Bouldering on the Virgin Islands

The US and British Virgin Islands consist of around 10 major islands and many smaller ones. However it is Virgin Gorda Island that is of interest to the rock climber as there are many granite boulders across the island to boulder on.

Virgin Gorda is located to the western edge of the Virgin Islands and is a great holiday place to go bouldering, snorkelling and scuba diving – a truly multi-adventure holiday. The main bouldering area is located at the southern end of the island, known as Baths National Park, which is about a mile from the Spanish Town. This area is littered with granite boulders of all shapes and sizes, and all the best bouldering is either on the beach or in forests just behind the beach. There are hundreds of problems to climb from V0 to V10 with more than half the problems in the V0 to V3 grade range.

One of the unique aspects of bouldering in Virgin Gorda is that nearly half of the problems are over sandy beach landings and do not require a bouldering mat at all. This is ideal if bouldering is only part of your overall holiday, or you are visiting other islands. However, the other half of the problems involve rocky, uneven landings where having a mat is very desirable! This can be solved by staying at the Guavaberry Spring Bay Homes resort where they have many well-maintained pads that they lend out to their guests for free.

A Guide to Bouldering and Travelling in the Virgin Islands is the comprehensive guidebook that describes the granite bouldering at Virgin Gorda. Also included are suggested bouldering itineraries depending upon how many days you are visiting, plus valuable travel tips, and an underwater fish guide. 

Virgin Gorda is your typical Caribbean getaway island, full of rich culture, and a great place to explore both on land and in the sea. The crystal clear waters of the Caribbean provide world class scuba diving and snorkelling. For accommodation for the climber, the best place to stay is Guavaberry Spring Bay Homes resort. Located in the heart of the bouldering area they also lend out bouldering mats to their guests for free.