This Caribbean Beach Bar Was Just Voted the Best—and You Have to Swim to Reach It

The USA TODAY 10 BEST’s Readers’ Choice Awards, selected by the publication’s editors and readers, recently released the results of its 10 best beach bars in the Caribbean. If you’ve never been to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), particularly Jost Van Dyke, well, now you have yet another reason to go. 

There are countless beach bars for sipping cocktails while dipping your toes in the sand and gazing out at the endless blue of the Caribbean, but the Soggy Dollar Bar was named the very best place to do it in the entire region. 

Nestled along the pristine sands of White Bay, this humble beach shack is famous for the Painkiller, a classic cocktail that was invented right here in the 1970s by Daphne Henderson. Made up of pineapple, coconut, and orange juice, freshly grated Grenadian nutmeg, and rum, the original recipe called for Pusser’s Rum, but today it’s made with the bar’s own brand: Soggy Dollar Premium Island Spiced Rum.

Once here, you can not only enjoy refreshing drinks, but also a scene that showcases a stretch of the whitest sands lapped by Easter egg blue water and dotted with swaying palms. It’s a lively social hub, known for attracting a wide range of personalities, from local legends like Leon Miller and Glenroy John to adventurous sailors, posh superyacht owners, and famous music artists, including Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney. Chesney has frequently drawn inspiration from the Soggy Dollar for his songs, most notably, Bar at the End of the World.

The Soggy Dollar is renowned for its “barefoot arrival,” which means to reach it, you’ll swim or wade ashore from an anchored boat, as there is no dock. Naturally, your dollars will get wet. Now you know how it got its name!  

While the name originates from wet cash, modern payment methods are also accepted today. Getting soggy is part of the fun, but if you really don’t want to get wet, you can catch a taxi from the Great Harbour dock. Some visitors take the ferry or a private water taxi from Tortola, also in the BVI, but Jost Van Dyke can also be visited on a half-day boat charter from St. Thomas or St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Or, as part of your itinerary on a longer yacht charter exploring the BVI, USVI, or both. 

Those who arrive in BVI as part of a yacht charter can even spend the night with mooring balls in White Bay, providing the chance to enjoy the breathtaking setting at its most tranquil, after the day trippers have gone.