Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda: North Sound’s Local Side

North Sound gets talked about as if Bitter End Yacht Club is the only reason to go. It’s a fair reputation to have, but it means a lot of first-time visitors never hear about the marina sitting on the opposite side of the same water — Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda’s other North Sound anchor point. We’ve been dropping guests here for years, and it’s become the stop we suggest when someone wants the North Sound scenery with a little less polish and a little more local flavor.

It’s easy to sail right past Leverick Bay if nobody’s told you it’s there. It doesn’t have the name recognition of the Baths or the marketing budget of a rebuilt resort, and most guidebooks give it a paragraph while Bitter End gets a spread. That gap between how good it actually is and how little most visitors know about it is exactly why we like bringing people here.

Leverick Bay is a working resort and marina on Virgin Gorda’s North Sound, and it’s built for exactly the kind of visit a day charter makes — pull up, tie off or anchor nearby, and spend an hour or two on land before getting back on the water.

What Leverick Bay Actually Is

Leverick Bay Resort & Marina sits on the western side of North Sound, across the water from Bitter End and Saba Rock. It’s a full-service marina — 36 moorings, fuel, water, ice, and the kind of practical infrastructure that makes it a real working stop for sailors, not just a photo-op beach. On land, there’s a hillside resort with rooms overlooking the sound, a freshwater pool, a small beach, a spa, tennis at the neighboring Ole Yard Village, and a little strip of shops including a Pusser’s outpost. It’s a smaller, more local-feeling scene than the polished rebuild at Bitter End, and that’s exactly its appeal.

The marina runs on a fairly predictable schedule for day visitors, generally open from morning through early evening, which makes it easy to fold into a full day out on the water without the timing getting complicated.

Eating and Drinking at Leverick Bay

This is where Leverick Bay earns its keep on a charter stop. The Cove and Jumbies beach bars sit right on the water, pouring the frozen drinks and cold beer you’d expect from a North Sound beach bar, and they’re open through most of the afternoon into the evening. Chef’s Pantry handles the daytime grab-and-go and casual bites if you want something quick between swims. If you’re staying longer into the evening — which isn’t the typical day-charter pattern, but happens — the upstairs restaurant serves dinner with marina views most nights of the week.

For a midday charter stop, we usually point guests toward Jumbies or the Cove for a drink and a snack on the water, then back out to the next anchorage. It’s low-key, it’s fast, and nobody’s rushing you off a lounge chair.

Beach and Water Time

The beach at Leverick Bay is modest compared to the long, wide sweep at a spot like Savannah Bay further down the coast, and that’s fine — it’s not really why people come here. The pool gets more use from day visitors than the beach does, particularly with kids in the group, and the calm water right off the marina is easy, protected swimming without much current or chop to worry about. Snorkeling gear and small watersports rentals are available if you want to get in the water beyond the pool and beach.

What Leverick Bay does well is give a group somewhere comfortable to spread out for a while — shade, a bar, a pool, and solid ground — which matters more than people expect after a morning of being on a moving boat.

Pairing Leverick Bay With the Rest of North Sound

We rarely build a whole day around Leverick Bay alone. It works best as one stop of several on a North Sound run, paired with a look at Bitter End Yacht Club across the water, a quiet anchorage at Savannah Bay, or a snorkel stop at Sandy Cay or Sandy Spit on the way back toward Tortola. A full day charter gives you the room to combine two or three of these without feeling rushed — North Sound is far enough from Road Town that a half day usually only allows for one real stop out here.

If you’re island-hopping around Virgin Gorda on your own schedule rather than booking a full charter day, our private water taxi can get you between Leverick Bay, North Sound, and the rest of the island on your timeline. And if the Baths are still on your list for the same trip, our Baths guide covers how to fit both into one Virgin Gorda day without burning the whole afternoon in transit.

The BVI Tourism Board’s page on Leverick Bay has more on the resort side of things if you’re weighing an overnight stay in North Sound as part of a longer trip.

How Leverick Bay Compares to Bitter End

Guests ask us this constantly, so we’ll just say it plainly: Bitter End is bigger, newer-feeling since its post-hurricane rebuild, and has more of a destination-resort energy — think multiple restaurants, a bigger dock scene, more boats tied up on a busy afternoon. Leverick Bay is smaller and a little rougher around the edges in the best way. It feels more like a working Caribbean marina that happens to have good drinks and a pool, rather than a resort built for a magazine spread. Neither is “better” outright — it depends on what kind of stop you’re looking for that day.

If your group wants energy, live music some evenings, and a wider range of dining, lean toward Bitter End. If you want something a little quieter, a little more local, and just as scenic without the crowd, Leverick Bay tends to win. A lot of our repeat guests end up doing both on different trips, or splitting a full day between the two so they can compare for themselves.

Getting to Leverick Bay

North Sound sits at the far end of Virgin Gorda, which means the trip out from Tortola takes real time on the water — figure a meaningful chunk of your day just in transit, even on a boat like ours built for comfortable open-water running. That’s the main reason we build Leverick Bay into full day itineraries rather than half day ones; a half day charter generally doesn’t leave enough runway to get out to North Sound, enjoy it, and get back without feeling rushed. If North Sound is the priority for your trip, it’s worth telling us that when you book so we can plan the day around it rather than treating it as an afterthought.

Practical Details

• Location: Western side of North Sound, Virgin Gorda, across the water from Bitter End Yacht Club and Saba Rock.
• Marina: 36 moorings, fuel, water, and ice available; generally open morning through early evening.
• Food and drink: The Cove and Jumbies beach bars for casual drinks and bites; Chef’s Pantry for quick daytime food; a sit-down restaurant for dinner.
• On land: Freshwater pool, small beach, shops including a Pusser’s outpost, spa, and nearby tennis.
• Best paired with: Bitter End Yacht Club, Savannah Bay, or Sandy Cay on a North Sound-focused full day.
• Charter option: Full Day Charter, starting at $1,950 for up to 8 hours and four stops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Leverick Bay the same as Bitter End Yacht Club?

No — they’re on opposite sides of North Sound and have different owners and personalities. Bitter End is the bigger, more rebuilt resort with a well-known sailing pedigree. Leverick Bay is smaller, more local-feeling, and built around its marina and beach bars.

Can you swim at Leverick Bay?

Yes, both in the calm water off the small beach and in the resort’s freshwater pool, which tends to be the more popular option for day visitors, especially with kids along.

Is Leverick Bay good for a family charter stop?

It tends to be one of the easier North Sound stops for families — a pool, calm water, casual food options, and shaded spots to sit make it a low-stress place to land for an hour or two mid-charter.

How long should we plan to spend at Leverick Bay?

An hour to ninety minutes is typical for a charter stop — enough time for a drink, a swim, and a look around the shops without eating into the rest of your North Sound day.

Do you need to book ahead to stop at Leverick Bay on a charter?

Not for a casual visit by boat. If you’re after a specific restaurant reservation or want to guarantee dinner seating, it’s worth mentioning to your crew in advance so we can plan the timing and confirm with the venue.

Want Leverick Bay worked into a North Sound day on the water? Get in touch and we’ll build the route around it.