The Baths is an excellent day trip. You can take the ferry, or you can book one of the day trips, such as New Horizons II, Captain Nautica, Limnos, Breakaway, etc.

Your friend must not know what he/she is talking about. Why would you go all the way to the Baths for groceries?!? That would be silly! There are plenty of places to buy groceries on STT or STJ (depending on where you are staying). Maybe he/she meant to get groceries at the Marina Market (right across the street from the ferry dock in Red Hook) when you get off the ferry, on your way back to the hotel?

Yes, he meant to refresh groceries on the way back.

From St John, I guess you'd take the ferry to St Thomas.
Then another ferry to .... ?
- Are the 'Baths' on Tortello, on St Crois?
Will the ferry take you directly there, or do you then have to take a taxi?

1of13,
Rather than spending my day waiting on multiple ferries and taxis, I'd just take one of the day trips mentioned above. WAY more fun, and you'll see far more, for essentially the same price.

The Baths are located on the southern tip of Virgin Gorda (not Tortola), the eastermost of the British Virgin Islands. For some pictures and further info on the day trip, see http://newhorizonscharters.com

It would be nice to get to the baths, and I have to agree that the day trips you suggested sound nice. I'm afraid that we are pretty far over our budget already and the boad trip would be about $600 if we and the 2 children went. The ferry would be less posh, and would take longer but would surely be more budget friendly. Could someone advise the best way to get to the baths from St John by ferry? If we were to do it, what is a good itenerary?

10f13-
Look here:

http://www.st-thomas.com/week/ferries.html

You should call. These don't indicate that they pick up passengers on St. John. But, when we took the ferry from Charlotte Amalie to Tortola, then to Vigrin Gorda, we DID stop at the dock in St. John.

My advice is to avoid the "two islands for one" deal offered (Tortola and VG). You don't get enough of one island. Don't worry about taking the ferry over and not being on one of the fancy day trip boats. You'll have a different experience, will see some of Virgin Gorda on the brief taxi ride over, can spend time at the Baths without the "group" and will meet really interesting people on the ferries (not that the Horizons people aren't intersting - but they are more "touristy" types). On my last "ferry" trip to the Baths, we met a backpacking couple from Austria....very interesting tales of their travels through the islands.

You'll get a very different and very authentic island experience by going on the ferry. Enjoy...

Hello,

The St. Thomas/St. John Ferry to Virgin Gorda operates two days of the week; Thursday and Sunday. You can take the Tortola Ferry and then take another one from there to Virgin Gorda on other days, but that would take up a lot of time for just a day trip.

So take the ferry on Thurs or Sunday. Then take a taxi once on Virgin Gorda from the dock to the Baths. Keep an eye on when you need to be back and take a taxi back. Easy enough. The ferry leaves St. John at 8:30 am and leaves Virgin Gorda returning to STJ/STT at 3pm. Takes about 1hr 30 minutes. So like a little bit over 3 hours at the Baths.

The cost: $50 a person round trip for the St. Thomas/St. John to Virgin Gorda ferry. That rate is good until June 1st. After June 1st the rate will be $55 a person. There is a $5 departure tax also. Children 1-11 years old are $35 + $5 departure tax right now and after June 1st will be $40 + $5. Babies under 1 years old are pay just the departure tax.

You can find the schedule/more information on this site by clicking on the link at the top - Ferry Schedules.

--Islander

Try Cruz Bay Watersports (www.divestjohn.com). They run charters to the Baths (on Virgin Gorda) twice a week, leaving from the Westin dock on St. John. I believe it's about $95 pp.