Caribbean: Finally back after the hurricane – new island destination in the BVIs

The tiny island Marina Cay was one of the cult destinations of the British Virgin Islands before “Irma”: a cozy bar on the shore with a great view of the Sir Francis Drake Canal and the passing yachts. The reef in front of it is ideal for snorkeling. The famous telephone booth photo booth at the pier. On top of that there was a “Pusser’s Marinestore” for shopping. In the evening the pelicans did their rounds on the buoy field.

But then came “Irma” in 2017. The island was one of the hardest hit, the small hotel, the pier, palm trees, everything was completely razed to the ground. The owners didn’t really get going, then Corona came. Crews have now had to do without the popular stop for almost six years.

But now the Scrub Island Resort, which is located on the neighboring island of the same name, has opened the “Marina Cay Bar & Grill” there. The building, built as a typical Caribbean wooden house in corrugated iron style, surrounded by trees and with a large terrace and a nice beach in front, should appeal to most crews. The pier has been restored, there are comfortable chairs and hammocks on the beach right on the water, the buoy field in front of the jetty is back in operation and crews can take the dinghy directly to the dinghy dock for a cocktail or dinner. The buoy costs 40 US dollars/night, bookable through the App “Boatyball”. Marina Cay is also a good place to catch the legendary Full Moon Party in nearby Trellis Bay on Tortola, which tends to be hopelessly overcrowded. With the dinghy you drive from Marina Cay only briefly across the bay.

The Pusser’s Store and the photo box are no longer there, but a start has been made and the buoy place, well protected by the reef, is a welcome addition to the cruise schedule in the BVIs. It would also have been a shame if the island, which is a minor literary celebrity, had continued to slumber. Because in 1930 Robb and Rodie White bought the island and built a small paradise on the then overgrown heap of stones, the history of which they beautifully described in the 1953 bestseller “Our Virgin Island”. Hollywood later filmed the story. Perhaps a new chapter in the history of Marina Cay is about to begin.