North Sound

North Sound is Virgin Gorda’s eastern anchorage — a big, nearly landlocked bay with enough protected water to do almost anything on it. All three main stops run water sports, with different personalities: Saba Rock leans toward kite surfing and efoiling, while Leverick Bay and Bitter End are the family-friendly end of the spectrum, with small-catamaran racing, foil boards, and dive operators working out of both. Leverick Bay is the only place here renting jet skis. The reef behind Saba Rock and the water off Oil Nut Bay make for good snorkeling, and there’s real treasure-hunting history attached to this stretch of reef — Saba Rock was home to more than a few of the early treasure hunters. Dining is a genuine draw too: Leverick Bay runs one of the few white-tablecloth restaurants in the islands, Bitter End has rebuilt, Saba Rock Resort and Marina is a standout bar and restaurant right on the water, and Oil Nut Bay is quieter but worth the run around to reach.

Good to know

• Enter through the marked main channel — the surrounding approaches are reef-strewn and not worth improvising.
• Moorings go fast in high season. Reserve ahead, or be in the sound by early afternoon if you’re hunting a first-come mooring.
• Don’t miss the tarpon feeding at Saba Rock, most nights around 5pm.
• The sound is big enough that dinghy rides between resorts get wet in a stiff trade — allow more time than the chart distance suggests, especially heading to Oil Nut Bay.