913565), checked against OpenStreetMap coastline to be in water. The Virgintino guide (about 2015) gives a waypoint of 18°19.55'N, 65°14.75'W just NW of Cayo Botella; entry is easy provided you stay in the center of the channel between the reefs; there are free moorings (verify locally); the bay is open to the northeast, so if it is blowing hard from that direction or a norther is running it is untenable: do not anchor or moor overnight unless certain of settled weather. Culebrita is a unit of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge: refuge public areas open 6 am to 6 pm (FWS); land only on the beaches, carry your trash out, keep off nesting areas.
Best for
Settled-weather day (or night) in a refuge bay
Season
Settled weather only; untenable in NE blows and northers