What is there to do/see in Totola?

[bgg]

We've never been to Tortola. What is there to see/do? Please explain exactly what are "The Baths"? We have in our 60's - very active although my husband has had a hip replacement & open heart surgery. He's pretty amazing all things considering. We live on the water and are boating people. Can anyone give us input? Thanks.

[netizen2]

We've never been to Tortola. What is there to see/do? Please explain exactly what are "The Baths"? We have in our 60's - very active although my husband has had a hip replacement & open heart surgery. He's pretty amazing all things considering. We live on the water and are boating people. Can anyone give us input? Thanks.

 

Hi bgg.... I was wondering the same thing. We are going to stop in Tortola in April so I was googling The Baths... found some really pretty pictures here:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/patouche__extreme_machine.htm

[rum bar]

The Baths is a beach on Virgin Gorda with a collection of huge boulders. The boulders on the left side on the beach are so close together that they form an amazing but slippery, narrow, cave-like trail under, over and between the boulders along the shore. This is what you usually see in pictures. Its a beautiful, unique beach that is well worth seeing. Many of the cruise excursions go there but is equally easy to take the ferry (Smiths or Speedys) from Tortola to Virgin Gorda; the ferry dock being a short walk from the cruise dock. Upon arriving on Virgin Gorda you will find plenty of friendly taxis just waiting to take you to the Baths. It is a short hike down the hill to The Baths where you will find lockers, a rest room, shower, shade trees, a few roosters and a snack bar on the beach. Water shoe/sandals are a really good idea here. Hope that helps!

[Lard Greystoke]

We've never been to Tortola. What is there to see/do?

 

Aside from the Baths on Virgin Gorda Tortola itself is more laid-back and hustle-free than other islands. Some nice beaches, like Brewer's and Cane Garden, which require a taxi ride. Nice place to relax.

[roothy123]

We rented a jeep and drove around the island. There's a road (Ridge Road) that leads up to the top of a small mountain, with various viewpoints and things to see, plus a few other roads around the exterior of the island (e.g., one going west to West End). I wouldn't really recommend driving (roads aren't well marked, so it's confusing, drive on left, plus the local Hertz dealer disappointed us) but if there's a tour offered, I would say it is probably worth it to see a little of the island. We went to Pussers Landing (West End - boaters like it - pretty, with food, shopping, etc.), Skyworld, Fahie Mural on Ridge Road, past Bomba's Shack (supposedly a wild place on full moon parties - but really just a ramshackle shack by day!), past beaches, past St. Barnabas church, and had lunch at a KFC (actually pretty good!) near the airport. We had planned to do more, but the rain on the mountain, the confusing roads, and the fact that we had a flat tire resulted in a shorter than planned day. You can take a look at my pictures here to see some of the things we saw: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123 Note there are two Caribbean galleries there, with pictures of Tortola and VG in both.

 

As someone else stated, Tortola's a bit relaxing rather than built up, and not as tourist attraction rich as some other islands like Antigua. However, I'd say it's a worthwhile place to visit - and to do more than just walk around the town when you dock. Then again, the Baths in VG were pretty amazing, too, so if I had to pick whether to do the Baths or Tortola again, it would be hard for me to decide. Our cruise line, fortunately, spent a day in both locations, so I didn't have to pick!

 

bgg, your husband should be fine at the Baths, but on Devils Bay, if there's a big red flag flying, be careful in the water. We had a yellow flag, and someone got hurt from our ship - tossed around in the water and ended up with an ankle injury that left her in a wheelchair for the rest of the cruise! But if you guys are boaters, you probably will figure out what that flag means....she didn't!

[Babygirl1971]

Hi been on Tortola and had a wonderful tour with Cumba of African Pride Taxi and will recommend him highly. He does not have a website as yet but can be contacted easily on telephone numbe 1-284-340-3127 or email africanpridetaxi@yahoo.com. The capacity of his open air safari is 22

[Tecumseh]

We got off our ship and headed outside the fenced in area where we found several "jitney" type of open air busses. We went with one and had a nice 3 hour tour of the island with stops for photos and refreshments.

 

Ours was "pay at the end". I heard another tourist complain that they got a one way ride to the top of the mountain, and were forced to pay a taxi to get back. Beware, don't pay until you are back where you started.

 

Mark

[roothy123]

If anyone's interested, local artists have painted a long mural on Ridge Road in Tortola. I believe it's the part of Ridge Road that passes Fahie Hill, but the locals can point you in the right direction if you want to see it. (You'll need a car or to take a tour, however - Ridge Road is NOT within walking distance of Road Town where the cruise ships dock). Anyway, I found the mural quite interesting. There's a video of it here: