Monkey Point & Guana Island: A BVI Snorkel Guide

Ask ten Tortola captains where they’d take an afternoon off, and at least half will say the same two words: Monkey Point. It’s not on the postcards the way The Baths or White Bay are, and that’s exactly the point. Guana Island sits quietly between Tortola’s east end and Virgin Gorda, a privately owned nature reserve that most visitors will never set foot on — but the water off its southern tip is public, protected, and stacked with the kind of reef life that makes people go quiet behind their snorkel masks.

We stop here often on full day charters when a group wants a real snorkel alongside the beach-hopping, and it’s become one of our go-to answers when someone asks “where would you go if it were your day off?” This guide covers what Monkey Point actually is, how the Guana Island access question works, what you’ll see underwater, and how to fold it into your own BVI itinerary.

Guana Island itself has an odd little history worth knowing before you go. The island’s shaped like an iguana in profile if you squint at it from the water — hence the name — and it’s been operated as a private nature reserve since the 1930s, with a small number of villas tucked into the hillside and a resident population of the critically endangered Stout Iguana that the resort has spent decades helping to protect. None of that is visible or relevant from a snorkel mask, but it explains why the island feels so untouched compared to its neighbors: almost nobody’s allowed to build on it, walk it, or anchor off it without permission.

What and Where Is Monkey Point?

Monkey Point is the snorkeling and dive site off the southern shore of Guana Island, a 850-acre private island roughly midway between Trellis Bay on Tortola’s east end and Virgin Gorda’s North Sound. Guana Island itself has been run as a small, ultra-private eco-resort for decades — the land, trails, and iguana population are off-limits to day visitors. But the water wrapping around that southern point is a different story entirely.

The site sits inside a designated marine park managed by the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, which means the reef is protected and anchoring isn’t allowed. Boats pick up a day mooring ball instead, a small detail that matters more than it sounds — it’s the reason the coral heads here are as intact and colorful as they are, decades after most nearby anchorages got picked over.

What You’ll See Underwater at Monkey Point

Monkey Point earns its reputation as a novice-friendly site, which doesn’t mean it’s boring for anyone who’s snorkeled a hundred times before. The bottom sits around 30 feet down in most spots, shallow enough that sunlight reaches the coral and the colors actually read the way they do in photos, rather than fading to blue-gray the way deeper sites can.

• Reef fish in real numbers — bluestriped grunts and yellowtail snappers hold in tight schools around the rock formations, and it’s common to swim through a wall of yellow jacks moving as one unit.
• Small caves and swim-throughs — the southern point breaks into rocky ledges and short caves, shallow enough for confident swimmers to explore without any gear beyond mask and fins.
• Turtles — not guaranteed on any given day, but sighted often enough that we always tell guests to keep an eye on the sand patches between rock formations.
• Cuttlefish and the occasional ray — the site has enough structure and sand mix to attract creatures that skip past the flatter, sandier snorkel spots.

Fish here are used to boats and swimmers, which is a nice way of saying they won’t bolt the second you slip in. That’s part of what makes Monkey Point such a good stop for a mixed group — a nervous first-time snorkeler and someone who’s dived the Rhone twice both walk away happy.

Getting There: Why It’s a Boat-Only Destination

There’s no dock, no beach bar, and no land approach to Monkey Point that a visitor can use — Guana Island’s shoreline access is reserved for the resort’s own guests. The only way in is by water, which is exactly why it stays as pristine as it does. Ferries don’t stop here, and it isn’t a spot you can reach by taxi and a short swim the way you can with Cane Garden Bay.

On a day out with us, Monkey Point usually gets slotted in as the mid-morning snorkel stop, before the wind builds and while the water’s still glass-calm off the point. It also pairs naturally with a run out toward Trellis Bay and Marina Cay on a half day, since the two are only a short hop apart. If snorkeling is the whole point of your day rather than one stop among several, say so when you book — we’ll build the route around water time instead of treating it as a quick anchor-and-swim.

Practical Details

Building It Into Your BVI Trip

Monkey Point works best as one strong stop in a fuller day rather than a destination you build an entire charter around — there’s no beach to stretch out on, no bar for a Painkiller afterward. Guests often pair it with a beach stop for lunch, whether that’s a quieter cove or somewhere with more energy depending on the group. If you’re weighing where else to fit into a longer visit, our guide to the BVI’s best snorkeling spots stacks Monkey Point up against the Indians, the Caves at Norman Island, and the Rhone wreck, and our North Sound and Bitter End guide covers what’s a short run further east if you want to extend the day toward Virgin Gorda.

A typical full day built around Monkey Point might run something like this: an early pickup from Road Town or your villa dock, the snorkel stop at Monkey Point while the morning’s still calm, a lunch anchorage at a beach with a bit more going on, and a slower final stop before heading back in as the light turns gold. None of that is fixed — it’s just the shape a good day tends to take when you’ve got four stops and eight hours to work with. Groups who’d rather spend the whole day in and around the water sometimes ask us to swap the fourth stop for a second, longer snorkel session instead, which we’re always happy to do.

If you’re newer to chartering in the BVI generally, it helps to understand how a private boat differs from other ways of seeing these islands. Our half day versus full day comparison breaks down which length of trip actually fits a stop like Monkey Point, since a rushed half day can mean skipping the snorkel altogether if the group also wants beach time and lunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we go ashore on Guana Island?
No. Guana Island is a privately operated nature reserve and eco-resort, and its trails and beaches are reserved for resort guests. The snorkeling at Monkey Point, off the island’s southern shore, is open water and accessible to any boat.

Do we need a permit to snorkel there?
Yes — Monkey Point sits inside a BVI National Parks Trust marine park, and boats need a National Parks permit to pick up the day mooring. On a Tidal Treasures charter this is handled for you as part of the trip.

Is Monkey Point good for kids or nervous swimmers?
Generally yes. The depth is shallow enough for confident young swimmers, the fish are accustomed to visitors, and our crew stays in the water with anyone who wants company. It’s a gentler introduction than sites with stronger current or more open water.

How long do we spend at Monkey Point?
Most groups snorkel for 45 minutes to an hour, which is enough time to work the main reef area without feeling rushed. On a full day charter it’s typically the first or second stop.

What’s the best time of year to visit?
Any time our charters run, though calmer winter-to-spring conditions can mean slightly better visibility. Check our month-by-month guide to visiting the BVI for a fuller breakdown of seasonal water conditions.

Ready to add Monkey Point to your day on the water? Get in touch and we’ll build a route around it, or take a look through our photo gallery to see what a day on the water with us actually looks like.