OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

THE BATHS • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Encompassing the beaches and rocky shoreline at the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda, The Baths is a collection of massive granite boulders as large as 40 foot in  diameter, with white sand beaches and secret rock pools.

CAM BAY • Great Camanoe, British Virgin Islands
An extensive shallow reef and lagoon system dominates Cam Bay, on the eastern shore of Great Camanoe. This is a popular anchorage with sailors, due to the calm waters and pristine marine environment for swimming and snorkeling. A white sand beach curves around the bay, encouraging hikers onshore to explore the salt pond that separates Cam Bay from Lee Bay and divides Great Camanoe in half.

COPPER MINE POINT • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
This prominent landmark dominates Mine Hill, on the cliffs of the southeastern tip of Virgin Gorda. Surrounding the Copper Mine ruins there are many granite rock outcroppings, with additional deposits of quartz, feldspars, tin, copper and other clay minerals.

DEVIL’S BAY • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
At the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda is the picturesque Devil’s Bay. This horseshoe shaped bay is a welcome sight at the end of the 15-minute hike through dry scrub vegetation and boulders from the car park at the top of The Baths.

DIAMOND CAY • Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
The tiny island of Diamond Cay is tucked between Little Jost Van Dyke and Jost Van Dyke on the southern shore. Bare rocky cliffs on the windward side are a contrast to the sandy beaches on the leeward side of the cay.

FALLEN JERUSALEM
From a distance, the island of Fallen Jerusalem looks like it’s namesake, after the city was destroyed. Located south of the southern most tip of Virgin Gorda, the rocky shores are similar to The Baths, with tumbled boulders covering the interior of this deserted island.

JOSEPH REYNOLD O’NEAL BOTANICAL GARDENS • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
At the site of the century old Agricultural Experiment Station, the Botanic Gardens are a beautiful oasis in the center of Road Town. They are named after the National Parks Trust’s first Chairman, Joseph Reynold O’Neal who was a leading figure in the formation of the National Parks Trust and the establishment of the BVI’s first national park, Sage Mountain National Park.

LITTLE FORT • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Hidden amongst the enormous boulders at Fort Point, between Spanish Town and Big Trunk Bay is Little Fort. The site includes a small fortification and masonry ruins, including a munitions store on the hillside. Access is very difficult at this undeveloped site, as hikers must cross the rugged terrain and dense vegetation. The only area accessible for entrance into the park is located at the seashore, from here a difficult hiking trail leads to the munitions store.

THE TOBAGOS • Little & Great Tobago, British Virgin Islands
The Tobago Cays are perched on the northwestern corner of the BVI chain, west of Jost Van Dyke and north of St. John, USVI. Rugged cliffs surround the islands, extending into the ocean where the seabed slopes dramatically to depths of up to 50 metres. Watson’s Rock lies in the channel between the two islands, a warning of the hidden rocky pinnacles that are scattered around the cays.

MOUNT HEALTHY • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
This 18th century windmill was once used for grinding the sugarcane, farmed from the steep slopes on the north shore of Tortola. It was part of a thriving 250-acre plantation where enslaved Africans cultivated the sugarcane on the terraced slopes and processed it into sugar, which was then shipped to Britain for sale. Across the road from the windmill lie the ruins of the mill round, which was powered by animals, the factory with boiling house, the distiller, hospital and living quarters.

PRICKLY PEAR • North Sound, British Virgin Islands
Situated in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, the bird sanctuary of Prickly Pear is fringed on the northern side by the Bank Barrier Reef, with the islands of Eustatia, Mosquito and Necker nearby. The island’s slopes are dotted with cacti, such as the turks cap (Melocactus intortus), pipe organ  (Pilosocereus royenii) and the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia rubescens) for which the island is named.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
This park has evolved from a small seaside garden to two distinct multi-use areas, with recreational facilities for children and adults. The Children’s playground on the western end was developed in 1993 in collaboration with the Lions Club and other volunteers.

DEAD CHEST & RMS RHONE • Lee Bay, British Virgin Islands
Submerged in approximately 20 to 80 feet of water, the RMS Rhone lies in Lee Bay off Salt Island. The Marine Park extends to the west to include the island of Dead Chest, with additional dive sites such as the underwater pinnacles and ledges at Blonde Rock, the colourful canyons of Painted Walls, the coral
encrusted tunnels and cave at Rhone Reef.

SAGE MOUNTAIN • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
As the first National Park in the BVI, Sage Mountain represents the beginning of conservation in the territory. Through a generous donation from LauranceRockefeller, the land at Sage Mountain was
purchased from farmers and given to the BVI Government as a national park.

SHARK BAY • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Nestled on the northern shore of Tortola between Brewers Bay on the west and Rough Point on the east. This Park extends from the ridge of Anderson Point to the bay at the base of the Mount Healthy ghut.

SPRING BAY • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Located on Virgin Gorda, Spring Bay is east of The Baths in an area known as The Crawl. Popular with visitors and residents, Spring Bay can be accessed from land along a palm-lined avenue. Surrounded by an expansive lawn are children’s swings to while away the lazy days of summer that last all year.

WEST DOG • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Nestled amongst a cluster of islands known as The Dogs west of Virgin Gorda; West Dog is surrounded by Great Dog, George Dog, Seal Dogs and Cockroach Island. This rugged volcanic island rises abruptly out of the sea, with steep cliffs offering an ideal habitat for nesting seabirds such as bridled terns (Sterna anaethetus), sooty terns (Sterna fuscata), red-billed tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) and endangered roseate terns (Sterna dougallii).

GORDA PEAK • Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
The highest point on Virgin Gorda at 1,370ft; Gorda Peak is located on the northwestern ridge, south of North Sound and north of Soldier Bay. Donated by Laurance Rockefeller in 1974, Gorda Peak is one of the last remaining examples of Caribbean dry forest in the region, which makes it a high priority
for conservation internationally.

SANDY CAY
Sandy Cay was privately owned for 40 years by Laurance S. Rockefeller, who maintained the island for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Rockefeller’s conservation management team planted over 200 palm trees, instituted a long term bird and turtle monitoring programme, and created a trail
network for visitors to explore the 13.57 acre island.