As I do with every trip I plan, I scoured Pinterest for ideas for things to do while at our Tortola port of call on our Caribbean cruise. Though not in Tortola, a popular place to go is the Baths of Virgin Gorda. Luckily the group I was with was interested in seeing the Baths as well!
What is the significance of the Baths?
The Baths were formed by granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach. The boulders form natural tidal pools , tunnels, arches, and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. The largest boulders at The Baths are about 40 feet long. The Baths have been a British Virgin Island National Park since 1990.
Getting to the Baths
From our port of call in Tortola, head over to the local ferry office and buy tickets to Virgin Gorda. Tickets per person are about $40 a person. The ferry ride takes about 40 minutes.
Travel Tip: Try to get a seat outside the boat. Heading to Virgin Gorda, we were stuck inside. I have never been sea sick before, but because I couldn’t see outside and it was hot I experienced sea sickness.
We planned ahead and booked a tour that showed us around the island a bit, including some amazing scenic viewpoints before taking us to The Baths.
When you get to the top of the Baths, you have to buy tickets to head down. The walk down to the beach will take you about 10-15 minutes. When we got to the bottom I remember thinking “this is some of the most blue waters I have ever seen.” Also be prepared for crowds. Since this is one of the main tourist attractions, everyone is there. I wanted to walk through the boulder tunnels but the amount of people also walking through was crazy.
We ended up spending an hour relaxing in the warm, Caribbean waters before heading back up.
Overall, I would say this is something to visit once in your life. Have you been? What was your experience?
#virgingorda #caribbean #tropical #britishvirginislands
