A stop in the Virgin Islands

Having arrived aboard the Costa Atlantica in the port of Road Town, capital of the island of Tortola and of the British Virgin Islands. With my companion I got on a boat that took us across the Drake Channel to the island of Virgin Gorda. Having reached the little harbour of the island's capital Spanish Town (a cluster of sparse houses), we continued on a narrow road with little vans towards a car park from which a path leads to The Baths. Having followed the path among organ-pipe cactuses and varied vegetation, we reached a splendid little beach surrounded by enormous granite boulders and lapped by a turquoise sea. From here the path continues into the narrow and uncomfortable crevices created by the boulders, inside which there are also small beaches with their own stretch of water. On the other side, the wide Devil's Beach surrounded by just as many granite boulders.

After a refreshing swim, the return path among cactuses and vegetation led us back to the car park where the colourful little vans from earlier were waiting for us; they took us to the port. From here by ferry again to Tortola, a very green island with neat little houses clinging to the hills. At the port of Road Town we boarded our ship once more.