Norman Island

Norman Island sits at the southern tip of the British Virgin Islands, about a 45-minute boat ride from Tortola, making it one of the easiest full-day charter destinations to reach from Hodges Creek Marina, Scrub Island, or Peter Island. Uninhabited and protected as a national park, it's best known as the island that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, and today it draws day-trippers for four things in particular: The Indians, The Caves, the Willy T, and Pirates Bight.

The Indians

The Indians are four dramatic rock pinnacles rising out of the water just off Norman Island's western shore — one of the most photographed snorkel sites in the entire BVI. The rocks drop straight down into clear water full of soft coral, sea fans, and reef fish, and the swim-throughs between the pinnacles are shallow enough for confident beginner snorkelers while still interesting for experienced ones. There's a National Parks Trust mooring field here, so boats anchor just offshore and it's a short swim to the formations. Most Tortola Tours charters that include Norman Island stop here first, while the water is calmest and before the midday charter-boat traffic builds up.

The Caves

A short hop south of The Indians, at Treasure Point on Norman Island's western tip, a series of sea caves cut into the cliff face — allegedly one of the real-world inspirations for the buried-treasure legend behind Stevenson's novel. The caves are shallow enough to snorkel into (bring an underwater flashlight if you have one; the light inside shifts dramatically), and the surrounding reef is home to squirrelfish, snapper, and the occasional nurse shark resting in the shadows. Like The Indians, this is a National Parks Trust mooring site, and conditions are calmest in the morning.

The Willy T

The William Thornton — universally known as the Willy T — is a converted cargo schooner permanently moored in Norman Island's Bight and run as a floating bar and restaurant. It's one of the most recognizable stops in the BVI charter circuit: part lunch spot, part landmark, part institution, with a laid-back deck, a full bar, and a menu of Caribbean and American classics. Boats tie up alongside or anchor nearby and dinghy over. It's a natural lunch stop on a Norman Island day, and pairs well with an afternoon snorkel at The Caves or The Indians.

Pirates Bight

On the beach at The Bight — Norman Island's large, well-protected anchorage — Pirates Bight is a beachfront restaurant and bar with its own dinghy dock, a wide sand beach for swimming, and one of the more relaxed, kid-friendly stops on the island. It's a good alternative or complement to the Willy T if your group wants sand underfoot rather than a boat deck, and The Bight itself is calm enough for swimming right off the beach between courses. Many charters treat Pirates Bight and the Willy T as a pair — one for lunch, one for a sunset drink, depending on the day's schedule.

Visiting Norman Island with Tortola Tours

Norman Island is a regular stop on Tortola Tours' scheduled group excursions aboard Papi Chulo, our 60-foot day-charter catamaran, and it's also a popular pick for private full-day charters on Papi Chulo or Mami Chula for groups that want the island to themselves. A typical day combines a morning snorkel at The Indians or The Caves with a midday stop at the Willy T or Pirates Bight for lunch — call us to build the itinerary around what your group wants to see.