Great Harbour is the main anchorage and the social centre of Jost Van Dyke. This is where the ferry from Tortola docks, where the customs and immigration office sits, and where most of the island's restaurants and shops cluster along a short stretch of beach. The water in the harbour is calm and the holding ground is good, which is why this bay fills with yachts most evenings.
On shore, the pace is slow. Ali Baba's and Corsair's Beach Bar serve food through the day, and Foxy's Tamarind Bar anchors the east end of the settlement. There is a small shop for provisions. In the evenings, Great Harbour is where everyone comes together — sailors from the anchored boats, day-trippers who stayed too long on White Bay, and the small resident community.