Chagos Archipelago

Getting to Chagos is the commitment that separates the genuinely offshore sailor from the weekend warrior. From Maldives or Sri Lanka you're looking at 500 to 600 nautical miles of open Indian Ocean, typically reaching or running on the south-east trades as they establish themselves between March and May.

The passage south is straightforward in settled conditions, but the trades can stack up a confused swell if you time it poorly, so watch the weather windows carefully and plan for three to five days at sea. There are no night-entry anchorages worth the risk — arrive at Salomon Atoll or Peros Banhos in daylight, read the coral heads, and take your time threading into the lagoon.

Once inside, the reward is extraordinary. Salomon is the cruisers' hub, a glassy lagoon ringed by coconut palms, with a loose community of blue-water boats swinging quietly at anchor. The snorkelling and diving are among the cleanest you will find anywhere — fish populations here are dense in a way that feels almost prehistoric, and the coral health is genuinely confronting if you've been sailing Southeast Asia.

Shoreside life barely exists; a few ruined plantation buildings, nesting seabirds, and the odd coconut crab is the sum of it.

Bureaucracy is the real obstacle. You must hold a valid permit from the British Indian Ocean Territory administration before arrival, and enforcement does happen. Most sailors apply months in advance. There is no provisioning whatsoever — arrive fully stocked with fuel, water-making capacity, spares, and food for your onward passage to Mauritius or the Seychelles.

Best suited to experienced offshore crews aboard well-found bluewater boats with watermakers and at least three weeks to spare; charterers and novice passagemakers should skip this one entirely.