The sea temperature at Virgin Gorda (The Baths) today is 29.7 °C (85 °F) – water as warm as a bath. The usual October average is 29.6 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea temperature has held at around 29.7 °C. Swimmable all year – the sea averages 26 °C or more in every month. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26.5°C / 79.7°F | 26.9°C / 80.3°F | 27.4°C / 81.2°F |
| February | 26.1°C / 78.9°F | 26.4°C / 79.6°F | 26.8°C / 80.3°F |
| March | 26.1°C / 79.1°F | 26.5°C / 79.7°F | 27.0°C / 80.6°F |
| April | 26.4°C / 79.6°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F | 27.6°C / 81.6°F |
| May | 27.2°C / 80.9°F | 27.8°C / 82.0°F | 28.5°C / 83.2°F |
| June | 27.9°C / 82.2°F | 28.5°C / 83.3°F | 29.3°C / 84.8°F |
| July | 28.2°C / 82.8°F | 28.7°C / 83.7°F | 29.3°C / 84.8°F |
| August | 28.6°C / 83.5°F | 29.2°C / 84.5°F | 29.6°C / 85.2°F |
| September | 29.1°C / 84.4°F | 29.7°C / 85.4°F | 30.1°C / 86.2°F |
| October | 29.0°C / 84.2°F | 29.6°C / 85.3°F | 30.3°C / 86.5°F |
| November | 28.3°C / 82.9°F | 28.7°C / 83.7°F | 29.1°C / 84.4°F |
| December | 27.3°C / 81.1°F | 27.7°C / 81.9°F | 28.1°C / 82.7°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25.1°C / 77.2°F | 25.4°C / 77.8°F | 25.6°C / 78.1°F |
| February | 24.7°C / 76.4°F | 25.1°C / 77.1°F | 25.2°C / 77.3°F |
| March | 24.8°C / 76.7°F | 25.2°C / 77.3°F | 25.4°C / 77.7°F |
| April | 25.0°C / 77.1°F | 25.5°C / 77.8°F | 25.6°C / 78.2°F |
| May | 26.2°C / 79.2°F | 26.6°C / 80.0°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F |
| June | 27.0°C / 80.5°F | 27.4°C / 81.2°F | 27.6°C / 81.6°F |
| July | 27.2°C / 81.0°F | 27.6°C / 81.7°F | 27.9°C / 82.2°F |
| August | 27.5°C / 81.6°F | 27.9°C / 82.3°F | 28.2°C / 82.7°F |
| September | 27.6°C / 81.7°F | 28.1°C / 82.5°F | 28.2°C / 82.8°F |
| October | 27.4°C / 81.4°F | 27.8°C / 82.1°F | 27.9°C / 82.2°F |
| November | 26.7°C / 80.0°F | 27.0°C / 80.5°F | 27.1°C / 80.7°F |
| December | 25.7°C / 78.3°F | 26.1°C / 78.9°F | 26.2°C / 79.1°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
The Baths holidays
Granite boulders the size of houses lie tumbled along the shore at The Baths, a beach and national park on the south-west tip of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. Between them, the sea has filled grottoes and pools with clear water, lit by shafts of sunlight through the gaps in the rock.
Beaches
The Baths beach is a small cove of white sand among the boulders; a trail with ladders, ropes and wooden steps leads through the grottoes to Devil's Bay, a quieter beach just to the south. Spring Bay and The Crawl, a short walk north, have the same boulders with calmer water for snorkelling and swimming with children. When a northerly swell rolls in, usually in winter, waves can surge into the grottoes and the national park may close the beach to swimming.
Things to do
The Baths is run by the BVI National Parks Trust, which charges an entrance fee; arrive early, before the cruise-ship and day-boat groups from Tortola. Copper Mine National Park, on the south-east tip of Virgin Gorda, has the stone ruins of a 19th-century Cornish mine above the waves, and a trail climbs to Gorda Peak, the island's highest point. North Sound, a large, sheltered bay on the north coast, has marinas, the islet of Saba Rock and water sports, reached by road or by boat.
Weather and best time to visit
At The Baths the sea stays above 26 °C / 79 °F all year, even in the coolest month.
Virgin Gorda is warm all year and cooled by the trade winds. The drier main season runs from about December to April; the Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the highest risk from about August to October. The Baths is busiest in the middle of the day, when tour groups arrive, and quietest early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Hotels and where to stay
Virgin Gorda has villas, small hotels around Spanish Town and the south of the island, and resorts at Little Dix Bay and on North Sound, several of them reached only by boat.
Signature hotels: Rosewood Little Dix Bay
Airport and getting there
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) on Beef Island, off Tortola, is the main airport of the British Virgin Islands, with connections through other Caribbean hubs such as San Juan and Antigua. Ferries serve Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda from Road Town on Tortola and from Trellis Bay on Beef Island; connections from the US Virgin Islands vary by operator and season, so check current routes before booking. The Baths is a few minutes by taxi from Spanish Town, and open-air taxis wait at the ferry dock.