The Baths - really a must see or more of a tourist trap?

[LA_FadeAway]

It seems everyone is saying we have to go see The Baths. However, my husband and I are not big on overcrowded tourist traps. We tend to avoid going with the crowds and prefer to do things more on our own. That being said, we know there are some things that are must sees, even if it means following the crowds. Is The Baths really one of those places? If not, any suggestions for an absolutely gorgeous laid back beach? We're considering White Beach on Jost van Dyke as an alternative to The Baths. It sounds like our type of paradise, but then again we've been to many beaches so if The Baths truly are a "can't miss" then we can cope with the crowds for a few hours.
Any opinions or other ideas welcome.

Thanks for your help!

[Sandi149]

IMO it's a must see at least once. Others may feel differently. It's an amazing work of nature. Here is a link that will tell you about it.

http://www.b-v-i.com/baths.htm

Also, in my sig down below I have pictures, if you are interested in seeing what it looks like.

[BigGreenFan]

I'm a land based visitor to the BVI, not a cruise ship visitor, and I think the Baths is a place you really should go to.

[Host Sheila]

I agree that you must see the Baths...however...depends on the time of day. The earlier you can get there the better. AND, if you can climb through the trail in the Baths to Devil's Bay...even better. It's quite beautiful and leads to a lovely beach that is not as crowded as the one at the Baths (again, if you go early). Remember those OTHER tourists try to get there as well. It tends to get crowded by 10 AM, so if you can get there with an early group and head straight through the entrance to the boulders (might need to crawl through), it'll be a momentous experience. We've been to Virgin Gorda many times on a land trip and go there every time...the beauty never wears off.

[inai]

DH and I did not book a shore excursion with the cruise ship. We went on our own, and it was very enjoyable. Just walk to the ferry terminal and take the ferry to virgin gorda which includes transportation on the other side to the Baths. Enjoy the nature of the beautiful boulders and then walk to devils beach on the other side. It was not crowded.

[CaribbeanBound]

A must see. Nothing "tourist trap" about it!

[Leo Jay]

We didn't find the Baths overly crowded, nor was there much of anything to buy there, so I definitely wouldn't call it a "tourist trap". There are lots of photos of the site posted around -- check it out and see if it strikes your fancy. We found the beach absolutely beautiful, and exploring the baths was a treat. Must See in my book.

[lovetocruise99]

You have to see the Baths! I wouldn't consider it a tourist trap at all. We found the easiest way to do it was on our own through Speedy's. AFter 20 cruises, this is one of our very favorite excursions...it's that beautiful and unique.

Here are a few photos

http://www.familytravelfun.com/the-baths-virgin-gorda-picture.html

[Sierra Fox]

I would really love to see the baths but also don't care for massive crowds. There are going to be 2 ships in Tortola that day and our ship is tendering so I imagine it will take us longer to get to shore than others.

At what point in the day is it too late to head over there? We're early birds so we can be off as soon as the tenders allow, but I imagine the ferries going to the baths form a line pretty quickly first thing in the morning.

With 2 cruise ships and 5000+ people, what's the best plan of action - morning or afternoon or forget about it and do something else? - SF

[Sandi149]

I would really love to see the baths but also don't care for massive crowds. There are going to be 2 ships in Tortola that day and our ship is tendering so I imagine it will take us longer to get to shore than others.

At what point in the day is it too late to head over there? We're early birds so we can be off as soon as the tenders allow, but I imagine the ferries going to the baths form a line pretty quickly first thing in the morning.

With 2 cruise ships and 5000+ people, what's the best plan of action - morning or afternoon or forget about it and do something else? - SF

You really need to go in the morning because it's a 45 min trip there and back to and from Virgin Gorda on the ferry. Then it's a 10 min trip there and back to the Baths. You should really spend at least 2 hours at the Baths because it's so beautiful. What time does your ship leave?

[Pyrate13]

Here's a link to the ferry schedules to and from Virgin Gorda.
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_tortola_vg.htm

There's not a line of ferries waiting to go to Virgin Gorda, just one from each of the two ferry companies and they run on a schedule.

I'm curious about why your ship is tendering in Road Town as there is certainly room for two ships at the dock.

[Sierra Fox]

You really need to go in the morning because it's a 45 min trip there and back to and from Virgin Gorda on the ferry. Then it's a 10 min trip there and back to the Baths. You should really spend at least 2 hours at the Baths because it's so beautiful. What time does your ship leave?

Our ship will be there from 7 am to 5 pm. so that sounds like plenty of time depending on how long it takes us to get off the ship and get onto one of the ferries.

Here's a link to the ferry schedules to and from Virgin Gorda.
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_tortola_vg.htm

There's not a line of ferries waiting to go to Virgin Gorda, just one from each of the two ferry companies and they run on a schedule.

I'm curious about why your ship is tendering in Road Town as there is certainly room for two ships at the dock.

Thank you for the schedule, that helps a lot! I don't know why our ship is tendering. Our tinerary for Tortola reads "Tender required, wheelchair access is limited." The cruise ship calendar only lists 2 ships in port that day, perhaps there will be a third after all, although I hope not.

[LA_FadeAway]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. We may give the Baths a try after all, although Jost Van Dyke really looks appealing too. Hmmm, decisions, decsions...

[bajsf]

How accessable are the Bath's? Is it a hard climb, slippery? Anything really physical? Anything like Dunns River Falls in Jamacia?

[Sandi149]

How accessable are the Bath's? Is it a hard climb, slippery? Anything really physical? Anything like Dunns River Falls in Jamacia?

No, nothing like Dunns River. Much easier. It's not wet. There is about a 350 yard path that you have to take down there but it's not that steep. It goes down gradually. There are some rocks you have to walk over but nothing too bad.

Here are some pictures of the path.

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/4073/2152853460046899484S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/3981/2973537560046899484S600x600Q85.jpg

[LA_FadeAway]

Thanks for those pics! How is the walk back up? I must admit I'm horribly out of shape! At least I still have a few months to work on that :)

[Sandi149]

Thanks for those pics! How is the walk back up? I must admit I'm horribly out of shape! At least I still have a few months to work on that :)

I'm not in great shape either and I didn't find it too difficult. Just go slow and take a nice cold bottle of water with you. Are you going with your ship's excursion or doing it on your own?

[ottergirl]

I have to laugh because I was flipping through your photos of your recent cruise on the Miracle and I noticed you have a picture of the duck appetizer located right next to a real live duck on the beach. Did you plan that irony? I laughed out loud when I saw that... if it was accidental that makes it even funnier. Kinda like a reversed "before and after" photo.

Ha ha ha :p

[LA_FadeAway]

I'm not in great shape either and I didn't find it too difficult. Just go slow and take a nice cold bottle of water with you. Are you going with your ship's excursion or doing it on your own?

We're not big on ship tours, so we'll likely do it on our own through Speedy's or that other ferry service. Thanks for the reply about the hill. I'm sure I can handle it, but always like to know what I'm in for. If I survived the hike down to a waterfall in Belize that required holding onto ropes because the hill was so steep, then I suppose the hill to the Baths can't be all that bad (I did not know what I was in for that time)!

[Sandi149]

I have to laugh because I was flipping through your photos of your recent cruise on the Miracle and I noticed you have a picture of the duck appetizer located right next to a real live duck on the beach. Did you plan that irony? I laughed out loud when I saw that... if it was accidental that makes it even funnier. Kinda like a reversed "before and after" photo.

Ha ha ha :p

Actually it was an accident. :p Someone else commented on the same thing also....LOL!!!!:D

[Sandi149]

We're not big on ship tours, so we'll likely do it on our own through Speedy's or that other ferry service. Thanks for the reply about the hill. I'm sure I can handle it, but always like to know what I'm in for. If I survived the hike down to a waterfall in Belize that required holding onto ropes because the hill was so steep, then I suppose the hill to the Baths can't be all that bad (I did not know what I was in for that time)!

Don't worry....you will be fine. It's really not that difficult. There are two paths there, the one we took which are the pictures I showed you is the easier path.

Have a great time. :D

[bajsf]

Thanks for the pictures of the path. Now, do you think, in your honest opinion, should we do the excursion offered by Carnival or do on our own?
Last year, we did excursions on our own, and were well pleased. It turned out to be one tenth of the cost offered by the cruiseline. Appreciate your thoughts.

How were you able to get tours of the galley and etc. on the ship? Is it available to all passengers?

[Sandi149]

Thanks for the pictures of the path. Now, do you think, in your honest opinion, should we do the excursion offered by Carnival or do on our own?
Last year, we did excursions on our own, and were well pleased. It turned out to be one tenth of the cost offered by the cruiseline. Appreciate your thoughts.

How were you able to get tours of the galley and etc. on the ship? Is it available to all passengers?

Originally I was contemplating doing the Baths on our own but I kept reading how the ferry can sometimes breakdown and be unreliable. Since we didn't have a lot of time in Tortola I wanted to make sure that I made it back to the ship on time. The ferry ride is 45 mins each way to Virgin Gorda, then there is a 10 min taxi/bus ride over to the Baths and back to the ferry slip. Then you really should spend at least 2 hours at the Baths to fully enjoy it. So when I factored all that in, I decided it was worth it to me to spend the extra money. On our sailing a couple did the Baths on their own and it turned out that the ferry did break down and they had to wait for another one. Good thing there was another one. I would hate to think what would have happened, if they missed the ship. :eek: So if I were to do the Baths again, I would take the cruiseline sponsored trip.

The galley tour will be listed in the Capers. I believe it was on the last sea day in the late morning. It was very interesting also. Take a look at my pictures in my sig. There are galley tour photos in there.

[LA_FadeAway]

I think our ship is in port for about 8 hours, so that is why we figure we'll do it on our own. Even if the ferry breaks down, we should still have enough time to get back.

[SmileEh]

We have decided to do this excursion on our own... we'll make it a point to grab Speedy's 12:30pm return ferry... and for some reason if that ferry breaks down or doesn't show up... we will just grab the 1:00pm return ferry with Smith's... so the way I see it, it's a win-win situation to save money! cuz it kills me to think of spending 80 bucks when I can do it on my own for 25... ;)

[Ljberkow]

We have decided to do this excursion on our own... we'll make it a point to grab Speedy's 12:30pm return ferry... and for some reason if that ferry breaks down or doesn't show up... we will just grab the 1:00pm return ferry with Smith's... so the way I see it, it's a win-win situation to save money! cuz it kills me to think of spending 80 bucks when I can do it on my own for 25... ;)


I am doing the exact same thing. The cruiselines love to justify the extra cash for their own excursions. Some fall into the category of "that's inexcusable" and "you're making enough money as it is". This is one of them.

Have a great time on your Liberty cruise. I'm doing the same one only 250 days later.

[LA_FadeAway]

Well, I just looked at the ferry schedules and they aren't great for me. My cruise is in port from 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM. This means we'll likely have to take the 12:00 ferry over and the 3:30 back, which does not give us a whole lot of time at the Baths. Anyone think there is any chance of us catching the 10:30 ferry? I don't know how far they dock from the cruise terminal.

[Pyrate13]

The ferry terminal is less than ten minutes walk from the cruise pier. You might make it if your ship is right on time or early.

[LA_FadeAway]

Thanks Pyrate. I guess we'll play it by ear that day. Is the ferry terminal pretty easy to find? I suppose having directions ahead of time would increase our chances of catching the 10:30.

Ooh, I just noticed a typo in my last post. Our ship is in port from 10:00 AM until 6:30 PM (not 3:30). There is a 5:00 return ferry, but that's pushing it a little too close for my comfort.

[Pyrate13]

You can see the ferry terminal from the ship. Come off the ship, walk down the pier, at the end turn left. You can walk along the water untill you come to the municipal parking lot. The cruise terminal is at the far end of the parking lot.

[paddy Anne]

Well after all this praise I will be sure to make a point of going to the Baths. I also don't want to book the ship excursion. Is it possible though that when you get to the ferry going, or worse coming back, that it's full?
PA

[brooklyngal]

Originally I was contemplating doing the Baths on our own but I kept reading how the ferry can sometimes breakdown and be unreliable. Since we didn't have a lot of time in Tortola I wanted to make sure that I made it back to the ship on time. The ferry ride is 45 mins each way to Virgin Gorda, then there is a 10 min taxi/bus ride over to the Baths and back to the ferry slip. Then you really should spend at least 2 hours at the Baths to fully enjoy it. So when I factored all that in, I decided it was worth it to me to spend the extra money. On our sailing a couple did the Baths on their own and it turned out that the ferry did break down and they had to wait for another one. Good thing there was another one. I would hate to think what would have happened, if they missed the ship. :eek: So if I were to do the Baths again, I would take the cruiseline sponsored trip.

The galley tour will be listed in the Capers. I believe it was on the last sea day in the late morning. It was very interesting also. Take a look at my pictures in my sig. There are galley tour photos in there.

I was hoping to do it on our own..but we will be in port from 7am to 2pm..so I guess we'll pay the extra $$, and go thru the cruiseship, at least I'll enjoy the baths, instead of worring about gettting back to the ship on time!!

[CaribbeanBound]

You can do it on your own.

Tortola, British Virgin Islands
There is no need to prearrange any excursions here. Taxis line up at the pier to take you anywhere you want to go. Several passengers hopped into taxis and got the exact same tour that other passengers paid double for through the ship. Our sights were set on visiting Virgin Gorda. We got off the ship just after 8:00 am and walked 15 minutes to the red-roofed ferry terminal off to the left of the pier. Speedy's (http://www.speedysbvi.com/) and Smith's (http://www.smithsferry.com/) both offer service to Virgin Gorda. However, only Speedy's could get us back before our 3:00pm departure. So we caught the 9:00 am Speedy's Ferry over and the 12:30 pm ferry back. Cost was $25 per person roundtrip, including roundtrip Speedy's Taxi service from the Virgin Gorda docks to The Baths. (You will not want to attempt to walk to The Baths from the dock). We brought our mask and snorkel with us. Rentals are available at The Baths for $10 plus a $30 deposit. We sat upstairs in the open air seating atop the ferry. Cool winds and great views. 30-35 minute ride each way followed by a 10-minute taxi to The Baths.

There is a $3.00 (adults) and $2.00 (children) entrance fee to The Baths which are part of the BVU National Parks Trust. A restaurant appropriately named “Top of the Baths” is nearby and offers incredible views of the surrounding islands. A 5-minute walk (350 yards in length) down to The Baths was rocky and uneven. At the bottom, single-use-only lockers can be rented for $2.50 each, via a token that can be purchased at the shop nearby. They are large enough to hold a beach bag or backpack. Tokens are also required if you wish to take a shower. The Baths are an incredibly fun experience. Here is a detailed map of The Baths at Virgin Gorda (http://www.thebathsbvi.com/map.htm). The Baths were really fun to explore. Highly recommend water shoes, a water camera, and a swimsuit. A beautiful beach with crystal clear waters awaits visitors on the other side of the rock maze. While not the greatest snorkeling site for fish, the coral formations were interesting. A beautiful beach with crystal clear waters awaits visitors on the other side of the rock maze. The water was nice and clear. Visibility was easily more than 50 feet! We would have liked to stay another couple of hours, and look forward to another visit. Highly recommended!

On our second trip to The Baths, we opted to pay an additional $10 ($35 total) for Speedy's “Sun and Fun” package which also included lunch and rum punch at The Bath & Turtle. After visiting The Baths for four hours, our taxi driver returned for us at 1:30pm, as agreed, to take us into town to eat. The Bath and Turtle Bar and Grill, located in a small strip mall with a dive shop, bank, and a few other shops, has little atmosphere but they make it up with good food and friendly service. Our coupon indicated that we could spend up to $10/pp, but our waitress allowed $12/pp which covers most items on the menu. We enjoyed our rum punch with a lunch platter consisting of a Caribbean Jerk Chicken sandwich, coleslaw and potato salad. We shopped a little after our leisurely lunch, then headed for the pier. The pier is a short 5-minute walk across a parking lot, past a small grocery store, and beyond an old partially-fenced park. Our ferry was already at the dock when we arrived at 3:00pm. We promptly boarded and departed on time at 3:30pm, arriving back in Road Town at 4:05pm. We had no problem getting back to the ship before the 4:45pm cutoff. Highly recommended!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html