Just Back from The Baths Virgin Gorda-Awesome!

[Starz723]

This is my second trip to the Baths. I was there on July 29.

 

It was spectacular to say the least. Ive mentioned this before, its like swimming in a fish tank. The water is remarkably clear. Ive snorkeled for the past 40 years and I have to say that beside a few other places, The Baths water must be up to 100 ft visibility.

 

This time I snorkeled further out and entered at the dingy landing and snorkled going north..like the map says. I saw alot of jellyfish, so you have to manuever around them. That was no problem. Actually, you can get pretty close and observe them. Their tentacles are not long. At least the ones I saw there. Ive seen them with 8ft long tentacles..but not at the baths.

 

I made a big mistake by going over to Devils bay without my fins. I didnt want to schlep them over the boulders and through the cave. I will never do that again and do the swim I did. I ventured out towards where the snorkerles are let out by the boats. I say its at least a city block and a half out there. quite the swim without fins. My 13 yr old son leads me to an area further out to where we swim between two boulders, he called it a cave, it was very narrow, about the width of my body. Fantastic schools of fish! A great snorkel spot. All of a sudden a quick shower comes over us and a wind. I never saw the ocean change so quickly. It got real choppy very fast, yikes. I had visions of us being pulled out to sea as the water got real rough and Im WAY OUT. It was also tough to not get slammed against the boulders. All the other snorkelers were back and gone on their boats. We were the only 2 out there! :eek: Im screaming at my son to head back to shore. He's oblivious, hes watching fish, totally not aware of whats goin on. I got scared as I have a strong respect for the ocean. Im a strong swimmer, so is my son, but I have to say, it was tough with no fins against that chop. If I had my fins, it would have been alot easier. I will never ever go out that far without fins. I was exhausted by time I got back to the beach and because we had to get back to the ship, I had to immediately start the climbing back over the boulders. I must have lost a few pounds on that one.

 

That one goes on my list of close calls..I have a few. Another being where a catamaran didnt see me snorkeling and, if I didnt dive down, would have gone right over me!! :eek: Oh I have doozies to tell..thats another post I should start.

 

Overall: Id go back to the Baths in a heartbeat to discover more. Its an amazing place.

[CaribbeanBound]

I am with STARZ723!

 

7:00am - 3:00pm. 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 and Smith's 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. 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. The 5-minute walk down to The Baths was rocky and uneven. At the bottom, single-use-only lockers can be rented for $2.50 each. They are large enough to hold a beach bag or backpack. The Baths are an incredibly fun experience. Here is a detailed map of The Baths at Virgin Gorda. 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. The water was nice and clear. We would have liked to stay another couple of hours, and look forward to another visit. Highly recommended!

 

Complete details: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/easterncaribbean.html