Virgin Gorda: Glamor and a Down to Earth Vibe
Our ferry cut through the waves as it headed up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda; a parade of islands in the distance flashing by. I was on my way to spend a day with friends, excited at the prospect of visiting this special island once again and seeing Virgin Gorda through fresh eyes.
For well over 100 years Virgin Gorda remained rural and undeveloped, rich in the bounty of nature, but economically deprived. That changed with the arrival of Laurance Rockefeller, son of oil magnate, John D. Rockefeller, in the late ‘50s. Leasing 365 acres from the BVI government, he opened the doors to Little Dix Bay, the Territory’s first luxury hotel, in 1964. In addition, he built the island’s first airport, its main ferry dock and a full-service marina, jump starting the BVI’s tourism sector within a decade. I was looking forward to rediscovering this island of contrasts where glamour and a down to earth vibe coincide.
Stevie and Robin were at the dock when our ferry pulled in and drove my husband and I to the coffee shop at The Top of the Baths. “It is the best place to get a good coffee on Virgin Gorda,” said Stevie. She was right. We ordered three cappuccinos and an Americano from a delightful young woman at the coffee shop, one of many warm and welcoming people that we would meet during the course of the day.
As its name implies, Top of the Baths literally overlooks The Baths, the BVI’s premier natural attraction. I took several photos of the dramatic Virgin Gorda boulders that stretched out below us; beyond, a turquoise ocean was sprinkled with anchored sailboats. “That boat with the two funnels is Sir James Dyson’s boat,” pointed out Robin, referring to the British inventor who developed and manufactures the popular cordless vacuum.
Top of the Baths is also the starting point for the path that leads to The Baths. We didn’t go to The Baths that day, but I have been there on numerous occasions. The narrow path, which winds past large granite boulders, wild frangipani and succulents, opens up to a blue sea, and a small white sand beach sprinkled with more colossal boulders. Carved by volcanic uplift and a millennia of erosion, these behemoths never fail to impresss. An inconspicuous slot through the rocks marks the entrance to The Baths, a labyrinth of boulders and sea pools punctuated by shafts of light.
From the Top of The Baths we drove past the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour where actor Morgan Freeman, a true Virgin Gorda lover, docked his yacht for many years. We then headed for a windswept promontory on the island’s southeast shore, the site of The Coppermine. Lore has it that the Spanish mined the area looking for gold, but were disappointed when they found only copper. Miners from Cornwall, England were less dismayed, and in the mid 19th century, they came to Virgin Gorda to extract the prized mineral. The miners built a series of stone structures, reminiscent of those in their Cornish homeland; most impressive is the lofty stone chimney that stands tall against the blue sky. Robin and I followed in the path of the miners, carefully picking our way along an uneven track to the front of the Coppermine. Here we could look up at the chimney and engine room, all that is left of this once important site.
As we headed eastward, we drove through The Valley. This area of low sloping hills strewn with the island’s iconic boulders, has a largely rural feel. We passed small wooden houses painted pink and yellow, and yards with banana and mango trees. Cows gazed at us over fences, and here and there sheep and goats wandered along the sides of the road.
The road continued past a skinny neck of land fringed by the sliver of sand known as Savannah Bay. It is a popular picnic spot for locals, mentioned Stevie, who added that she and Robin take walks there on occasion.
We eventually headed upwards towards one of my favorite view points on the island, Hog’s Heaven. Perched high above the island’s north shore, Hog Heaven is as close to heaven as you can get in Virgin Gorda, at least altitude wise. The open-air restaurant specializes in barbecue pork ribs, chicken and fish, but was closed that day, a Wednesday. But we could still walk onto the deck to peer out at one of the best views in the BVI. The entire North Sound, often referred to as “the playground of the rich and famous”, shimmered below us. Necker and Mosquito Islands, owned by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, are preferred destinations for Hollywood celebrities and British rock stars. Princess Diana vacationed here in the ‘80s and Kate Winslet, who married Richard Branson’s nephew, Ned Rocknroll is a frequent guest. Tech entrepreneur and Google co-founder, Larry Page, owns the neighboring island, Eustatia.
Also below was Saba Rock, a small island resort that was once owned by the late diver and treasure hunter, Bert Kilbride. I had once been on a boat bound for Saba Rock with Bert and his friend, Mel Fisher, a fellow treasure hunter who discovered the sunken Spanish galleon, the Atocha, off the Florida Keys. Both men sported gold chains with ingot pennants, which I assumed was once sunken bounty. Nearby was Prickly Pear, a national park fringed with white sand, and the popular yachting destination, Bitter End Yacht Club. Severely damaged in Hurricane Irma, the resort has recently reopened following a comprehensive rebuild.
Although the most exclusive of these properties can be reached only by private launch (or helicopter), not all are out of reach. Bitter End, Saba Rock and Oil Nut Bay’s Nova Restaurant (part of another of the area’s exclusive developments) have boats that run out of Gun Creek and are available for the general public.
Lunch at Nail Bay’s Sugar Cane restaurant was next on the itinerary. Set in a tropical garden, above the preserved stone remains of a plantation era sugar works, the Sugar Cane restaurant has a large canopy roof, a sand floor and a distant sea view. The staff at the restaurant welcomed us like family, making for a memorable lunch.
As Stevie and Robin dropped us off at the ferry, I thought about this island of contrasts: the exclusive and the accessible. Yes, a lot of well-known people have discovered Virgin Gorda, but they are not the ones who make this island what it truly is. What sets this island apart is the Virgin Gorda people and their pride in an island that is truly special.
For more places to visit on Virgin Gorda, see the “Activities” Virgin Gorda section of this site:
