Top 7 Things to Do
Anegada, British Virgin Islands
Eat Lobster at Cows Wreck Beach
Anegada is the “Lobster Mecca” of the Virgin Islands. Fresh lobsters are caught on the reefs and sold to Tortola retailers and other British Virgin island restaurants. Take a taxi to Cow’s Wreck Beach which is a very remote outpost on the northern shore. The small restaurant there serves simple if rather exotic lunches, lobster being the star of the show, simply steamed and served dripping with garlic and butter.
Cow’s Wreck got it’s name from the cow skulls and bones that washed ashore from ships that wrecked carrying tons of bones to be used as bone meal fertilizer. You can sometimes still find a very brittle bleached skull up above the high water mark.
Scuba Dive or Snorkel Horseshoe Reef
In years gone by many ships passed near Anegada on passage to the western Caribbean and came to grief on the eighteen mile Horseshoe Reef which guards the island. This reef is considered one of the longest in the world. Scuba diving and snorkeling here are a must, not only for the wrecks but also underwater caves and abundant sea life and corals.
For snorkelers, the reef offers a maze of tunnels, drops and caves boasting a rich marine life. Schools of mojarra and needlefish thrive in the sandy bottoms, while green sea turtles swim in the sheltered waters. Beyond the reef, spectacular sights await scuba divers. Angelfish, stingrays, triggerfish, parrotfish, blue tang, and horse-eye jacks inhabit the drowned holds of the numerous Spanish galleons, American privateers and British warships that have been wrecked here.
Bone Fishing
Anegada is ground zero for flats fishing or Bone-fishing. Bone -fishing is a sought-after sport here with many shallow flats that are home to bonefish and snook. Whether you’re a first time fisherman or an experienced fly-fishing angler for Bonefish and or Tarpon, the local guides always know where the fish are biting.
Kiteboarding off Pomato Point
Pomato Point is probably the best location in the BVI, for anyone kite-boarding from a charter or private boat. If your a beginner, Carib Kite-boarding at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda will set you up with a lesson. Once your ready, they will supply you with all the gear you’ll need and a boat charter to take you on an unforgettable ride. Anegada Reef Hotel also provides kite-boarding adventures.
Bird Watching at the Salt Ponds
If you enjoy bird watching, you will not want to miss the salt ponds on Anegada. Saltwater ponds, mud flats, and mangrove swamps are home to an array of exotic birds, including sandpipers, ospreys, terns, kaloo birds, blue herons, and frigate birds. In the ponds near Nutmeg Point, a growing flock of Roseate Pink Flamingos gather.
View Rock Iguanas at Bones Bight
The Rock Iguana, made his home here thousands of years ago and almost reached extinction. When people arrived to occupy the island they introduced cats either as house pets or to control the the rodent population. Over the years some cats were abandoned and turned feral, they ate the Rock Iguana young and almost eradicated the entire species.
Quite recently the cats were caught and neutered and the grand Rock Iguana is once again resuming it’s place on the island. To help expedite their recovery, the National Parks Trust nurtures and releases them into the wild. On the nature trail at Bones Bight, is the best place to catch a glimpse of this endangered species, which is native to Anegada.
Tour a Museum
On land, you can read the island’s history in the maze of stone walls that surround the Settlement, the main town. In the East End, ancient conch burial mounds and small islands attest to the presence of the Arawaks, who called Anegada home nearly a thousand years ago. At the Anegada Museum, maps reveal the location of over 200 wrecks, while cannons, musket balls and ships’ timbers are part of the recovered booty. Listen to tales of buccaneers, drowned ships, and hoards of gold still undiscovered. Or, tour the private museum at Pomato Point, which contains marine and other artifacts from Anegada’s past.