360 days aboard, 163 anchorages — our Top 10

10 min readNov 24, 2020

Over the past year my friends and I sailed our 40 foot catamaran from Greece to Grenada to Florida and everywhere in between. We visited 92 islands in 19 countries and spent nearly every night either at sea or in a new anchorage, these are the top ten. These anchorages are not ranked, but are presented in the order that we visited them.

Lakka Bay, Paxos Island, Greece

Coordinates: 39°14'15.0"N 20°07'58.3"E

Best parts: Unimaginably clear water, a sandy bottom with great holding, a quaint town with much to offer by means of a good night out within a short dinghy distance, excellent protection from three directions, nice hiking opportunities, and a fantastic Greek island that hasn’t been overrun by tourism, yet.

Anchoring tips: In summer the bay will be quite full of anchored boats and boats stern tied along the shore. There is always room to anchor farther out at the mouth of the bay where you may find less protection from wind and swell. Our recommendation is to get in mid-day and anchor stern-to the rocks on the northwest side of the bay.

Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

Coordinates: 42°25'27.1"N 18°45'54.8"E

Best parts: The new Dubrovnik, hurry before the cruise ships figure out how to dock here. The Old Town is authentic and charming with Montenegrins playing music in the cobbled streets and plenty of hidden nooks to discover. The nearby ‘serpentine’ road takes you up the steep side of the valley for a stunning view over the bay. Worth a days car rental to zoom up the hairpin turns. An afternoon sail to Perast will have you cruising past the most perfect seaside villages under the breathtaking cliffs.

Anchoring tips: Great holding in four meters of mud just west of the Old Town. You can tie your dinghy up at the public marina southeast of the Old Town.

Korcula, Croatia

Coordinates: 39°14'15.0"N 20°07'58.3"E

Best parts: The Old Town of Korcula is a real treasure. The tiny peninsula couldn’t have been better designed or restored. It is becoming a bit touristy with all the trinket shops but it is far enough away from Split and airports that it has yet to be overrun. You’re a short dinghy ride away from town and just a few kilometers away from some fantastic wineries. Get a hold of a bottle or glass of rose petal liqueur, it is made locally and it is something you’ve never tasted before. Check out Vinum Bodum wine bar just outside the Old Town for a no-B.S. drink and cheese board.

Anchoring tips: There is plenty of stern-to anchoring space 600 meters to the southeast of town. The water is deep so be prepared to start farther from the shore and put out lots of chain. You can also anchor in the bay there but it can get crowded and that’s no fun when it is deep and everyone has a bunch of chain out.

Soufriere Bay, Saint Lucia

Coordinates: 13°51'24.6"N 61°03'56.9"W

Best parts: Just at the base of the Pitons lays the town of Soufriere, and one of the most unique anchorages in the whole Caribbean. A deep bay surrounded by lush rainforest overtaking peaks shooting nearly straight up out of the deep blue. For anyone looking for a real challenge you must climb the Petit Piton. A bit more than two hours up and two hours down, you’ll enjoy 360 degree views from 2,400 feet above your boat. If you catch one of the three mooring balls on the north side of the bay along the cliffs you will be treated to some fantastic snorkeling just under your keel. In town you’ll find delicious street treats, some real hole-in-the-wall pubs and chicken shacks, decent provisioning choices, and a generally bustling vibe.

Anchoring tips: Unless you have 150 meters of chain you will need to take a mooring ball along the rim of the bay. You will probably be approached by locals in a dinghy asking if you need help hooking the mooring ball. They don’t have bridles so it’s likely that you will. It’s best to accept the help and give the guy a five bucks rather than spend the day shoo-ing him and his buddies away. One of these locals is a guy named Jean Claude who is a fair and honest man and a great help for anything you may need in Soufriere. You can write him on Whatsapp at +1 (758) 723–0824.

Tobago Cays, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Coordinates: 12°38'08.0"N 61°21'10.1"W

Best parts: By no means a secret spot, the Tobago Cays are on most cruisers hit list when sailing south. The turtles are there, the reef is teeming with life, and the endless baby blues of this protected marine zone must be seen to be believed. We didn’t go for it but several other cruisers told us the $30-a-head beach barbeque that the locals put on is worth every penny.

Anchoring tips: While the mooring field can be quite crowded there is plenty of wide open sand to anchor on the east side in about 8 feet of water, exactly where the coordinates are. You’ll be mostly alone with the heavy trade winds funneling down your hatches in calm water as the massive reef breaks up nearly all of the swell.

Saline Island, Carriacou, Grenada

Coordinates: 12°25'59.4"N 61°28'23.8"W

Best parts: Days upon days of drift snorkeling to explore the massive reef, good fishing on the windward side of the island where the sea drops off, and a near guarantee of some solitude even where there are a couple hundred boats just on the other side of Carriacou in Tyrell Bay.

Anchoring tips: This is a tricky approach and it is important that you do your research before entering. Follow the Navionics depths and hazards and you will be safely anchored in no time.

Dog Island, Anguilla

Coordinates: 18°16'21.7"N 63°15'10.1"W

Best parts: A protected bird sanctuary with no signs of human life except for a few buoys that have drifted ashore, Dog Island is a dreamy locale with endless clear water and the softest footprint-free sand. There are trails that cross the island to more unexplored beaches and it is recommended you watch for nesting birds once you get inland.

Anchoring tips: Simple approach from the southwest, anchor in clear sand as close to the beach as the swell will allow. Keep in mind there is a $50 per night fee for anchoring in the National Park that must be paid in person at customs on the main island. You can check in and out at the same time and pay for the number of nights you expect to stay in the Park.

Valley Trunk Bay, British Virgin Islands

Coordinates: 18°26'20.9"N 64°26'36.8"W

Best parts: While the BVI are full of favorite anchorages, Valley Trunk Bay on Virgin Gorda stands out for its stunning untouched beach, proximity to the Baths and to Spanish Town. You are a short dinghy ride to the Baths where I recommend you go explore just a couple hours before sunset. You will have the trail to yourself and the colors from the setting sun are something most never see. You are on your own in Valley Trunk Bay as the the property just above the beach is private so you won’t have direct access to land past the beach. You can take your dinghy north to Spanish Town where you will find provisions, a hardware store, customs, fuel, and a few restaurants.

Anchoring tips: Anywhere in the middle of the beach or on the south end, the north end is a bit rocky and shallows up. There is an internet cable coming from Tortola that you’ll need to avoid when anchoring. It is also towards the north end of the beach and you you can see it underwater as you get closer to shore.

Big Sand Key, West Caicos, Turks and Caicos

Coordinates: 21°11'42.1"N 71°14'57.8"W

Best parts: Completely uninhabited, this island earns it’s moniker. The beach is massive and goes on and on both along the water and up to the dunes. The windward side is littered with plastic of all sorts that the sea has brought ashore. It makes for a rewarding afternoon collecting this trash for disposal at facilities on the main island. No cell service here.

Anchoring tips: Wide open choice of anchoring, the closer you get to the beach the more you will feel the swell. No protection from west winds which aren’t so common.

West Plana Key, Out Islands, Bahamas

Coordinates: 22°35'01.7"N 73°37'39.2"W

Best parts: Untouched, unexplored, unreal. West Plana Key is one of two small keys in the far southwest of the Bahamian Islands. It is encircled with a stunning beach that you could walk for hours, endless reefs, and plenty of sand to bury your anchor. You’ll have your pick of large intact shells along its unexplored shores and you’ll want plenty of fuel for your dinghy because there are limitless snorkeling opportunities. No cell service but you are only 16 nautical miles from Crooked Island where you won’t find many people but you will find a connection and plenty more miles of unnamed and untamed beach.

Anchoring tips: We chose the southwest end of the island but if you have more time you can move around and carefully pick your way into shallower anchorages. No west wind protection.

Hog Cay, Ragged Islands, Bahamas

Coordinates: 22°14'53.0"N 75°45'08.4"W

Best parts: This place is a step back in time. Hog Cay is a favorite amongst many long-term cruisers who make the annual winter pilgrimage to the Raggeds, many spending a month or more anchored in the clear water with plenty of fish and lobster to be to caught nearby. Over the years a thatch-roofed “yacht club” has taken shape with a grill, tables, chairs, and handmade signage from the crews who visited over the years. It is a special place where everyone comes together to take in the pleasant remoteness and appreciate the more independent aspects of the cruising lifestyle. At Hog Cay there are ample friends to be made, lobsters to snatch, flat waters to paddleboard, and reefs to explore. There is limited but working cell phone reception with the local Bahamian BTC service, Google Fi did not work here surprisingly.

Anchoring tips: Wide open and sandy. There are a few small reefs to the south but they are easy to see. The bay south of the coordinates looks inviting but it shallows up quite far out so best to stay in the north bay where the other cruisers are.

Bonus Section

Top 6 snorkeling spots in the Caribbean

While we were fairly lucky with weather over the year, water visibility let us down on many occasions. Here are the names and coordinates of our top snorkeling spots. Again, listed in the order they were visited.

Soufriere Bay, Saint Lucia 13°51'24.6"N 61°03'56.9"W
The Indians, BVI 18°19'54.1"N 64°37'44.3"W
Playa Tamarindo, Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands 18°19'22.0"N 65°19'46.9"W
Admirals Aquarium, South Caicos, Turks & Caicos 21°29'11.9"N 71°32'24.6"W
Looe Key Reef, Florida Keys, USA 24°32'46.6"N 81°24'19.0"W
Loggerhead Key, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, USA 24°37'59.3"N 82°55'26.4"W