The Stunning Virgin Gorda Beaches in the BVI

The British Virgin Islands are comprised of many islands, one of which is Virgin Gorda. Virgin Gorda is famously home to The Baths, a popular beach with giant boulders on the sand and beautiful turquoise water. The Baths are one of the best things to do on Virgin Gorda but most people come for a day trip to the famous beach, then move along to see something else. The rest of the Virgin Gorda beaches are overshadowed, but some are just as beautiful and often devoid of people.

There are numerous bays lining the west side of the island where you’ll find pretty, sand beaches. The east side of the island is rockier and the skinny, north east section of the island is only accessible by boat. But the best beaches are towards the southern half of Virgin Gorda.

Beach Access

Beaches in the British Virgin Islands are all public and most on Virgin Gorda are easily accessible with public parking. Some have bumpy dirt lots and roads and others are accessible by trail only.

Some hotels and resorts try to get around the public part by building along the entire beach blocking any public road access and not including any public parking. It’s a way to deter people from going to the beach their resort is on (that’s what I think anyway ha).

We experienced the same thing on St. Thomas. My mom wanted to see Frenchman’s Cove where the Marriott is and they made us feel so uncomfortable for even walking in and tried to tell us the restaurant was the only place we could really go and see. We did walk to the beach but they definitely made us feel unwelcome.

Luckily, there’s only a few in Virgin Gorda where access is through a resort/privately owned property. The best beaches to see are accessible and beautiful!

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Virgin Gorda Beaches

The beaches on Virgin Gorda are mostly referred to as the name of the bay along the island. And apart from Devil’s Bay (which is at the southern tip) and the Baths, the rest are in order from south to north as you travel up the island.

The Baths

The Baths are the most famous beach on Virgin Gorda and the main draw for tourism. This beach has turquoise water and towering boulders that create shallow pools along the shore. These granite boulders have become the picture of Virgin Gorda, with some measuring 40 feet in diameter! The beach became a national park in 1990, joining the beach next door: Devil’s Bay.

One of the famous photo ops at The Baths is The Cathedral Room within the Caves. The giant boulders have created a type of cave system that lead to a secret pool with light shining through, illuminating the turquoise water.

Cost: $3/person (includes Devil’s Bay)

Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm

Facilities: At The Baths, you’ll find a restaurant and gift shops near the parking lot and a concession stand, lockers and bathrooms down by the beach.

Devil’s Bay Beach

Though The Baths are more well known, Devil’s Bay has actually been a National Park for much longer, since the early 1960s. It’s located right next door to The Baths and you can go between the two by taking the dirt path through vegetation or by adventuring through The Caves.

And even though it’s right next door, Devil’s Bay is typically less crowded but just as pretty. You’ll find a beautiful sand beach with boulders on both sides as well.

It’s a 2 for 1 type of set up. Regardless of which one you visit first, there’s a 15-min dirt trail that leads to a fork for both. The entry fee covers both beaches and they share the same facilities, though Devil’s Bay doesn’t have any directly off of the beach. You’ll have to take the short path over to The Baths for that.

Cost: $3/person (includes The Baths)

Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm

Spring Bay Beach

On the other side of the Baths, is where Spring Bay is. It’s a short drive down the road and a short walk down a dirt path from the parking lot. It’s a quiet beach that looks similar to the others, with towering boulders. Though not as intricate as The Caves, there are some crevices to explore through the rocks and shallow pools created from the boulders.

Facilities: BBQ pits, playground nearby for kids.

Little Trunk Bay Beach

Little Trunk Bay beach is on a little cove north of Spring Bay. It’s a small beach framed with boulders similar to the previous three beaches, just at a smaller scale. You won’t find any road access to this beach. The only way to get here is to take a hidden trail from Spring Bay or swim from Spring Bay if the water is calm enough.

Trunk Bay Beach

Similar to Little Trunk Bay, Trunk Bay is another hidden beach, surrounded by private property with no road access. But this beach is much longer with boulders towards both ends. Both of the Trunk Bay’s have powdery sand, turquoise water and are secluded. The only access to Trunk Bay is to hike from Spring Bay to Little Trunk Bay, then hike to Trunk Bay.

St. Thomas Bay Beach

The first beach you’ll see as you arrive in Virgin Gorda is the St. Thomas Bay beach. It’s located right next to where the ferry boats dock in Spanish Town. The water is beautiful and it’s a shallow area to swim in. The only thing that might bother you a bit is that the boats would be coming and going off to the side. But otherwise, it’s a calm, empty spot to swim at.

Little Dix Bay Beach

One of the beaches that is beyond the gates of a private resort is Little Dix Bay. The beach is right off of the Rosewood Little Dix Bay luxury resort. There’s a gated entrance near the ferry port and they’ll let you through, but don’t expect to feel too comfortable here if you aren’t staying (aka paying). And if you do want to stay/pay, expect to shell out between $1k-2k+ per night depending on the season.

Savannah Bay Beach

The beach at Savannah Bay is a little gem. It’s far enough away that it doesn’t get many visitors–located just off the road on your way to the north part of the island. The water is crystal clear and the beach is nice and you’re likely to share it with only a handful of people. There’s a little dirt road that leads back to a small parking area and a shaded pavilion. Other than that, it’s you and the sand.

Pond Bay Beach

Pond Bay Beach is just on the other side of some rocks from Savannah Bay. You can see it in the photo above in the distance. There’s a parking lot off the road and then a short hike through some vegetation to reach this beach.

The path wasn’t overgrown or anything but evidently there were some massive rats that scuttled between me and my mom on our way down. I was in front so I only saw a form. So look out for wildlife, but the trail is well kept and easy to follow.

The hike isn’t strenuous but since it’s not as accessible, it’s often empty. The only other people we saw were swimming off of their boat. The water is pretty calm and shallow here. It’s a quiet, peaceful spot that you’ll likely enjoy alone.

Mahoe Bay Beach

Another beach that isn’t easy for the public to access, is Mahoe Bay. Most of the roads in the vicinity are private, gated drives to villas. The hotel nearby is the Mango Bay Resort, so you’d likely have to visit the resort to see the beach. You can get a glimpse from above at the Mahoe Bay Overlook along the road.

Mountain Trunk Bay Beach

My aunt and I were driving along the northern side of Virgin Gorda just exploring the area and we actually found this beach by accident. The maps on our phones were struggling along with the phone service.

We had actually gotten a paper map from our car rental that we were using that had some landmarks to see also. We ended up at the Sugar Works ruins and when we left, saw a sign for a beach and turned down the road.

The road to Mountain Trunk Bay is a little crazy in that it’s a paved one-lane road on the side of a hill with a slight drop off that goes around a curve. And it’s not that short of a road. So if someone were to come up while you’re going down, someone would end up having to reverse down (or up) and around the whole road.

Luckily we were the only ones there. There’s only space for about two cars to park but it’s a cute bay–quiet and secluded with a little stone walkway along the edge of the hill that I assume leads to some private residences.

Nail Bay Beach

Nail Bay Beach is just a short trail from the parking area. There’s only space for about 2-3 cars but this isn’t a popular beach, mostly due to the rocky shore and rocks in the water. It’s not the best to lay a towel out but would be a beach to snorkel at. It’s a small area surrounded by private property so it’s likely to be empty.

Long Bay Beach

If there’s any beach you might want a 4×4 for, it’d probably be this one. I had seen a beach from above while driving along the coastal roads and stopped at the first dirt road I saw assuming it was for Long Bay Beach.

It’s down a rocky, dirt one-lane road and when I turned to go down it, my aunt was like, “Ashley, Ashley! Where are you going?” And I was like, “I saw a beach from the overlook so I assume this is how you get there.” She looked at the road and just said, “As long as you can get me back up.”

We ended up seeing an elderly couple walking towards us who had left their car on the side of the main road. They told us we had already driven over the worst part so we were good to go. There’s a small grassy area to park your car and a little pathway to walk through to the beach. It’s nothing impressive but it’s a secluded cove to see and a fun exploration if you’re in the area.

Leverick Bay Beach

The furthest beach to see is at Leverick Bay along the north coast. It’s about a 25 minute drive from Spanish Town along winding mountain roads. The beach here is fairly small and it is surrounded by a hotel, though I’m not sure they’d care too much if you were to use their facilities since there are some small tour boats that drop people off here for lunch.

Leverick Bay is also a marina, so if you want to explore places in the North Sound like Saba Rock or Prickly Pear Island, this might be your pickup/rental location.

Do you need a 4×4 to access the Virgin Gorda beaches?

Not really. You’d probably be fine without one, but I will say, we were glad to have one. Most of the dirt roads we came across would probably be fine without a 4×4, but several of them rocked us along in our Jeep. Also, the road we stayed on at Leverick Bay was very rocky with some pretty decent bumps and ruts. We found it easier with a 4×4 so we didn’t have to worry about the rental car ha.

Water Conditions

When we went at the end of February/early March, some of the beaches were a little rough for swimming. The currents were strong and at the beaches with lots of boulders around, it could be pretty dangerous. We were told that the winter months are busier and that the water is rougher during that time. And if you want calmer waters, then the best time to visit would be around May/June.

You really can’t go wrong with whatever beaches you spend time at. Most of the bays on Virgin Gorda have beautiful views, crystal water and sandy shores. Of my family members that went, I think most of us had a different ‘favorite beach’.

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