Making the most of Spanish Town Virgin Gorda
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Depending on the size of your cruise ship, it will be docked, moored or anchored in port; passengers will then tender ashore.
When anchored off Spanish Town, tenders arrive at Virgin Gorda Yacht harbor, which has plenty of shops and other attractions.
Spanish Town is Virgin Gorda’s main hub, with the town centre conveniently near the dock where cruise passengers disembark.
If you are in the North Sound, you will tender to the main dock at the Bitter End Resort.
A printable map is available to take along.
Roadtown’s cruise schedule.
Cruise schedule in the BVI if you are at anchor.
On southern Virgin Gorda, Spanish Town is the British Virgin Islands’ second largest town after Road Town. Also called The Valley, it has many shopping options. Its Yacht Harbor marina, at the town’s heart, supports many bareboat sailing activities every day; it also has an airport and ferry links to Road Town or Tortola. Spanish Town remains small overall, with few bars and a relaxed atmosphere.
Getting around
The Bitter End Ferry runs hourly on the half-hour between Gun Creek and the Bitter End Yacht Club. It is free of charge, takes less than 30 minutes and has easy-to-catch taxis at either end. Virgin Gorda cab rates are among the Caribbean’s highest.
Nearby places
Many consider The Baths the main reason to visit Virgin Gorda (Fat Virgin in Spanish). This small beach is framed by giant boulders spewed from an ancient volcano and scattered across land and sea. Climb among them through caves so narrow and low that you may sometimes need to drop to all fours, emerging at a boulder-harbor. Swim around the boulders and bring snorkeling gear: there is little coral, but the water is almost always clear and sea life is always abundant. Small cruise-ship calls can make it very crowded. The best times are 8AM-10AM and 3PM-5PM.…
Many resorts welcome day visitors.
Beach lovers can spend hours wandering Virgin Gorda’s 14 beaches, particularly beautiful Trunk Bay, Little Dix Bay and Savannah Bay.
Food and shopping
Most town services, including a couple of banks, are in the mall fronting Yacht Harbour.
Money
The currency is the U.S. Dollar.
Staying connected
The language is English.
Internet connections are hard to find and, when available, expensive.