Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands Vacations - Destination Guide 2025
Virgin Gorda is one of the smaller islands of British Virgin Islands. It's the second island of the group by population, with most locals living in Spanish Town.Most tourists visit the island to see the unique beach surrounded by volcanic geologic formation consisting of large boulders and known as The Baths.
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Things To Do In Virgin Gorda
When you are enjoying your Virgin Gorda vacations, the most popular tourist destination is The Baths, which is located on the southern part of the island. The Baths is large pieces of granite piled up on the beach. Even though Virgin Gorda is of volcanic origin, the rocks are not volcanic, in fact they are from magma that originated at great depths of the volcano. These structured and smoothly bladed by the waters rocks form scenic grottoes making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the British Virgin Islands. The beach that these Baths are situated on is as popular as these massive granite stones. Tourist enjoy their time here by snorkeling, swimming, watching the beautiful underwater world, and later relaxing at the nearby bars or go shopping.
You might get hungry after a day of swimming, snorkeling and exploring. Top of the Baths restaurant offers stunning views in an open-air pavilion as well as an appetizing menu. It opens at 8:00 a.m. and serves things like coconut chicken sandwiches, fish-and-chips, burgers and even sushi. It is classified more as a casual snack stop with formal seating arrangements and a quick-bite menu. However, if you decided to stop on the northern part of Spanish Town then you must visit the Clubhouse that draws in sailors from all over the place. It offers opulent buffets that are served during breakfast, lunch and dinner hours, a vegetarian menu as well as a large selection of dishes on their a la carte menu such as porterhouse steaks, grilled tuna and local lobster.
how To Get To Virgin Gorda from BVI And US Virgin Islands
Check the map to see where Virgin Gorda is located. Getting to Virgin Gorda is easy from other British Virgin Islands - Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, as well as from Us Virgin Islands- St. Thomas and St. John. The island is achievable by local airplanes as well as by ferry.
Even though Virgin Gorda is not a big island, it even has its own airport called Taddy Bay Airport. It is served by two airlines namely Air Sunshine and Cape Air that bring passengers from the connecting points of San Juan (Puerto Rico) and St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands). In other words, in order to get to Virgin Gorda, you need to catch your connecting flight when you arrive in San Juan or St. Thomas. Virgin Gorda's airport is small and can not accept large aircrafts, therefore tourist must make a transit stop in either Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands and then make their trip over to Virgin Gorda. See This website for the list of charter flights between Virgin Gorda and other British Virgin islands.
A less expensive way to get to this island is by taking a ferry. There are 2 ferry stations in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands - Charlotte Amalie Ferry Terminal and Red Hook station. These terminals provide direct ferry service to Virgin Gorda, so no need to make a stop anywhere in between. If you are planning on visiting Tortola first or the ferry schedule in St. Thomas does not match with your plans and you are not able to hop on that specific boat, then taking a ferry to Tortola and another one from Tortola to Virgin Gorda will be a good idea. Otherwise there is always a water taxi at the ferry port ready to serve you and take you to the destination of your choice. You can also take a cruise/day trip to Virgin Gorda from St. Thomas or St. John.
Ferry Schedules
Check this website for the most up to date ferry schedules to and from Virgin Gorda (serving BVI - Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, and US Virgin Islands - St. Thomas and St. John ):
Virgin Gorda Vacation Options
Villas are a popular accommodation in Virgin Gorda. Even though prices in the winter are considerably higher, in the summer they drop down to being a lot more reasonable. There are different villas available to rent and provide a great solution for those that opt for a more private and secluded vacation. Tourists can also stay in the resorts while staying in Virgin Gorda. The resorts are not all-inclusive meaning guests are responsible for their own meals as well as (depending on the hotel) some or all of the amenities might be of extra charge. If you are staying in the Valley that is more on the south side of the island, you might want to book Fischer's Cove Beach Hotel, or if you are situated closer to the north sound, then Bitter End Yacht Club famous for its' sailing sports will be welcoming you. Those tourists that are staying on the northwest shore are welcome to book Mango Bay Resort. There are quite a few options, you just need to choose which one best suits your personal preferences and the budget.
Food in Virgin Gorda
Virgin Gorda offers some of the most delicious eateries around. In either one of them, you will be able to enjoy many local and Caribbean-style dishes prepared just for you from freshly caught fish and locally produced ingredients like vegetables and spices. There are a few eating spots available in the Valley, which is located on the southern part of Virgin Gorda close to Spanish Town. If you are looking for a more casual spot to taste more of a Caribbean side of the island, pay a visit to the Fischer's Cove Restaurant and try their famous pumpkin soup, authentic dish fungi, Caribbean lobster or grilled mahimahi with lemon and garlic. For a more sophisticated dining, try the Little Dix Bay Pavilion. You will be greeted by a candlelight open-air diner with attentive service and even better menu that includes amazingly tasty seafood and meat dishes, vegetarian creations, Cajun porkloin with mango salsa and a delicious buffet on Monday evenings that will please anyone's taste.
Money Matters
There are 2 ATM locations in Spanish Town. One of them is First Bank Virgin Gorda Branch and the other is Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. There are also 2 banks on the island, that are First Bank and Virgin Gorda First Caribbean International Bank and are both located in Spanish Town, but have different operation hours. If you need to visit the bank, check out their working hours prior to going there. Virgin Gorda uses U.S. currency just like all the other British Virgin Islands; however, not too many establishments on Virgin Gorda accept credit cards. Just be prepared for this and keep the cash handy.