We set sail from Cam Bay across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda and its main event, the Baths. This unique rock formation, which looks like a huge truck has just dumped many enormous boulders on a beach, was caused when volcanic eruptions deposited granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach.  This type of formation is found only in the Seychelles and Virgin Gorda.

The Baths is a must visit for virtually everyone, but especially for families with children.  The boulders that form a series of caves, grottos and pools, create endless possibilities for exploring, playing and snorkeling. The waters are calm and sheltered, so even the most novice snorkeler can enjoy the spectacle. Your children will invent games on the spot, and will most likely be entertained for hours.

One warning – hordes of tourists descend upon the baths between 10 am and 3 pm most every day. Many arrive from large cruise ships.  The trails at the baths are very narrow, and you will find yourself in the middle of a “tourist jam” if you time your visit wrong.  We strongly recommend that you either arrive quite early in the day, or just be more relaxed about it and arrive at 2 or 3.  You will enjoy it a lot more, as the Baths is a peaceful place best experienced when you’re not bumping into other visitors.

Top of the Baths

The “Top of the Baths” is a gem of a restaurant, with a free, freshwater pool, a varied lunch menu, and refreshing drinks. It’s just a short walk up and unmarked path, but well worth it! The view north toward tortola is stunning  – you could look at it all day long.

There are also some shops for beachwear and t-shirts and the Mad Dog restaurant, famous for great sandwiches.

Sailing from Peter Island we headed for Marina Cay, the tiny island with the Red Roofs of a Pussers Resort on it.  The Cay itself is pretty and has a nice outdoor Bar and Restaurant looking onto Sir Francis Drake Channel.

We were disappointed, however, because from the anchorage behind Marina Cay, you have a view of a large and particularly ugly development being built on Scrub Island.  After the gorgeous beach at Peter Island, we decided we didn’t want to spend the evening looking at a construction site, and so pulled up anchor and moved around the corner to Cam Bay, which was quiet and we were virtually alone.  It was an excellent decision, as everyone enjoyed the peace of the area away from the scores of boats anchored downwind from Marina Cay.

The sail from Norman Island to Peter Island, stopping for a snorkel at the Indians, is fairly quick, just 1-2 hours depending on how many tacks you need to make.

Peter Island is special. Perhaps it’s because it is owned by one company (the Peter Island Resort was built by Avon as a reward for their highest achievers) that has kept it almost completely unspoiled.  Or because sea turtles greet you when you anchor, or because the white sandy beaches are so pristine and unspoiled that you don’t really know how the charter could get any better.  No matter what the reason(s), as soon as we arrived at Deadmans Bay we knew we were in Paradise.

A bit of history. Deadmans Bay is the westernmost bay on the north coast of Peter Island.  The small, uninhabited island across from this bay is called Dead Chest.  They were so named because Blackbeard punished 15 pirates by stranding them on Dead Chest with only a bottle of Rum.  They tried to swim the short distance to Deadmans Bay, but didn’t make it – their bodies floated up ashore.  Thus came the lyrics “15 men on Dead (mans) Chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rum” and the names of the island and bay.

It’s a shame the pirates didn’t make it to land, because they missed a truly extraordinary beach. It has perfect sand, nice breakers that kids can play in for hours, and an upscale beach bar and restaurant run by Peter Island Resort that welcomes of yachties (you will need a reservation, however, if you want to eat there).  It’s more expensive than your typical beach bar, but if you want to taste a bit of luxury along the way, it’s a nice place and there are plenty of Rum Drinks available at the bar.

Deadmans Bay is difficult to anchor in, the bottom is covered with thick sea grass, which makes it difficult to get the anchor to hold. But if you put out a lot of lead and anchor on the eastern end of the bay, near the hotel, you’ll grab eventually.  There are smaller swells at this side of the bay as well, making for a nicer night’s sleep.

While we were in the bay, we constantly saw Green Sea Turtles cruising around, many with remora fish attached to them to pick up scraps along the way.  You can put on a snorkel and fins and follow these turtles around the bay.  The Eastern half of the beach is private for guests of the hotel, but all yachties are welcomed on the Western half, which is equally nice.

If you love beautiful beaches, you’ll love Deadmans Bay!

Sopers Hole, Tortola

As mentioned, we chartered out of Sopers Hole, which is on the far west end of Tortola.  Most charter yachts are based in Road Town, and that’s where nearly all of the provisioning is located, but we have to say it was very pleasant being in a small, pretty port instead of the large port of Road Town.  The cab ride is farther and a bit more expensive (count on $12 to $20 per person), and you’ll probably end up spending some time in Road Town for provisioning, but our party spent an enjoyable and leisurely afternoon at Pussers while the boat was being readied, instead of running around Road Town.  Highly recommended, if you can can find the right charter yacht out of Sopers.

Pussers Landing has great food and drinks, but we found the service speed a little, shall we say, Caribbean.  But that too was good for the group, because they had to learn how to relax and live in Caribbean time!

Sopers Hole also has a number of boutiques if you need a hat or beach wear, and a small grocery store.

The Bight, Norman Island

As is so often the case, we chose a counterclockwise itinerary around the Islands.  So the natural first destination is Norman Island, anchoring in the Bight, and visiting the Caves and Indians for snorkeling. It’s a beautiful sail across the Sir Francis Drake Channel and right beside St Johns, providing perspective to the group as to where they will be heading in the upcoming week.

While everyone hears of Willy-T’s in the Bight as a great floating bar and restaurant, we chose to head to the beach and hang out at Pirates instead.  Pirates has nice food, a beach with a floating climbing mountain, which I believe is called an Iceberg, and shoots a cannon off every day at the start of Happy Hour. No need to have a watch on to know when to drink!  Pirates is also more kid-friendly than Willy-T’s (you don’t need to explain to them why men are drinking shots off of a woman’s stomach…).  We also danced to a great reggae/rock band until quite late.

The Caves and the Indians

The Caves and the Indians are the two key snorkeling areas near Norman Island.  The Caves, which can be reached in a dinghy from the Bight, are famous because not only do they have good snorkeling, but they also were reputed to be hiding places for Pirate Treasure. The way to snorkel the caves is to pick up a mooring ball with your boat or dinghy, swim to the first cave, go in as far as you dare, and then continue to the others at a leisurely pace being pulled by the current.

The Indians are a great stop on the way to Peter Island or Tortola. They are so named because the rocks stick out of the water in a line like feathers in an Indian headdress (with a little imagination).

The general opinion of our group was that the Indians had better snorkeling, and that small children find the Caves a bit intimidating.