CC BY 2.0, Flickr user Daquella manera, via Wikimedia CommonsLandmark· Virgin Gorda· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
The Baths National Park
18° 25.8′ N · 64° 26.7′ W
Granite boulders up to 40 ft across tumble onto white sand at Virgin Gorda's southwest tip, forming grottoes, tidal pools and sunlit 'cathedral' chambers you wade and crawl through. A BVI National Park since 1990 and the single most-visited stop in the islands.
Practical
Park established 1990, 6.91 acres (National Parks Trust). Land entry is the Greater Baths Day Pass (covers The Baths, Devil's Bay, Stoney Bay and Spring Bay): US$3 adult, US$2 child plus a small online ticket fee (NPT ticket page, 2026); park hours 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Toilets and lockers ashore. A trail with steps, ladders and rope handrails runs through the boulders from The Baths beach to Devil's Bay; expect to crawl, climb and wade, and the rock is slippery. Arriving by boat: NPT day moorings offshore (see The Baths Day Moorings); a Marine Conservation (moorings) permit is required and does not include the land entry fee. Dinghies cannot land on the beach: tie to the offshore dinghy line and swim in through the marked swim channel; boat speed near the beaches is limited to 5 mph. In winter, strong ocean swells can close the moorings and sea access entirely and swimming is discouraged because of currents. NPT raises flags at The Baths, Spring Bay and Devil's Bay each day (check them on arrival, or call the Virgin Gorda NPT office, +1 284 541 2420). Crowds peak when cruise-ship tenders and day-tripper boats arrive mid-morning; go at opening or late afternoon, or come by land (taxi from Spanish Town or the North Sound).
Best for
The signature BVI experience: boulder grottoes and the Devil's Bay trail
Season
Year-round; sea access often closed in winter north swells (Dec to Mar)