Top 10 Marinas in the West Indies
The West Indies have defined the golden standard of trade-wind sailing for three centuries. From December to June, the northeast trades blow at a steady 15 to 25 knots across a chain of volcanic islands that stretches 750 km from the Virgin Islands in the north to Grenada in the south, their windward shores battered by Atlantic swell and their leeward sides sheltering turquoise bays where sailing boats have anchored since Columbus first arrived in 1493. The marina sector that serves this route is intensely competitive: marinas vie for charter companies, superyacht contracts, and the multi-thousand-boat rally fleets that arrive from the Canary Islands each winter.
Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
The BVI is arguably the world's most popular bareboat charter destination, with over 800 charter vessels operating from Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and the outer islands. Nanny Cay Marina offers 200 berths and one of the Caribbean's most complete boatyards — a 70-tonne travel hoist, metal fabrication, epoxy repair, and a chandlery stocking Harken, Lewmar, and Spinlock. The surrounding waters — Sir Francis Drake Channel, the Bight of Norman Island, the Caves — offer sheltered sailing with strong wind and flat water between the islands.
Road Town Harbour, Tortola, BVI
Road Town, capital of the British Virgin Islands, combines cruise ship anchorage with a dedicated marina facility of around 130 berths at the Village Cay Marina. The Moorings and Sunsail maintain large fleets here, and the downtown is directly accessible from the dock: restaurants, West Indian provisions market, and rum bars within 100 m. The famous Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, accessible by dinghy from the anchorage, introduced the Painkiller cocktail to the world.
Gustavia Harbour, St Barthélemy
St Barts, the French territory that sits between Saint Martin and St Kitts, is the most glamorous harbour in the Caribbean. The tiny port of Gustavia — named after Sweden's King Gustav III, who owned the island from 1784 to 1878 — offers 40 stern-to berths for superyachts and visiting yachts in one of the Caribbean's most beautiful natural harbours. Caribbean fashion labels, world-class restaurants, and yachts of 50 m and above sharing the same 300 m quay make this the Monaco of the Lesser Antilles.
IGY Rodney Bay Marina, St Lucia
The largest marina in the Eastern Caribbean with 253 berths, Rodney Bay is the official finish line for the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), the world's largest offshore rally, which arrives each December from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. The marina has complete facilities: fuel, haulout, chandlery, provisioning supermarket, and restaurants. St Lucia's Pitons — the twin volcanic plugs of Gros Piton (798 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) — are visible from the marina on a clear day, 50 km to the south.
Marigot Bay, St Lucia
One of the most beautiful natural anchorages in the Caribbean, Marigot Bay earned its fame as the set for the 1967 Doctor Dolittle film. The bay's narrow entrance opens into a hurricane hole completely enclosed by hillside jungle; the inner lagoon is served by a 40-berth dock with fuel, wifi, and a boutique hotel. Marigot is 30 km south of Rodney Bay by road, or 15 km by sea, and provides an excellent second harbour for exploring St Lucia's interior and the Pitons.
Port Louis Marina, Grenada
At the southern end of the Lesser Antilles chain, Grenada offers the safest hurricane hole in the Eastern Caribbean. Port Louis Marina in the capital St George's provides 228 berths inside a protected lagoon, and the surrounding boatyards — Island Water World, Spice Island Marine — are among the most capable in the region. Grenada's spice trade — nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and cloves — permeates the island's markets. The 1983 American invasion left military memorabilia in the harbourside bars.
Simpson Bay Lagoon, Sint Maarten / Saint Martin
The largest lagoon in the Caribbean straddles the Dutch-French border and hosts the region's largest concentration of charter yachts and marine services. The Dutch side's megayacht harbour and the French side's Marigot waterfront frame an anchorage of over 1,500 boats in high season. The Heineken Regatta, held each March, is one of the Caribbean's most popular racing events. Simpson Bay's bridge-controlled lagoon entrance opens on a fixed schedule, creating a daily traffic jam of masts that is uniquely Caribbean.
Jolly Harbour, Antigua
Antigua is the Caribbean's premier racing destination, home to Antigua Sailing Week — five days of racing for up to 200 boats each April-May — and English Harbour, one of the finest historic naval facilities in the world. Jolly Harbour Marina on the west coast offers 150 berths in a calm, shallow lagoon with complete services. Nelson's Dockyard at English Harbour, built in the Georgian era and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the starting point for some of the Caribbean's most prestigious offshore races.
Le Marin Marina, Martinique
Martinique is the French Caribbean island that takes food most seriously, and Le Marin, in the protected bay of the same name on the south coast, is the main marina, with 1,050 berths — one of the largest in the Caribbean. The village has excellent French provisions, a covered market, chandleries, and repair facilities. The rum distilleries of Martinique — including the AOC-certified agricole rhum of La Mauny and Saint James — are accessible by hire car from the marina.
Port Zante, St Kitts
Though primarily a cruise ship berth, Port Zante in Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts and Nevis, offers a pleasant stop for visiting yachts with access to a small marina. The UNESCO-listed Brimstone Hill Fortress, described as the Gibraltar of the Caribbean, perches 240 m above the sea on the northwest coast. The island's nineteenth-century sugar railway, now operating as a tourist experience, circumnavigates the island in three hours through plantations of African tulip trees.
Explore on the map
The West Indies' marina chain follows the trade winds southward from the Virgin Islands to Grenada, with each island offering its own distinct character and sailing experience. Use the interactive map to plan your island-hopping route, identify anchorages between marinas, and find the best timing for each passage. Explore the West Indies on the map to chart your Caribbean sailing adventure from north to south.