Making the most of Jost Van Dyke Island
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships moor or anchor here, so passengers come ashore by tender. Great Harbour town centre is about a 10-minute walk from the pier.
At around 8 square kilometers, Jost Van Dyke is the smallest of the British Virgin Islands’ four main islands. Electricity did not arrive here until 1991.
See the Roadtown cruise schedule.
Check the BVI cruise schedule if you are at anchor.
End the day with a rum concoction on a terrace at one of the small hotels or guest cottages along Jost Van Dyke’s south shore, particularly after trying its famous lobster, reputedly the Caribbean’s best. Great Harbor, also called Great harbor, is the most frequent mooring destination, with a beach strip lined by small bars and restaurants. Since the late 1960s, Foxy’s Bar in Great Harbor has been a popular stop for Caribbean boaters. Foxy’s and neighbouring Great Harbor bars attract a modest year-round crowd and thousands of partiers on New Year’s Eve (locally…
Jost Van Dyke is home to a few hundred residents.
Getting around
Walking is the island’s simplest form of transport. Paths and roads link population centres, bays and beaches, but the island is very hilly and frequent rainstorms can make them muddy, so it is not the easiest destination for people with disabilities, etc.
Several taxi services operate, though very erratically. Do not expect lightning service; plan ahead.
The walk from Great Harbor’s tiny main “town”, over the hill to White Bay, is one of the Caribbean’s more peaceful and beautiful short routes. It gives views from Tortola across St. John to distant St. Thomas. Wear shoes, as the ground is rocky; the hike can be done barefoot, but people usually regret that choice half-way through.
JVD Scuba offers ecotours, kayak rentals and dives.
Money
The U.S. Dollar is Jost Van Dyke’s currency, and most businesses take major credit cards.