Last month, I took a family trip to the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. One of my favorite places was a beach on the West Coast of Virgin Gorda. The Baths is not a beach you typically go to for relaxation. This beach is meant for adventuring. South of the beach is a colony of granite rocks, that were imbedded in volcanic lava long ago, and create a series of caves known as the devil’s path. The name fits it well. Waves crash through these rocks, and can toss around a person like a ragdoll. There are multiple ways to find a path through the rocks, but they can be summarized into three routes. I call them the water route, the inland route, and the overland route.
Photo Credit: Myself
The overland route was the most fun way to get through, in my opinion, and provided a great view. It was probably the most dangerous way as well. There were many moments when I thought I might fall, which made the experience scary. In parts, you have to jump to another rock with a sheer drop below you. In order to get to the top of the highest rock, you have to run on all fours up the side of a rock at a 45º angle. If you stopped moving your feet you would slide back down.
The water route was also about as fun, and challenging as the overland route. To make it through that way, you have to be prepared to swim, and always be ready to grab onto a rock if a big wave comes. The sea life was amazing to watch; the colorful fish would use waves to save energy while swimming around.
The inland route was boring compared to the other ways. Sure you do have to climb over small rocks, and watch your feet for rocks that could cause you to trip and fall onto a pile of sand, but for all of the larger rocks, there are wooden staircases for steep climbs, and ropes for slippery parts, unlike the other routes. There are even arrows to show you where to go. However, there has to be some way through for people who don’t want to risk hurting themselves, or if they are carrying a load, maybe snorkeling equipment to snorkel at Devil’s Bay on the other side. This is also the slowest route, because it is always filled with people going in both directions.
The Baths was one out of many of the great locations in the British Virgin Islands.
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