This morning we made our way to The Baths on Virgin Gorda – famous granite rock formations along the southern shore beaches. It was a lovely morning for a sail so we took our time – making 5-6 kts in 10 kt winds with only 1 brief squall on route. John made good use of his new Pusser’s Rum mug…but just for coffee of course 😉
Since The Baths are a protected National Park, a restricted area for snorkeling and swimming surrounds the beaches and entrance to The Baths. Dinghys tie up to the roped buoys so passengers can swim to shore, about 30-40 m. Once onshore at Spring Bay, we took a few photos at the entrance of the trail to Devil’s Bay, and then proceeded along a 20 min trek among, over and through, the incredible granite rocks.
John & I had visited The Baths last year and found it very crowded with several large tourist groups. Although we arrived today late morning, we must have struck a fortunate time between tour boats as we only encountered a couple large groups as we trekked along the rocky trail to Devil’s Bay. This meant we spent less time standing aside to allow others to pass along the narrow stairways and paths among boulders.
We finally arrived at spectacular Devil’s Bay.
After we enjoyed the gorgeous views, it was time for lunch. We hiked another 20 mins up the hill from Devil’s Bay, following signs towards the parking lot which brought us to a great little restaurant, aptly named Top of The Baths. Scenery along the trail was gorgeous as we gained altitude with great view of the bays. We were glad to have worn sandals this year though.
A great view from up here!
John took a few pics of the view from Top of the Baths while I hopped in the swimming pool to get refreshed.
After a nice lunch and a couple Presidente beers, it was sadly time to head back to the boat. We wanted to stay the night in Leverick Bay, at the northern end of Virgin Gorda and had a couple hours travel time. The trail down to Spring Bay was more direct than our route up the hill and in no time we were back to our dingy.
We did a combination of sailing and motoring to Leverick Bay, then we moored with no issues and hopped in our kayaks to explore the beach area where property developments looked to be underway with partially developed roads, dock facilities and beach areas.
We had heard great things about Leverick Bay marina and amenities, so after our kayak expedition, we dinghy-ed to shore for more exploring and quickly found the Chef’s Pantry grocery store. They had a remarkably good deli and a wide selection of grocery items and wines.
We took the opportunity to purchase a few provisions and headed back to Kindred Soul for a relaxing evening. Dinner was a feast of grilled salmon, roasted potatoes and tabbouleh salad. Cheers to another terrific day in paradise.
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