Best anchorages and harbours in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

Fredericksburg Cove

Anchorage in Charlotte Amalie harbour on St. Thomas, between the downtown waterfront and Yacht Haven Grande.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Puerto del Rey

Safe Harbor Puerto del Rey, one of the largest marinas in the Caribbean, on the east coast of Puerto Rico south of Fajardo, 13.6 NM from Isabel Segunda on Vieques and 19 NM from Dewey on Culebra.

Snorkel Beach

Anchorage off a small beach on the south-west side of Culebrita, off the east coast of Culebra, 0.4 NM from Bahía Tortuga.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Crash Boat Beach

Anchorage off Crash Boat Beach, Aguadilla, on the north-west corner of Puerto Rico, 1.9 NM north of Aguadilla town.

• Sheltered NE

Christmas Cove

Cove on the west side of Great St. James, off the east end of St. Thomas, within the St. Thomas East End Reserves, with a mooring field and the floating Pizza Pi boat.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, S, SE

Sandy Bay

Bay with a sand beach on the north side of the West End of St. Thomas.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Hawksnest Bay

Bay on the north shore of St. John between Caneel Bay and Trunk Bay, within Virgin Islands National Park.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Playa Cayo Piñeiro

Anchorage off the north beach of Isla Piñeros, in front of Ceiba on the east coast of Puerto Rico, 0.4 NM from the Isla Piñeros anchorage.

• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

Great St. James, north side

Anchorage off the north shore of Great St. James, the island off the east end of St. Thomas, with a beach ashore.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Club Náutico de San Juan

Yacht club and marina of 117 berths on the San Antonio Channel in Miramar, San Juan, beside Isla Grande airport.

Playa Doña Lala

Anchorage off Playa Doña Lala at Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico, 0.6 NM north of Playa Córcega.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Bahía Sucia

Anchorage in Bahía Sucia, the bay beside the Los Morrillos lighthouse at the south-west tip of Puerto Rico, 0.9 NM east of Bahía Salinas.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Isla Caja de Muertos

Anchorage off Caja de Muertos, an uninhabited island 8.4 km off the coast and 6.7 NM south of Ponce, protected as a nature reserve since 1980.

• Sheltered NE, E, S, SE

Playa Melones

Anchorage off Playa Melones, the closest beach to Dewey on the west coast of Culebra, 0.6 NM from town.

• Free
• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Playa Tamarindo

Anchorage off Playa Tamarindo on the west coast of Culebra, facing Cayo Luis Peña, 1.4 NM north-west of Dewey.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

IGY Yacht Haven Grande

Superyacht marina of 46 berths on the east side of Charlotte Amalie harbour on St. Thomas, taking yachts up to 656 feet, 200 metres, a short walk from the cruise ship dock and downtown.

Puerto Real Sud

Anchorage in the southern part of Puerto Real harbour, 500 m south of Marina Puerto Real on the west coast of Puerto Rico.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SW, S, SE

Aguadilla Pueblo

Anchorage off the town of Aguadilla, on the north-west coast of Puerto Rico, 1.9 NM south of Crash Boat Beach.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Frenchtown Harbor Marina

Small marina in Frenchtown, on the west shore of Charlotte Amalie harbour on St. Thomas, facing Hassel Island.

Puerta de San Juan

Anchorage under the walls of Old San Juan, off the Puerta de San Juan, the last surviving gate in the city walls, just inside the entrance to San Juan Bay.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Marina Puerto Real

Marina of 70 berths in Puerto Real, a small fishing village with a well-sheltered harbour on the lower west coast of Puerto Rico, municipality of Cabo Rojo.

Punta Montalva

Anchorage off Punta Montalva, 3.8 NM east of La Parguera, on the edge of the Bahía Montalva mangrove protected by the La Parguera nature reserve.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Salt Pond Bay

Bay on the south-east coast of St. John within Virgin Islands National Park, at the start of the Ram Head trail.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Cayo Santiago

Anchorage off Cayo Santiago, the monkey island 0.5 NM off Punta Santiago at Humacao, east coast of Puerto Rico, home to a rhesus macaque colony since 1938.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Cayo Lobo

Day anchorage at Cayo Lobo, a rocky cay 2.4 NM west of Cayo Luis Peña, off Culebra, known as a boat dive site.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Schooner Bay

Anchorage in the eastern part of Christiansted harbour on St. Croix, between the town waterfront and Gallows Bay.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Bahía de Mayagüez

Anchorage in Mayagüez Bay, off the city of Mayagüez on the west coast of Puerto Rico, 8 NM north of Puerto Real.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

La Parguera

Anchorage 0.6 NM east of the village of La Parguera, on the south-west coast of Puerto Rico, inside the La Parguera nature reserve.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Carolina Beach

Anchorage off the beach of Carolina, east of San Juan on the Atlantic coast of Puerto Rico, 3.1 NM east of Ocean Park.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Long Bay

Bay with a beach on the south side of the East End of St. John, near Hansen Bay at the mouth of Coral Bay.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE