Cruise Diva
Goes Ashore in the Caribbean
Sights
to see & things to do
Virgin
Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Long
a favorite of yachters, only the smallest cruise ships call on
Virgin Gorda. Until the
early 1960’s when Laurence S. Rockefeller established Little Dix
Bay Hotel, Virgin Gorda was a fairly isolated agricultural
community. Other hotels have since followed, but privacy still
reigns here on the beaches and out of the way resorts.
Diversions
There
is no pier suitable for large cruise ships, but it’s possible to
tender ashore, either from a ship at anchor or tenders or ferries
from Road Town on Tortola. The
main reason to visit Virgin Gorda is The Baths, where immense
boulders form grottoes in the sea. However,
it is possible to take a ship’s tour or taxi around the island to
peer from a distance at the haunts of the rich and famous.
The best reason for booking a ship’s tour is that it
affords early departure from the ship and a seat on the first boat
ferrying passengers ashore.
Shopping
Small
souvenirs and tee shirts are about the extent of the goods available
on Virgin Gorda.
Beaches
The
pools around The Baths are excellent for swimming and snorkeling.
Facilities are rudimentary but there is a snack shop and snorkel
equipment is available for rental. Nearby
is Spring Bay, another desirable spot to snorkel and swim. From
Spring Bay a rough path leads to Trunk Bay’s wide sandy beach. A
trail from The Baths leads to Devil’s Bay National Park where a
15-minute trek through boulders and coastal vegetation ends at a
secluded coral beach.
Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call 2008 is all you need
to plan your days ashore, PLUS a cruise primer section and cruise
line profiles by Cruise Diva, Linda Coffman
Back to Caribbean
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