Bitter End Yacht Club

When considering a weekend away, why not really get away? All the way to the Bitter End of Virgin Gorda.

The archipelago of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) dots the beginning of the Lesser Antilles, a Caribbean chain of outposts that have become synonymous with the universally held connotation of “paradise.” Within the British held territory, Anegada is perched at the top of the island chain, with its walled village known as “The Settlement” that has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Jost Van Dyke, a sleepy quiet beach enclave stretches out to the western side of the chain, Tortola anchors the middle with its bustling hub of commerce and transportation, and to the east lies Virgin Gorda, a natural wonder of sights and splendors. 

Discovered by Christopher Columbus, the islands still cast their lure of adventure and discovery for mariners over five hundred years later. Today, sailors and motor yachtsmen and women have set a course for the idyllic ports and harbors that have made the BVI a world-class destination. At the northeast end of Virgin Gorda lies North Sound, generally accepted as one of the great harbors of the world. The four islands and reef system that embrace the harbor make for a watersports mecca. Anchoring a mile of coastline, in the center of the hive of activity is the Bitter End Yacht Club, a favored anchorage for mariners and travelers since 1969. In the late 1960s, Virgin Gorda’s protected and breezy anchorage in North Sound’s northeast corner became the destination of choice for yachtsmen, charter skippers and adventure sailors. One of those skippers, Basil Symonette, acquired the adjacent shoreline and hillside property at John O’Point in the late 1960s and built Bitter End, which...