Tortola Baths excursions

[Robins21]

We are on the Edge in November and want to go to The Bath in 

tortola. There are 2 excursions. One ferry and bus to the site,the other a boat and you swim to the site. Has anyone been on the one where you have to swim to the Baths? How far is the swim actually and would you recommend it 

[Jeremiah1212]

TT09 with the Virgin Gorda Baths & Snorkel? It says a 300 yard swim/snorkel but I don't think it's that far. If you are capable and willing to do the snorkel I would do that. The bus ride and walk down the trails is not that scenic and eats up a lot of time. You can also book the exact same ferry independently. Then you would grab a cab from the ferry dock to The Baths for about half the cost of an excursion and free up some time. 

[cindivan]

I haven’t done the excursion from a cruise. But I had done it from a charter we did. It was probably about 100 yards to swim from where the boat anchored to land. And some boats were able to go closer if they were smaller. The charter we were on had lifejackets and mat floats which we needed to get to shore, especially because we had some younger kids. If you’re able to swim that far with a lifeguard or with a float, I think the water entry would be way more fun. You pull up, and you see a bunch of people on sure and swim right to the main area. I’m not sure where the best would take you.

 

Full disclosure, I cannot stand crowded tour buses so maybe that taints my opinion 

 

 

[slanik]

We did this excursion in June when we went on the Millennium out of St. Maartin.  The weather was very windy that day, so the boat ride from Tortola to the Baths was extremely rough.  I got motion sick and I ended up staying on the boat while everyone else snorkeled.  My husband did the snorkel, swim and walk through the tunnels.  He's a very strong swimmer and the swim back to the boat was challenging.  I imagine the windiness of the day had something to do with it.  He got sick on the way back to the ship.  He thought it was because he was bobbing up and down in the water on the way back to the small boat. Not a great outing for us.

 

A few years ago, we went to the baths on our own.  We took the ferry from the ferry terminal in Tortola.  The ferry is a much larger boat and I did not get sea sick on that trip.  We walked the baths ourselves and had lunch on the top of the hill before returning to the ship on our own.  This was a much better trip.  

[sunsetme]

I do not recommend the swim to shore, it can be rough. Kids especially will have a hard time.

[loupana]

Here is a photo from a few years ago, that hopefully gives you a visual of how far it could be. To me it doesn't look too bad.

 

[koolforkatz]

We did a private excursion swim/snorkle to the Baths years ago and it was amazing. Some of the best snorkeling we've ever encountered. However, the weather and seas were perfect. I have gotten seasick before from snorkeling and bobbing up and down in choppy water and it's not very pleasant.