The Baths — Attraction in Virgin Gorda

"The Baths" have been on my bucket list for a while now and I finally got to see it!

For those of you that are not in the know about the baths, its a very rare geological formation of massive granite boulders that are being pushed out of a beach (only found in two place in the world, in Virgin Gorda and Colorado), forming crazy water caves and hidden sandy beach paths for tourists to explore. Tyra Banks apparently did her first sports illustrated photo shoot in the caves.

Here are a few tips to remember if you decide to visit:

1. Wear water shoes (reef walkers) if you are going to hike down from the top. The boulders can get slippery and its nice to have some grip on your feet, and you'll also go over an area covered in dead leaves (who knows of what's under them!)

2. Less is more. Try not to bring so many things, a camera is a must but carry a small backpack to hold your stuff so you can keep your hands free. You will go up and down a few ladders, crawl under/through tight spaces and rope down one short section of the hike.

3. The hike down is easy and very desert like with cacti and dried plants everywhere, but for those that want to exert the least amount of energy possible, take the stairs down on the right side to the beach. Go left for the adventurous way down.

Besides exploring the rock formations, we got to enjoy a beach (part of Devil's Bay) and The Poor Man's Bar (literally a shack that charges $4.50 for a beer but it's a welcome sight after the hike down). There is apparently great snorkeling around the area, but our group ran out of time and it started pouring. This park is very well maintained (bathrooms, picnic tables, and lockers at the beach) and this experience is a must, if you venture out to the Virgin Islands. It is on the British side of Virgin Gorda, so remember to pack your passport to...

The kind of stuff that postcards are made of. What an unbelievable place. The Baths is a national park with a very unique landscape that we did not see anywhere else in the BVI or USVI. Naturally occurring rock formations and boulders created by years of erosion of granite rock make this place a must see in the BVI. There is a restaurant at the top (aptly named Top of the Baths) which offers excellent views and a good place to relax and get some refreshments after your visit. Park your car at the Top of the Baths, then walk to the entrance where you pay a small fee ($3) to enter. From there it is a short walk down to the Baths l. Prepare to be amazed as you squeeze through tight tunnels and archways that open up into the most beautiful grottoes and pools. It does not take that long to walk to the length of the Baths but it is worth it to come prepared with water shoes and waterproof cases for your camera or phone. There are lockers located at the beginning where you can store everything else. There is a stretch of beach on either side with crystal clear turquoise waters for you to jump into and swim or snorkel. If you do only one thing in the BVI, this should, without question, be it! One request: please please PLEASE be respectful of the place. One thing that really disgusted me was a group of drunk tourists who were walking through the Baths with their beer bottles and cups in hand. Before going in to the water they just threw their empty bottles on the sand under a tree and took off. These were obviously not collected by them on the way back. Don't forget that you are a guest and should be grateful that you even had the chance to see something...

The baths was an experience. Perhaps if we have not arrived directly after a bus load of Disney cruise guests it would have been the beautiful experience so many others have had. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After you pay for your ticket they direct you to the left where you have about a 15 minute hike before you reach any semblance of water. Then you hike up/down ladders and use rope handles to climb through the caves. At times we stood still in the beating sun for twenty minutes while the Disney cruise guests took pictures at every turn. What should likely take about ten minutes took over 45, and gave us no opportunity to enjoy the caves.

When we finally reached the end of the caves hike it opened to a beautiful bay and beach absolutely littered with people. There is a bar and several gift stands on the beach. The water nearest the beach is incredibly cloudy and although there is coral reef just steps from the shore there is no respect for it as guests trample over everything and incredibly close to sea anemones. Beyond the shore the water is deep and beautiful with lovely reefs teeming with life.

It might be that we are incredibly spoiled by the national parks in America or that we had just come from the national park at St John. Or maybe if we had just arrived earlier it would have been a magical experience. But for us it was standing in line and then arriving at a beach that felt much more like a party spot than a national park.

Btw, if you are wanting to avoid the caves the hike to the right of the entrance, (the exit) is about 3-5 minutes down...