The Baths boat tour: what to expect

The Baths is on almost every BVI list, and how you get there decides how the rest of the day feels. Arrive by boat with your own group and the stop is yours to take at your own pace. Here is what the day actually looks like when you do it with us.

What you are going to see

The Baths sits on Virgin Gorda: giant granite boulders piled on a white sand beach, with hidden pools and narrow gaps of shade in between. You climb through them, you swim in the pools, you take more photos than you planned. The snorkelling along the shore is good too, so bring your mask in with you.

Getting in means a swim

There is no dock at The Baths. We anchor off and you swim in, about 100 yards each way. That is the part people ask about most, so we will be straight with you about it. It is not a long swim, but it asks for a little confidence in the water.

Float noodles and life jackets are on board and plenty of guests use one. Plenty of others stay aboard with a drink and watch from the boat, which is a fine way to spend the stop. Nobody has to get in.

If The Baths is red flagged or the sea is simply too rough that day, we do not push it. Your captain picks another great spot instead and the day keeps its shape. That call belongs to the captain and it is always made on the side of safety.

We take the long way on purpose

Our Baths and Beyond Tour does not run straight to Virgin Gorda. It starts with a snorkel off the beach at Pirates Bight on Norman Island, then the sea caves, which are one of the best snorkel sites in the islands and where turtles are a regular sight. From there we run east past Peter Island and Salt Island while Captain Phil fills in the pirate stories and the local history behind them. The Baths comes after all that, so you arrive having already had a proper day.

It runs seven to eight hours from West End, Tortola, with a morning start that we confirm when we confirm your date.

If you would rather have The Baths late in the day, the North Sound and The Baths Tour goes the other way round. Lunch at Saba Rock or the Bitter End Yacht Club in North Sound first, then The Baths in the late afternoon once the day-trippers have gone.

What is already on the boat

NautiGal is a 31-foot Novurania Chase with shade, seating for up to 12 guests and a six-speaker Bluetooth stereo. Masks, snorkels, fins and float noodles are aboard for everyone. So is a cooler with water, sodas, beers and a Painkiller each. Your licensed, fully insured captain, the fuel and all the cruising permits are in the price.

Lunch ashore is not included. We stop where the good food is and you pay your own.

What to bring

Swimwear, sunscreen and a towel cover it. Bring something on your feet you do not mind getting wet, because the boulders are rock and the beach is sand, and bring a dry bag or a phone case if you want photos in among the pools.

How to book it

Send us your date and your group size. We check the boat is free, come back with one all-inclusive price for the whole boat, and a deposit confirms the day. Cancel 14 or more days ahead and you get a full refund. If the weather is the reason you cannot go, you are refunded in full whenever it happens.