Baths and limited mobility

I'm getting a very late start on my research since we leave next week, but I keep seeing posts about the Baths and it interested me.

After seeing some of the posts, I'm a little concerned about the walking. Both of us have prior surgical fixes to knees and ankles and would not like any more.

From what I am reading, you have to walk down cliffs and rocks and squeeze thru small openings (has anyone ever not fit??) to get to the water. With my luck, I would take a shortcut and just roll down.

Is it just as bad getting back up the to where you are picked up or worse? Is there anyway to get to them by boat where you DON'T have to do the rocks?

Thanks in advance for any help

Actually the path down to the Baths isn't that bad - just uneven in a few places.

Going through The Baths is a whole other issue - I would not recommend that someone with limited mobility try that. There are a couple of spots that would be pretty near impossible for someone with mobility issues. BTW coming by boat will still NOT take you into the Baths but to one of the two beaches on either side.

However even after saying this, one could get down to The Baths - check them out and go as far as is feasible and then turn around. You can still get a feel for The Baths without doing the difficult bits. The beach area on either side is interesting - lots of giant boulders.

You might find the Devil's Bay Path a little easier than the path that goes to the entrance to The Baths. (Devil's Bay is where you end up if you go through The Baths.)

I found this video of the path down to The Baths. It is really quite useful since it gives you a very good idea of what the path is like. As you will see there are a couple of spots that are a little tricky and you should wear proper footwear. So it really depends on if you think you can cope with this kind of trail.

I'm getting a very late start on my research since we leave next week, but I keep seeing posts about the Baths and it interested me.

 

After seeing some of the posts, I'm a little concerned about the walking. Both of us have prior surgical fixes to knees and ankles and would not like any more.

 

From what I am reading, you have to walk down cliffs and rocks and squeeze thru small openings (has anyone ever not fit??) to get to the water. With my luck, I would take a shortcut and just roll down.

 

Is it just as bad getting back up the to where you are picked up or worse? Is there anyway to get to them by boat where you DON'T have to do the rocks?

 

Thanks in advance for any help

Great sense of humor!:p

As mentioned, the two paths that lead from the Top of the Baths to the beaches on either side of the boulders are natural paths and definitely have some uneven areas. Additionally. making your way through the boulders (the Baths) involves some climbing and manuevering that can be difficult for some. Between the path down and the path through the boulders, if the many youtube videos give you any pause for concern I'd probably consider another excursion.

It's also not really worth making your way down the hill to the beach if not going through the grottoes between the boulders, at least IMHO. I would suggest a nicer beach on Tortola where you have more time to relax. However, a boat that moors/anchors just offshore from the Baths would give you a very nice view of the topography, and you wou'dn't need to endure either trek. There are catamarans and powerboat options including Patouche that are excellent options.

So research enough videos and photos you find by googling the subject, and see if you are still interested in visiting the Baths. Also take into account your time in port - you have 9 hrs which is great, and you could have a nice time on Virgin Gorda even without the Baths. See other threads on this subject, as well as other threads including this one for ferry times/prices -

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2420631

Going down to the Baths was not a hard walk. But the walk from Devils Bay to return to the taxi pick up point, if you go through the boulders, is steep and long. It took us about 15 minutes of active walking to get to the top. Also, the Baths were not beautiful to me. Going through the boulders got me very anxious and claustrophobic. I am tall and in shape!! Once through I was swimming from the beach through the boulders and got caught in a pretty bad rip current which took me and tossed me over rocks. Stood up and was bleeding on my head, knees and elbows.

Suffice it to say, The Baths were not a highlight of any cruise. I was kind of shocked at how small the beach areas were. I did not feel it was worth the time it took to ride over there( speedboat that got us to the taxi in record 25 bumpy minutes). Then there is the taxi ride, and then the baths. I expected a more beautiful beach area. It was small and crowded. Usually we hate beaches with rocks, here we sought it out and it was a big disappointment for us.

Going down to the Baths was not a hard walk. But the walk from Devils Bay to return to the taxi pick up point, if you go through the boulders, is steep and long. It took us about 15 minutes of active walking to get to the top. Also, the Baths were not beautiful to me. Going through the boulders got me very anxious and claustrophobic. I am tall and in shape!! Once through I was swimming from the beach through the boulders and got caught in a pretty bad rip current which took me and tossed me over rocks. Stood up and was bleeding on my head, knees and elbows.

Suffice it to say, The Baths were not a highlight of any cruise. I was kind of shocked at how small the beach areas were. I did not feel it was worth the time it took to ride over there( speedboat that got us to the taxi in record 25 bumpy minutes). Then there is the taxi ride, and then the baths. I expected a more beautiful beach area. It was small and crowded. Usually we hate beaches with rocks, here we sought it out and it was a big disappointment for us.

Once again, sorry you didn't enjoy your day but we've had very different experiences and wholeheartedly disagree with your perspective. Please let others experience this for themselves rather than re-post your displeasure!

Going down to the Baths was not a hard walk. But the walk from Devils Bay to return to the taxi pick up point, if you go through the boulders, is steep and long. It took us about 15 minutes of active walking to get to the top. Also, the Baths were not beautiful to me. Going through the boulders got me very anxious and claustrophobic. I am tall and in shape!! Once through I was swimming from the beach through the boulders and got caught in a pretty bad rip current which took me and tossed me over rocks. Stood up and was bleeding on my head, knees and elbows.

Suffice it to say, The Baths were not a highlight of any cruise. I was kind of shocked at how small the beach areas were. I did not feel it was worth the time it took to ride over there( speedboat that got us to the taxi in record 25 bumpy minutes). Then there is the taxi ride, and then the baths. I expected a more beautiful beach area. It was small and crowded. Usually we hate beaches with rocks, here we sought it out and it was a big disappointment for us.

I have read this from others as well. Sorry that happened to you :(

Once again, sorry you didn't enjoy your day but we've had very different experiences and wholeheartedly disagree with your perspective. Please let others experience this for themselves rather than re-post your displeasure!

??? Unbiased opinions are worth more than just a board full of positive experiences. I personally want to read all of them.

??? Unbiased opinions are worth more than just a board full of positive experiences. I personally want to read all of them.

Of course, that is what these forums are all about. Just the few bad experiences tend to get re-posted considerably more than the good and this is one of those...

And the OP who asked for help left 6 weeks ago...

Thanks for the reviews and information pros and cons. I'm searching for info for a future cruise and found the information helpful.

We ended up not doing the Baths. We took a catamaran and went to the caves, a little beach area, and the Indians and snorkeled. It was absolutely beautiful.

We ended up not doing the Baths. We took a catamaran and went to the caves, a little beach area, and the Indians and snorkeled. It was absolutely beautiful.

That is an excellent choice, probably the best excursion available. Do you know if you went to Pirate's Bight on Norman Island or to Cooper Island for the beach stop? And was this through the ship or an independent operator?

Thanks for your update.

That is an excellent choice, probably the best excursion available. Do you know if you went to Pirate's Bight on Norman Island or to Cooper Island for the beach stop? And was this through the ship or an independent operator?

Thanks for your update.

It was an independent operator that I researched online, Aristocat Charters. I actually made arrangements like the week before we left on the cruise, so I really don't know what beach it was.....we just took what was available. It was a small, isolated beach that had a little restaurant I think they said. I stayed in the water off to the sides and found a couple of huge conch shells when I was snorkeling. I just couldn't see enough! It was $120 pp.

It was an independent operator that I researched online, Aristocat Charters. I actually made arrangements like the week before we left on the cruise, so I really don't know what beach it was.....we just took what was available. It was a small, isolated beach that had a little restaurant I think they said. I stayed in the water off to the sides and found a couple of huge conch shells when I was snorkeling. I just couldn't see enough! It was $120 pp.

Ah yes, excellent outfit!