While getting kids to take baths can sometimes be challenging, the opposite was true at The Baths in Virgin Gorda on the British Virgin Islands. I could not pull my son Augustine away…to the point that I had to drag him back kicking and screaming.
The Baths In Virgin Gorda – British Virgin Islands
After our coffee break, we hopped in a shared taxi to The Baths and Devil’s Bay National Park…on Virgin Gorda, the taxis are pick-up trucks with two benches in the rear and a canopy overhead to shield against the hot sunlight. The cost is a flat $10 per person each way (kids too)….which is a lot for the short journey but made it easy and avoid haggling.
The cost to enter Greater Baths National Park was $3 for adults and $2 for children, with credit cards accepted. We began a walk down to the path to Devil’s Bay National Park, which was teeming with large reptiles and a mix of trees, bushes, and cactus.
We soon turned down into The Baths, which is a rock cave area that was so much fun to walk through (though shorts and sandals would have been smarter than wearing trousers and shoes, as I did get knee-deep in water at some points).
I wish we had started earlier in the day. The last tender back to the ship was at 3:00 pm sharp and this was our last stop before our 3-day voyage to Miami. Starting at midday and stopping for coffee only left a couple of hours in The Baths. Another two hours would have been very much appreciated by Augustine.
Consequently, we cut it close, leaving ourselves just 30 minutes before the “last call” to reboard the ship.
But Augustine did not want to go.
He was remarkably well-behaved on this trip but here was the only exception. He threw a (small) fit that he could not stay longer. He loved it. It was the highlight of our shore excursions (and mine too, though not the little fit).
But he quickly calmed down and we were soon our way back to the port, boarded the tender, then returned to the ship.
The Baths are very much worth seeing when visiting the British Virgin Islands…I would not hesitate to return (and allocate a lot more time).
Virgin Gorda is spectacular. Well worth a weeklong house rental. You won’t run out things to do.
Applying Imogene King’s theory of goal attainment steps would have prevented the need to drag sweet Augustine kicking and screaming from the baths. 🙂 Try sailing through the BVI to experience the extent of natural beauty.
Still BEAUTIFUL beyond words. One of my favorite all day stops on a sailing trip through the Bristish Virgin Islands some years ago. So glad you were able to experience this with Augustine. Try snorkeling there, as well, next time.
What wonderful father-son time. Mini-fit and all.