Last week when I was visiting my sister one of the things we did was head out to the British Virgin Islands on a boat trip to visit The Baths National Park on Virgin Gorda.
The name of the park comes from the gorgeous rocks that line the shore called batholiths. Batholiths are formed from cooled magma deep in the earth's crust. Through continental uplift and erosion batholiths can be exposed on the surface.
The batholiths at Virgin Gorda are made from granite and are special due to their location on the sea as most batholiths are inland. The unique formation creates a maze of grottos, tunnels, and arches right on the shoreline.
As interesting as the geology behind The Baths is, it is really even more impressive to see and explore them in awe of their beauty. I had visited them with my sister on my first trip to visit her in the Caribbean back in 2006 and requested to go back on this trip because they are such a beautiful sight.
At the visitor's center, which is a short distance south from Spanish Town, you pay your entrance fee ($3 for adults, $2 for children) and can choose between two paths down to the rock formations. We decided to go to the right and follow the Baths Beach trail to the water.
As you start to head down the trail you can start to see some of the batholiths surrounding you. The vegetation is also interesting and I particularly liked the cacti that we saw scattered along the trail at various points with a bluish hue to it. It looked so striking again the bright green foliage.
At the bottom of the trail is a lovely beach. The waters were too rough that day for swimming, but the views were stunning.
After enjoying the beach it was time to head into The Baths. The path can easily be followed by the ladders and ropes that were put in place to help people navigate the slippery and sometimes steep areas. In places where it still may be unclear there are some yellow arrows painted on the rock as a guide.
One of the first amazing formations you come across as you enter the baths is known as The Cathedral. Two enormous boulders barely touch to make a gorgeous triangle shaped cave with the water rushing in and out with the tide. No pictures can do the experience of being there justice.
Continuing on we were lucky to be exploring with no one around us. We ran into a few people occasionally but luckily we were a little ways away between tour groups so we had the rare privilege to be alone with only the sound of the water as we marvelled at The Baths.
The rock formations were fantastic with beautiful coloring and interesting shapes.
At a few points along the path were had glimpses through the rocks out to the sea and then eventually the trail opened up a bit more. The views were spectacular.
At the end of the breathtaking trail we reached the beach at Devil's Bay for more amazing scenery to explore.
Eventually we needed to head back. We could have gone back the way we came but due to time we opted to go straight from Devil's Bay back to the visitor's center via the Devil's Bay Beach Trail. The trail seemed to have less batholiths along the way that the trail we took on the way down but we did see more of the pretty blue tinged cacti.
Back at the top if you are in the mood for some food or drinks you can stop at Top of The Baths for some dining with wonderful views. There is a small freshwater pool as well as some gifts shops there.
Even if you are not interested in getting anything to eat I would strongly recommend taking a peek of the view from their verandah over The Baths and out across the sea to other islands in the BVI. It is really spectacular and a nice way to end a visit to The Baths.
My sister and I had a wonderful time visiting The Baths and our only regret is that we didn't have more time to enjoy them. It is a truly amazing place to visit and quite an amazing natural wonder. If you find yourself in the Virgin Islands, I would definitely recommend making a concerted effort to visit.
Note: The Baths are located in the British Virgins Islands which means that if you coming by way of the US Virgin Islands you will need a passport to visit. American travelers only need their driver's license to enter the USVI or Puerto Rico, so don't forget to also pack your passport if you also want to make a stop in the BVI.