Find Your Beach - The Baths

The Baths 

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Are you looking for a unique beach to enjoy during your vacation?  If so, The Baths, on the island of Virgin Gorda among the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean my be just the spot for you.

One of the most famous and popular beach areas in the Caribbean can be found here in the BVI.  Large volcanic boulders populate the sandy beaches, forming natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea.    There's no other place quite like it on earth.  You'll want to spend hours there swimming, snorkeling, and exploring these amazing rock formations.   

Top of The Baths

If you are spending the day there, you'll want to head to the hill overlooking the beach area where you'll find the Top of the Baths Restaurant.  There is also a gift shop and lounge for you to explore while taking in the beauty of this area dotted with unique geometric shapes.

You'll enjoy a panoramic view of the British Virgin Islands from this vantage point.

Be sure to wear proper footwear for the hike to the beach.  Once arriving at the beach you will find some lockers that can be rented.  As you can see from the photo above, there are even some tight spaces that you can attempt to navigate along the way.

With the holidays approaching you might not be able to grab your swimsuit and head to the British Virgin Islands, so until you can go there in person ...  Enjoy your virtual tour of The Baths - Virgin Gorda (31 photos)

Iceland Volcanic Ash Grounds Flights

Grímsvötn eruption
Credit: Institute of Earth Sciences

Iceland: Grímsvötn eruption 

Begins 21 May 2011

Grounds Flights 

UPDATE 24 May, 2011: 

Grímsvötn Volcano Causes Travel Woes

Europe remembers the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption which led to the closure of a large section of European airspace last year. Once again, ash is spewing from a volcano in Iceland, but so far the disruption of air traffic is restricted to Iceland itself.

Grímsvötn volcano, Iceland, began erupting on 21 May 2011, around 18-19 GMT.  Intensive earthquake activity, lasting for about an hour, was observed prior to the eruption.

Disruption of air traffic at Keflavik International Airport  due to the Grímsvötn volcanic eruption More

 Eruption in Iceland: News | Update | Vatnajökull monitoring | Volcanic ash advisory |

‘Significant eruption’ of Grimsvotn likely to bring ash to UK

Current Volcanic Ash Advisories (VAA) from London and Toulouse 
London VAA: Issued advisories | Issued graphics     Toulouse VAA: Issued advisories

Use the following links to browse for additional news and official information about the Grímsvötn volcanic eruption.

Latest Ash Impact on Flights Keflavik International Airport  Ash Concentration UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) EUROCONTROL Icelandic MetOffice (IMO) National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) Track Flights Live Over Europe

Icelandic volcano pictures, blogs, and other links Volcano halts Icelandic flights (BBC) Latest UK Met Office News Grímsvötn volcano FAQ  Grímsvötn volcanic ash observations Forecasters’ blog  British Geological Survey (BGS) Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland NOAA Satellite and Information Service More information from NOAA about volcanoes EUMETSAT - Monitoring weather and climate from space (volcanic ash page) NASA Earth Observatory - images, stories, discoveries about climate and the environment

Hopefully this volcanic eruption won't be as devastating to Europe travel as the one which began last April.  We will continue to monitor this story and provide significant updates.

Galapagos - Fernandina Island (Day 7 Afternoon)

click images to enlarge

As I mentioned in a previous post, my husband and I split up for the afternoon excursions on day 7. Since I had stubbed my toe in the morning, I didn’t think I’d be able to do any extensive hiking. Here is what I missed by not doing the high intensity activity.

Arriving by Zodiac on Fernandina Island, the group was met by a curious sea lion who was walking along the concrete dock landing area. After stopping for a photo opportunity, they continued along the path where they met the first of many Marine Iguanas which populate the island. In fact, Fernandina Island has one of the largest "colonies" of iguanas in the archipelago.



The Marine Iguanas don't seem to be bothered by humans at all. Walking along the volcanic terrain several groups of iguanas were spotted "hanging out" together. The scene looked like a typical beach scene with all the natives close together sunning themselves. The iguanas also liked congregating by the poles that marked the trail. In some areas, they were looking out to sea. You have to wonder what they were thinking about as they gazed upon the group or when they simply looked out into the sea.

Good hiking shoes and a walking stick are very helpful on Fernandina Island. The terrain varies between crushed volcanic rock and very uneven volcanic rock. Despite the uneven terrain, it is not very difficult to navigate around the island.

In addition to the iguanas, which were plentiful, there were several sea lions and Flightless Comorants. Sally Lightfood and other species of Crabs could also be found along the path.




Day 7 was another fantastic day in the Galapagos. Despite my injury in the morning, both my husband and I were able to explore this very interesting island and the surrounding area.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional Photos can be found on our Exotics Shutterfly page

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