Jost Van Dyke: Sandy Spit & Soggy Dollar Sailing Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration6h

GroupUp to 28

Mobile ticketAccepted

Sail to sandy spit swim up to soggy dollar bar taste painkiller bvi style

You’ll sail across turquoise waters to Jost Van Dyke, wade ashore at Sandy Spit, swim up to the Soggy Dollar Bar for their famous Painkiller cocktail, and float in the Bubble Pool if weather allows. Expect laughter with locals and guides, buffet lunch on board with drinks included—and moments you’ll remember long after you shake off the sand.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sail to Jost Van Dyke and beach stops

Set sail to Jost Van Dyke
Swim ashore to Soggy Dollar Bar
Enjoy a Painkiller cocktail
Visit Sandy Spit beach
Explore the Bubble Pool
Relax on stunning beaches
Enjoy buffet lunch and open bar

The Experience

The first thing I remember is the slap of salt spray on my face—somehow colder than I expected, even in the BVI sun. We’d just left Tortola behind and already you could see Jost Van Dyke in that hazy blue distance. Our captain, Marcus (he’s from Road Town—tells stories like he’s been at sea forever), pointed out Sandy Spit. It’s honestly just a bright little swirl of sand with two palm trees, but when we dropped anchor there, it felt like we’d landed somewhere nobody else had ever seen. The sand was almost too white to look at straight on. I waded out and lost track of time watching tiny fish dart around my ankles.

Getting to the Soggy Dollar Bar isn’t what I pictured—you really do have to jump off the boat and swim for it. My shorts were soaked before I even hit the beach (so yeah, “soggy dollar” makes sense). There was music drifting from the bar—reggae or maybe soca—and people laughing in that easy way you only hear near water. Li behind the bar handed me a Painkiller (I tried ordering it in my best Caribbean accent; she laughed and said I sounded like her cousin from London). The drink tasted like nutmeg and coconut and something else I still can’t name. Honestly, I could’ve stayed there all afternoon just listening to that low hum of voices and feeling the sun dry my skin.

We stopped at the Bubble Pool next—Marcus said it’s better when the swell is up, but even on a calm day it was strange and kind of magical: foamy water swirling around your legs while you stand between rocks that look like they’ve been there forever. Lunch was back on board—a buffet with veggie options (I grabbed more than my share of plantains). Someone started up a game with paddle boards off the stern; I mostly watched, not brave enough after two Painkillers. The sail back felt slower somehow, maybe because nobody wanted it to end. The light was softer by then, everyone a bit quieter.

What’s included

Your day includes taxi pickup from the cruise pier about an hour before departure, all sailing between Tortola and Jost Van Dyke with stops at Sandy Spit and (if weather allows) Bubble Pool.
On board there’s a buffet lunch with vegetarian options plus an open bar serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Paddle boards are ready for anyone feeling adventurous—and yes, there’s a restroom on board too before heading back in the afternoon.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Aristocat Daysails