Tortola in the wake of the ferry to Virgin Gorda

When visiting Tortola as a cruise port stop the Baths at Virgin Gorda is a popular place to see. It is a unique experience not found in other ports. Virgin Gorda is another of the British Virgin Islands, a short ferry ride away from Tortola.

Baths at Virgin Gorda

At the baths large boulders of volcanic origin haphazardly piled on one another create a labyrinth of sandy trails and seawater pools of varying depths. Small to tiny fish swim about in some of the pools, individually or in schools. Some of the boulders surrounding these pools are as large as 40 feet in diameter.

narrow gap

The name baths seems to refer to all the various pools, but it’s actually short for batholith – a large mass of intrusive igneous rock which means rock originating from magma (molten rock). The boulders there are granite, which is a type of igneous rock.

first pool you get to from the trail down to the baths

This series of small pools and rock caves was created by molten rock seeping into previously existing volcanic rock layers without reaching the surface. Slow cooling formed a hard crystal granite layer which shrank and cracked into blocks. These were exposed when the softer volcanic rock above eroded away. Weathering rounded the corners of the boulders into their current shapes.

sailboats moored outside of the baths

While most people approach the Baths from land, they can be accessed from the sea in calm weather conditions. There are mooring buoys and a dingy dock line available for those who come by private boat. Some people swim in from their boats when the weather and sea conditions allow. Cruise ship passengers from Tortola can either arrive through a ship’s excursion where the ferry leaves right from the cruise port or go into town and take the public ferry to get there on their own. It is best to make ferry reservations in advance.

ferry at the dock in Virgin Gorda

The ferries stop at a small pier on Virgin Gorda that is not near anything. A fleet of open-sided busses waited to take us to the Baths when our ferry arrived. These are the standard transportation to and from the baths and coincide their schedules with the ferries.

open sided bus takes people from the ferry dock to the baths

We went by excursion rather than on our own because when googling the ferry schedule from the ship it only showed one ferry whose times did not coincide with our ship’s schedule to allow enough time to go there. There are actually at least 2 ferries and the other one would have given us plenty of time had we seen its schedule. There may be a third ferry, which at least existed previously according to someone who went there on their own from a cruise ship before, but there were only two ferry schedules posted at the dock at the time of our visit. Or maybe the third ferry is the one that does the ship’s excursions.

view from the shelter at the top of the baths

The Baths are a national park of the British Virgin Islands. At the top of a hill there’s a restroom and a shelter where groups can gather near where the busses stop. Facilities at the top of the baths include a restaurant, bar, pool, and shops as well as great views.

map of the trails at the baths

A sandy trail leads down towards the baths. At the start of the trail a sign shows a map of the one-way loop route to and from the baths. It’s a one-way route to prevent pile-ups of people going one way having to wait for others going the other way to get through narrow gaps, steep stairways, or rope-on-rock crossings while going through the baths. You still have to wait if there are people in front of you, but they are all going the same direction.

excursion group on the trail

Part of the trail is surrounded in vegetation, some of it tall spiny cactus. Other areas offer views of the water.

giant cactus on the trail to the baths

When you come to a fork in the path, the left fork is the easy route straight to the beach at Devil’s Bay. The right fork goes to the Baths. If you go there on a cruise ship excursion they will take the easy path, spend some time on that beach, then go through the baths to another beach. The first beach has no amenities, but the second one does.

sign on the trail

The guide on our excursion allowed us to bail from the group and take the trail directly to the baths. We had no desire to spend time on the beach and preferred to have more time to explore the baths. The pathway down leads to a variety of pools. There are lots of side trails into dead-end pools, all of which are worth exploring.

trail sign

Besides having more time to spend in the baths rather than on a beach, splitting off from the group allowed us to go down the rest of the trail to get there at our own pace rather than the excruciatingly slow pace the excursion group was taking.

pool at the baths

We spent nearly all of the time that the main excursion group spent at the first beach wandering through all sorts of nooks and crannies in the baths rather than just going straight through on the main trail as the excursion group did. We only arrived at the beach a few minutes before the main group got there so we had considerably more time to see a lot more of the baths than we would have staying with the group. They missed so much going straight through without exploring any of the pools and dead-end trails.

little waterfall between two pools

In a narrow gap between two small pools a tiny waterfall switched directions each time a wave went in or out.

stairway on the trail through the baths

Some parts of the path are sandy trails, often uneven and sometimes full of protruding portions of rock. Others areas pass through pools. Some places require climbing up or down stairways, ducking under overhanging rocks, or using a rope to navigate a slippery rock. One steep stairway is best taken going backwards or so the sign next to it recommends.

rope assisted rock crossing

We found one side trail through a very small triangular opening in a rock that led into a pool. A crab scuttled up a rock on the side of that pool. It was much bigger than a beach crab, but not as big as the ones people eat. A circular path brought us back to where we’d started without having to go back through the tiny opening again.

bridge over and through rocks in the baths

There are a lot of different side trails that veer off the main pathway through the baths. Some lead to pools, others to dry sandy caves, but all are worth exploring. After all when going there to see the baths might as well see all of it rather than just hurrying through on the main trail and spending time on the beach when you can go to beaches on any island.

big pool at the baths

Most of the pools through the baths are pretty small, but some of them are kind of big. The bigger ones are generally out in the open rather than surrounded by rocks in a cave.

dry cave at the baths

The last big pool before the exit has some fairly deep areas and an opening into another smaller pool. Parts of these pools are fairly deep, but most people go to the baths with the intention of getting wet. There was some sand at the edge of the pool where some people left their belongings before going for a swim there. An offshoot nearby led to a dry cave.

beach beyond the exit from the baths

The baths exit onto a beach with restrooms and a little beach bar. There are signs at the exit saying that opening is exit only, and other signs saying not to climb on the boulders at the side of the beach.

beach bar

A trail from that beach leads straight back up to the parking area without going back through the baths. It’s a shorter and more direct trail than the long winding one leading down. There are stairways in the steeper parts.

pool with a view

This is a place like no other. It’s well worth seeing. It’s something unique and different that you won’t find at any other port. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes quirks of nature and doesn’t have any balance or mobility issues. When visiting the baths water shoes are the ideal footwear. It’s best not to bring or wear anything that can’t get wet because everything probably will. Also bring as little as possible and try to carry everything hands free as you may need your hands for navigating through some areas of the baths.

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