Brewer’s Bay

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You’ll recognize Anderson Point, a promontory with conspicuous black rocks. Brewers is right next to Cane Garden Bay, but it is much quieter. Apart from this, it’s not an ideal anchorage in North East winds and has a more complicated entrance. There are coral reefs from both sides that require good visibility for a safe entrance. Brewers is a day anchorage, due to warnings below.

Warning – submarine cables are laid along the center of the bay, so anchoring is only allowed in the north part. The place to anchor is relatively small, between the underwater ridges on the sides and the reef in the middle. The depth is 8-10 meters and the holding is ok.

General Information

Located north of Cane Garden Bay on Tortola’s northwest side, Brewer’s Bay is one of the best snorkeling beaches in the British Virgin Islands. It is quiet during the weekdays. Though, the local crowd is present during the weekends.

Water conditions are usually calm, but in the winters, expect medium to high waves. Protected by boulder-strewn barrier reefs, Brewer’s Bay is famous for its snorkeling, thanks to the crystal clear water which makes it easier to watch fish collect around coral reefs.

It is recommended to bring your towel as there is not much available. However, the bathrooms are clean, and you can get umbrellas and beds for little cash from the various vendors at the beach.

Things not to miss in Brewer’s Bay

Just near the shore, you will see extensive coral reefs going away. If the weather is in your favor, then you will see huge tarpon, octopus, trigger fish, lots of parrot fish, squid, box fish and thousands of various coral formations.

Owing to clear water, this bay is a perfect place to spend time underwater. Hang out beside any octopus or turtle and never miss to collect those glass stones from the shore. Far from the beach, you will see some spectacular wrecks of the distillery and several windmills.

This bay is great for sunning, swimming and quick snorkeling. However, the sunrise and sunset have its own attraction. Near the bay, you can get various drinks on ice and several beach chair rental services are available.

Nicole’s Beach Bar and Camp Ground are the new nearest restaurants located within a proximity of a couple of kilometers. An incredible underwater world lies just along the shoreline near Nicole’s Beach Bar which remains relatively undisturbed.

The distillery and Windmill

Distillery Ruins

This historical site is a short walk from the beach, and it’s relatively well preserved. You can see the main furnace, the boiling house and storage house, with lots of artifacts and other objects.

Windmill

A windmill from the plantation era, when Brewers Bay was extensively used for sugarcane production. It is a sad reminder of the slave era, as the area, as well as the windmill, belonged to the family of Arthur William Hodge. Mr. Hodge was a sadistic farmer who was sentenced to death for executing one of his slaves.

More about these locations on this cool page.