The Baths is a beach area on the island of Virgin Gorda among the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. The Baths on Virgin Gorda derive their name from the geologic term batholith rather than from the more obvious pools of water that collect between beach boulders.
The Baths are situated about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south of the main town Spanish Town at the southern tip of the island between Spring Bay and Devil’s Bay. The Baths is an area of unique geologic formations and one of the BVI’s major tourist destinations.
Although volcanism accounts for much of the Virgin Islands, The Baths were formed by granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach. Granite forms from the slow cooling of magma at depths nowhere close to surface volcanoes.
The granite only appears at the surface after geologic ages have eroded away all the overburden covering it. Once exposed, erosion continued to isolate the granite into large boulders and round their surfaces. The boulders form natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches, and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. The largest boulders are about 12 m long.
Since 1990, the area has been a BVI National Park as are the adjacent bays, and the area is a major tourist attraction, with swimming and snorkeling being the main attractions.
