Virgin Gorda’s Baths National Park (Tower Rd., 284/496-6314, adults $3, under 11 free) is one of the most famous sights in the entire British Virgin Islands. Formed tens of millions of years ago when volcanic lava cooled into huge chunks of granite, the Baths are a landscape of clear, saltwater grottoes set on top of powder-white beaches. There are endless pools for exploring and swimming. Offshore reefs provide opportunity for snorkeling.

The Baths proper is a small cove beach, shaded by sea grape and coconut palm trees and littered with boulders. The largest are as tall as a three-story building; the smallest are little shorter than a person. Time has worked its magic on the rocks—pockmarked by water flows, colored by mineral deposits, and strewn about by the shaking of earthquakes—the boulders are beautiful in their disorder. They also create a landscape like a playground, where even grown-ups are tempted to climb over and around, looking for a quiet pool or hidden room.

One of the best ways to experience the Baths is the take the quarter-mile trail south from the beach to Devil’s Bay, a slightly larger white-sand beach with more space for beaching and swimming. The trail is like an obstacle course that travels over, around, and through large rocks. Steps and handrails are carefully maintained by the National Parks Trust, but the walk is still not suitable for very young children or for walkers who are not sure on their feet. Along the trail you’ll go through the Cathedral, a pool formed by the intersection of two large rocks overhead, creating a tall, triangular roof that allows a small amount of light through. The water here is about waist height, and it has been the scene of numerous magazine and television shoots. It is a romantic place when it’s not crowded.

If you do not arrive at the Baths by boat—as many people do, either on day sails or charter yachts—then you will also enjoy a pleasant hike through not-so-rocky forest to the beach. Visitors by land arrive by car (or foot) at the Top of the Baths, where there is a parking lot, restaurants, gift shops, and the entrance point to the park. After paying the entrance fee at the National Parks Trust gate, walk the quarter-mile trail to the beach. At the Baths you’ll find a bathroom, changing room, lockers, and bar. Occasionally there are also vendors offering to braid your hair or sell you a sarong.

As with most of the Virgin Islands’ most beautiful sights, the Baths can be quite crowded. If you can, avoid visiting during peak hours—10 a.m.–4 p.m. It’s also important to know that the Baths are located on Virgin Gorda’s exposed southern shore, and there is often a swell here. When the sea is rough, it can be dangerous to snorkel (and unrewarding, since waves kick up a lot of sand and sediment). On days like this, stick to swimming, beaching, and hiking. If you’re not sure, just ask one of the park wardens if the sea looks too rough to snorkel or look for the safety station on the beach, where a color-coded flag can tell you the sea conditions. If the flag is red don’t swim; if it’s yellow be cautious. When in doubt, ask the friendly park wardens in the National Parks Trust booth near the parking lot.