Feature photo and photo above by Tony Gatti.

Standing nearly 50 feet above the ethereal, blue Caribbean with mammoth, granite boulders all around and a few snorkelers here and there, I plunge into a ring of coral below, gaining a moment of clarity only attainable by falling freely into a welcoming sea from a high precipice.

If one wanted proof of the BVI’s volcanic origins, there is no need to look further than Virgin Gorda. Here, you will find what is arguably the most famous land feature in the entire Virgin Island archipelago and a truly romantic locale: the Baths.

At the southwestern corner of the island is a seaside labyrinth of massive, granite boulders that form a series of grottoes in which to play and explore.

Some of these boulders tower 50 feet high and there are cool, shaded pools at their base that sneak out into the sea.

Constantly refreshed by the mellow tides, these pools offer the most delightful respite from the hard sun of the tropics and the linear quadrants of city blocks back home.

Once you add the tall and slinky palm trees that mingle among the rocks, it all looks rather like a tropical Bedrock.

For anyone who has been before, the National Park known as ‘the Baths’ becomes a hallowed memory as one recalls the day crawling, climbing, and duck-walking along a maze of rock, sand, and penumbra.

Photo above by Tony Gatti.

While there is a trail that runs through the boulders, it is easy to find a secretive grotto in which to frolic with your sweetheart or philosophize alone about why you didn’t bring one!

This place is a geological Barry White.

By Land or By Sea

Accessing this wonderful place can be achieved easily by land or by sea. Unless you have a boat or swim from afar, you arrive at the park by taxi or foot; it is only a mile from Spanish Town (and one of the ferry terminals). The entrance fee is $3.

From the entrance, ithe walk to the Baths is a leisurely 10 minute stroll down a dirt and stone path. On the path you will begin to see boulders piled upon each other in Flintsonian fashion. Once at the beach, you might be surprised to find some lockers and a shanty with simple fare and some of the best frozen drinks in the Virgin Islands.

At Poor Man’s Bar, you can get a refreshment and a hot dog, as well as lock up your valuables.This is where crowds tend to congregate, so do your business and get to exploring this stupendous marvel.

Up and over and through, down and under and across: this is how you will go as you navigate the boulders, pools, and ever-changing light and sound.

You will be overcome with an intense desire to have the Baths all to yourself, so you will have no choice but to poke around until you find that perfectly private spot—and then wish you could share it with everyone you love.

At the southern end of the Baths is Devil’s Beach. The 20-minute journey (if you weren’t waylaid by the igneous sirens) will bring you to a lesser visited beach with no services other than peace and beauty.

Here the boulders above extend below for an inverse view of this natural wonder accented by pulsating squid, elusive rays and schools of blue tang casually moving in a crystal-liquid atmosphere. Bring your snorkel gear.

At the end of a day here, what could be better than relaxing pool side with a cocktail of your choice as you look out over the wild scene of strewn megaton boulders that was your playground?

At the top of the Baths–back where you entered earlier and paid your entrance fee–is an ingeniously named bar and restaurant called…the Top of the Baths Restaurant. I recommend the flying fish sandwich.

*It is important to note the Baths are often overrun by cruise ship passengers and other day visitors between 10am and 3pm. Click here for a list of cruise ships visiting the area.

Photo above by Tony Gatti.

Had Enough of the Beach?

There is nothing large about the island Christopher Columbus dubbed the Fat Virgin. At eight square miles, Virgin Gorda is the third largest island in the British Virgin Islands and the second-most populous, although you would never know it.

Virgin Gorda is two trapezoidal “masses” joined by the narrowest of isthmuses. On the southwestern mass known as The Valley, you will find the Baths, Spanish Town—a sleepy village of boutique shops, bars and a mini-market– and the Coppermine National Park.

Between 1837 and 1860, over 10,000 tons of copper were extracted from a mineshaft that reached a depth of over 240 feet below sea level.

You can tour the ruins and enjoy the views of the sea from the bluff. This is a great place for a picnic. Buy your lunch items at Buck’s Market in Spanish Town.

On the northeastern mass of land is the Gorda Peak National Park. For a view of the entire island and its surroundings, why not climb to the top of Virgin Gorda Peak?

At 1,359 feet, this vista boasts an incredible panorama. Most of the altitude is covered by a car ride with only a 30-minute walk to get you to the top.

At the top, you will find a platform that raises the viewpoint to 1,370 feet. Here, you can look out upon all of Virgin Gorda. See if you can discern the reason why Columbus named the island so.

Anything Else to Do?

There are innumerable opportunities to sail, kite surf, SCUBA-dive, kayak, or fish on and around Virgin Gorda, as well as a few bicycle and moped rentals.

Numerous islets, cays and islands abound with a plethora of coral reefs, hidden beaches and protected waters in which to probe.

Photo above by Tony Gatti.

Should I Stay (Overnight) or Should I Go?

Getting to Virgin Gorda is easy from the other islands in the archipelago, particularly Tortola. In fact, one could easily make daily day-trips here to explore if the cost of lodging proves too much for your budget.

As there are no campgrounds and you would be hard-pressed to find anything under $100 a night, this might be your best option. But if your budget is a bit fatter, there is no shortage of wonderful properties.

Getting Here

While the Virgin Islands may feel like a world away, they are actually rather accessible without incurring great expense. The regional hub of St. Thomas (STT) is one of the cheapest places to fly into in all of the Caribbean.

Once on STT, you are only a ferry ride (or two) away from getting away from everything. There are two ferry terminals on STT: Charlotte Amalie (CA) is a five-minute cab ride from the airport and Red Hook (RH) is about 30-40 minutes.

Seaborne Airlines offers non-stop service between St. Thomas and Virgin Gorda via an amphibious seaplane for $100 each way. It lands at Gun Creek–on the opposite side of the island from the Baths—but only a 20-minute drive away.

The seaplane port on STT is located right next to the Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal, only five minutes from the airport. The flight is a quick and scenic at just 19 minutes long.

While direct ferries exist from STT, keep in mind that everything connects via Tortola. Pay attention to where your ferry is going from and to; some of the islands have numerous terminals (Tortola and Virgin Gorda each have three!) and going to the wrong one can mean a long (and costly!) cab ride to the part you wanted to access.

For full ferry schedules throughout the US and British Virgin Islands: www.bestofbvi.com/info/info_bviferry.htm

One More Thing

Both the US and British Virgin Islands use the US dollar as their official currency and it is important to note that while Americans don’t need passports to travel to the US Virgin Islands, they DO need one to enter the British Islands. No visa required in either case.

Please see “Jost Van Dyke: A Chill Caribbean Getaway” and “Magic Mushrooms and Dolphin Rides” on www.matadortrips.com for more information about the Virgin Islands. Also, look for the next article in the Virgin Island series, which will take us to St. John.

Photo by Tony Gatti

Rugged and formerly volcanic, ringed by a series of coral reefs and powdery beaches and the commercial, political and transportation hub of the British Virgin Islands; Tortola is impossible to overlook.

As bustling as Tortola can be, there are numerous ways to escape cruise ships and the other hubbub of day-visitors. Like so many places, one has just to step a few feet off the path to find solitude. In this article, we will make a deliberate attempt for discovery on Tortola—keeping our modest budgets in mind but splurging when we must.

Firstly…What to Avoid

Unless you need to purchase an engagement ring, catch a ferry or meet the Chief Minister, it’s best to avoid Road Town, the Capitol. Keep in mind that Road Town does not offer much at all late at night and Virgin Island taxi drivers are loathe to hang around too late.

Likewise, avoid the temptation of Cane Garden Bay when cruise ships are about. Instead, go early in the morning, late in the afternoon or when no ships are in port. Click here for a complete schedule of cruise ships to Tortola.

Where to Spend Your Days

Cane Garden Bay is as delightful a beach as one is likely to find save the fact that the taxis dump 80% of the cruise ship passengers here.

It’s unfortunate that the ships offer very little else to do on land and the slow-going, sinuous roads make further destinations time prohibitive for cruise ship visitors.

Cane Garden Bay is a large, half-moon shape, turquoise bay with eateries and lodging for all budgets–and a beach to die for. You can also find numerous renters of water sports gear. I recommend hooking up with Last Stop Sports which offers everything from bikes and kayaks to SCUBA gear and small boats with weekly-rates available.

One could bring camping gear in a large, waterproof bag and kayak to innumerable cays and islets that dot the area. Needless to say, this suggestion is for experienced kayakers only.

Right in Cane Garden Bay is the Callwood Rum Distillery. Come to see the local Arundel rum being made in what is touted as the oldest-continuously operating rum distillery in the eastern Caribbean.

Brewer’s Bay

In contrast to the crowds of Cane Garden, Brewer’s Bay is mellow like yellow, with a great beach and fantastic snorkeling. This is the island’s only official campsite and at Nicole’s, a beach bar and burger shack, one can rent full snorkel gear.

Bring your own tent or rent one already prepared. Sometimes a shuttle is available but you need to call ahead for that. I have actually seen wild cows laying on the sand and wading in the water here. Most would say that this is the best beach-accessible snorkeling on Tortola.

Photo by Tony Gatti

Mountains and Dolphins

Want to stretch your legs? Sage Mountain National Park offers hiking trails across 91 acres with the reward of standing at the highest point in the Virgin Islands – 1,780 feet.

You can pick up maps at the Mountain View Restaurant which sits at the trailhead. Horseback riding is available at Shadow’s Ranch (284.494.2262).

Like dolphins? Who doesn’t? At Dolphin Discovery, just outside Road Town, one can get in a pool with these playful creatures and with some supervision ride them, feed them and learn a great deal about them.

This probably isn’t the “swimming with the dolphins” fantasy you’ve been harboring, but it gets you in the water with them until that chance encounter occurs somewhere in the wild. $80 buys you 45 minutes and a dolphin kiss while $140 gets you a kiss and two rides plus a little more!

The Full Moon Party

The most (in)famous party in the Virgin Islands occurs once a month on the full moon at Bomba’s Surfside Shack.

This beach bar, built with the flotsam and jetsam found on the shore and then tastefully decorated with bras and panties, is not to be missed at any time of the month; but on the full moon something special happens: a reggae band plays all night, a traditional West Indian barbeque is prepared and a large cast-iron kettle brews psychedelic mushroom tea for one and all.

Magic mushrooms are legal to possess and consume here on Tortola but illegal to sell – although that doesn’t deter the multitude of vendors who line the road that runs parallel the beach.

“Magic, magic, get your magic here, mon!!” These sales calls can be heard up and down the street. Some people partake and some just observe, but the best advice is to participate if you have tried shrooms before, but not to try them for the first time here.

The wild scene, the sometimes rough surf, loud music and crowds and the ubiquitous presence of strong rum drinks can all contribute to a good time gone bad if you’re not careful (or experienced).

I’ve tried to understand how such a law slips through the cracks. The best explanation I’ve heard is that long ago there was an attempt to write a statute outlawing these indigenous psychoactive mushrooms; but instead of using the correct binomial nomenclature for the funny fungi, the statute-maker used one for a completely normal mushroom that doesn’t even grow on Tortola and it never got corrected. Sometimes it’s good to have aloof lawmakers!

Bomba bases his full moon dates on the Old Farmer’s Almanac and a hand-written sign can be found on the premises with dates for the year.

Where Do You Go from Here?

While Tortola offers a wide range of activities and experiences, so do a number of other islands that are all within an hour’s ferry ride (see complete ferry schedules). There are some other-worldly spots to be found like the Baths of Virgin Gorda, the caves of Norman Island, snorkeling the Indians; and some out-of-this-world party hangouts like the Willie Thornton, the Pirate’s Bight and Foxy’s Tamarind Bar.

Anything can happen in places like these when society gets left behind by time (and geography) and the bygone sub-culture of revelry springs forth out of the sea.

Here you have a plethora of good-natured, eccentric human beings able to convincingly imagine themselves as pirates, sea-rogues and the like. It is all rather like a carnival.

Tortola itself is only a 45 minute ferry ride from St. Thomas.

One More Thing

Both the US and British Virgin Islands use the US Dollar as their official currency and it is important to note that while Americans don’t need passports to travel to the US Virgin Islands, They DO need one to enter the British Islands. No visa required in either case.

Please see “Jost Van Dyke: A Chill Caribbean Getaway” here on www.matadortrips.com for more information about the Virgin Islands and look for the next article in the Virgin Island series where we will explore the seaside labyrinth of towering granite boulders known as the Baths of Virgin Gorda.

photo by denisema4, creative commons

Recently, some friends asked me to recommend a Caribbean island getaway that would put them beyond the reach of the cruise ship crowds while keeping them within their modest budget.

They wanted to go somewhere lesser-known, somewhere that wasn’t arduous to reach but felt like light-years from home—a place where they could wash all the woes of the world away with tropical cocktails, plenty of beach time and a dollop of Caribbean culture.

Without hesitation, I told them to go to…

Jost Van Dyke.

Nestled in the Virgin Island archipelago some 1,100 miles southeast of Miami lies the former Dutch pirate haven of Jost Van Dyke (pronounced “yost”), named after the obscure marauder who used it as a base for his illicit activities.

This eight square-mile island in the British territory has volcanic origins and a rugged landscape graced by some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world. The approximately 150 inhabitants take great pride in keeping their island outside the boundaries of time.

As a Virgin islander myself, I can tell you that Jost Van Dyke (JVD) is the place where those of us who have already escaped the rat-race go when we want to escape completely.

Stress Free Zone

photo by denisema4, creative commons

The relaxation capital of the Caribbean is Ivan’s Stress Free Bar at White Bay.

Imagine a mile of soft, plush, white-sandy beach coupled with electric-blue water.

Tall, svelte palms watch over the paradise like loyal sentinels determined to keep any reality spoilers from robbing you of your timelessness; hammocks sway; a tree-swing dangles; waves gently lap the shore–there are bikinis–and no one is behind the bar.

Wait a minute! No one behind the bar? Now, what’s so stress free about that?

No one is behind the bar because at Ivan’s, you make your own drink and record it in a ledger á la the honor system. There’s no chance of getting stressed out because your drink wasn’t strong enough or the barkeep wouldn’t make eye contact.

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar is a one-of-a-kind hangout. The insides are decorated with seashells as wallpaper and photographs of revelers. Live music can break out anytime.

If you are a Kenny Chesney fan, you’ll be interested to know that this is the famous Ivan Kenny sings about in the song, “Somewhere in the Sun”. In fact, Ivan’s Bar is the setting for Kenny’s video, “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems”.

Ivan even offers equipped and bare camping sites, as well as cabins. Up the hill, Ivan has a comfortable guesthouse for rent with A/C. He throws a traditional West Indian BBQ on Thursdays only, but meals can be found down the beach within walking distance.

Beyond The Bar

For travelers who don’t want to drink their entire holiday away, JVD offers plenty to do away from the bar. There’s no shortage of snorkeling and SCUBA opportunities, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, sailing, bone-fishing, and one should not miss a visit to the natural wonder known as the “Bubbly Pool.”

This is a tidal pool with a narrow opening to the sea that catches any big swell and harnesses its energy through the opening to create a million tiny bubbles that tickle the skin in a whirlpool effect.

In addition to activities on JVD, one could easily visit the numerous enchanting islands that make up the US and British Virgin Islands via the convenient ferry network.

There are camping facilities on Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, Tortola, St. John and St. Croix.

Shelter

Various accommodations await at White Bay from bare campsites to luxury villas on the hillsides.

White Bay Campground (Ivan’s)–Equipped campsites for $35.00 ($25.00 in summer); bare Campsites for $15.00; Cabins for $50.00 to $60.00 ($40.00 – $50.00 in summer). All with shared kitchen and rest room facilities.

Vittles

photo by denisema4, creative commons

White Bay has no shortage of eateries. Several places exist to cater to your savory needs from burgers to four-course dinners.

Expect to pay $6-12 for breakfast and lunch and up to $32 for a four-course candlelit dinner at the Sandcastle Hotel. That is, of course, at the extravagant end of the spectrum.

A short taxi ride away ($10) is Foxy’s Tamarind Bar at Great Harbour where you can find a comparable range of plates as described above.

Nocturnal

It is impossible to know which nights will be lively and which ones mellow here. The best bet is to go on a walkabout beneath the stars and beside the waves and look for the lights and listen for the music.

One thing to count on is the above Foxy’s Tamarind Bar which has a crowded dinner rush and a consistent lively atmosphere, often with live music. You will be more than content no matter what you find; just accept the night for what it is.

Diurnal

With a 1,054-foot peak, numerous hidden coves, coral reefs galore, perennial trade winds and clear water, water all around; there is no shortage of activities to help purge the previous night’s indulgences from your pores.

A couple of adventure companies are there to satisfy your need to explore. Sea and Land Adventure Sports—Located in White Bay, this outfit offers a comprehensive selection of bikes, kayaks, boats and the like.

Jost Van Dyke SCUBA and Eco-Adventure Tours—Located in Great Harbour, this outfitter has a fuller list of options and a website that is worth a look.

Getting In and Out

While JVD feels like a world-away, it’s actually rather accessible without incurring great expense. The regional hub of St. Thomas (STT) is one of the cheapest places to fly into in all of the Caribbean.

My friend flew recently from LAX to STT for under $350 R/T with only one stop on Spirit Airlines.

I have seen fares for under $50 each way from Ft. Lauderdale on this airline. I can hook you up with great fares through my website.

Once on STT, you’re only a ferry ride (or two) away from complete escape. There are two ferry terminals on STT: Charlotte Amalie (CA) is a five-minute cab ride from the airport and Red Hook (RH) is about 30-40 minutes.

Pay attention to where your ferry is going from and to; some of the islands have numerous terminals and going to the wrong one can mean a long (and costly!) cab ride to the part you want to access. Here are ferry schedules throughout the US and British Virgin Islands.

A direct ferry goes from RH to JVD and back on Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays. For all other travel days (or if those times don’t work), it is best to go from CA to West End, (WE) Tortola and then transfer to a ferry to JVD.

And that works going the other way, too. Just check out the ferry link above and work it out. A roundtrip ferry ticket to JVD from STT will cost you between $50-$70 plus a $5 departure tax upon leaving JVD. The journey is 45 – 90 minutes depending on transfers and customs.

One More Thing

Both the US and British Virgin Islands use the US Dollar as their official currency and it is important to note that while Americans don’t need passports to travel to the US Virgin Islands, They DO need one to enter the British Islands. No visa required in either case.

For more information, visit www.jostvandyke.com and www.bviwelcome.com