Virgin Gorda — the “Fat Virgin” — is the third largest in size and second most-populated of the British Virgin Islands.
While on a 10-Day Caribbean Cruise on the Seabourn Pride, we took a shore excursion to explore “The Baths” — an unusual geological formation of huge granite boulders and grottos near the beaches the southern end of Virgin Gorda.
Exploring “The Baths” of Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands via a Seabourn Shore Excursion
First we took a tender from the Seabourn Pride — anchored in the North Sound –to the dock at Gun Creek.
Next we boarded open-air vehicles to transport us from the North Sound to the southern end of Virgin Gorda were The Baths are located.
While Virgin Gorda is only about 8 square miles in size, the drive takes more than 20 minutes, traversing Gorda Peak, the highest point on Virgin Gorda at 1,370 ft. (See map of Virgin Gorda below).
Map by Peter Fitzgerald
The drive up and down North Shore Road was steep and scenic. Savannah Bay is on the right side of the narrow part of the island (where you can see the strip of sand on the right side of the photo below.)
Once at The Baths, our guide led the group on a hike to Devil’s Bay.
Due to a recent rain, the trail was wet and slippery. Good walking shoes or sandals that work in water are essential for this 15-minute hike through vegetation and boulders to Devil’s Bay.
The path to Devil’s Bay is a National Park from the parking lot at the top of the Baths is the longer route to the Baths, making it the better choice to descend rather than climb up, according to our guide.
Devil’s Bay is a tranquil location for swimming and snorkeling, or just relaxing on the beach. (A rest might be a good idea, before the next hike that leads visitors through the Baths.)
The Baths is a collection of massive granite boulders as large as 40 feet in diameter, with white sand beaches and secret rock pools. The Baths resulted from molten rock that seeped into existing volcanic rock layers, cooling before it reached the surface. Further shrinkage and cracking formed blocks, which were exposed when the softer volcanic rock above eroded away. Weathering polished the boulders into the rounded masses that they are today.
The hike through The Baths requires crawling through tight spaces, climb and descending ladders and wading through about a foot of water.
A series of steps and rope handrails guide you along a trail through the boulders. The hike requires caution to avoid slipping or failing.
If you can’t get low to the ground, you will not make it through The Baths.
The tour is popular with island tourists and cruise ship guests, and sometimes gets crowded as the passage is slow.
This is the area of The Baths known as the “cathedral room.”
Finally, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
At the beach at The Baths, you can swim, snorkel or rest with a refreshing drink, before the hike up another trail back to the parking lot.
Once at the top of The Baths, we stopped at the The Top of the Baths to enjoy the view and recover from the hike with a rum punch.
The Top of the Baths includes a restaurant, bar, pool, and collection of shops to pick up souvenirs from The Baths.
Next, we loaded back up on the open-air vehicles for the drive back to the North Sound.
On the return drive, we made a few quick stops for photos of the island.
This is a view of the North Sound, with the Seabourn Pride at anchor and Prickly Pear Island in the distance.
Finally, we were back to the dock to board the tenders, either to the ship or to Prickly Pear Island for the Seabourn Beach Party.
Our bottom line on this shore excursion:
- It’s a unique adventure.
- You need to be in relatively good shape: able to hike on rough surfaces, climb steep ladders, and crawl through tight spaces.
- Good water-safe shoes or sandals are a must.
- Carry a bottle of water and a towel; ideally in a lightweight backpack to free your hands for climbing.
- For Seabourn guests: we and are fellow tour guests were disappointed that taking the tour meant that we missed the “Caviar in the Surf” activity at Prickly Pear Island even though we headed there immediately after the shore excursion ended.
Have your explored The Baths in Virgin Gorda? What did you think? Please share your thoughts in comments below.
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