Can you do this cruise port on your own?
Road Town
DIY Score
Easy DIY
Docked in town. Cane Garden Bay by taxi or ferry to Virgin Gorda.
Tender or Docked?
Ships dock at the Road Town waterfront. No tendering in the typical cruise configuration. Walk off the gangway into Road Town.
How to Get Into Town
Road Town is right there. The pier is the town waterfront. Main Street and the Road Town shops are a 2-minute walk. Taxis for beaches and attractions line up at the pier exit.
Main Attractions
Cane Garden Bay (calm, beautiful, and 20 minutes by taxi) is the standout DIY beach day. For the adventurous, the ferry to Virgin Gorda's Baths (giant granite boulders and hidden pools) is an unforgettable excursion if your call is long enough.
How Much Time You Need
An 8-10 hour call fits Cane Garden Bay plus Road Town comfortably. The Virgin Gorda Baths by ferry needs at least 9 hours in port and confident timing.
Keep in Mind
The ferry to Virgin Gorda requires careful return scheduling. Ferries run on a fixed timetable. Miss your return and you will miss the ship.
Safety & Comfort
The BVI is one of the safest territories in the Caribbean. English-speaking, calm, and well-organized for tourists.
Tips from Cruisers
"Pusser's Road Town Pub is exactly what it claims to be — a classic Caribbean sailor's bar serving the original Painkiller cocktail…" — by Fiona B.
Sources
- BVI Tourist Board official site
- BVI Tourist Board: cruise info
- BVI Tourist Board: Tortola beaches
- BVI Tourist Board: Virgin Gorda Baths
- BVI Parks Trust: Sage Mountain
- North Sound Express: Virgin Gorda ferry
- Speedy's Ferry: BVI inter-island service
- BVI Taxi Association: rate info
- Cane Garden Bay Beach info
- BVI Emergency contacts
Pusser's Road Town Pub is exactly what it claims to be — a classic Caribbean sailor's bar serving the original Painkiller cocktail. We had lunch there and two Painkillers each. $18 for a Painkiller is not cheap but it is the authentic version at the source. Right by the pier.
We did the Virgin Gorda Baths by ferry and it was spectacular — but the logistics stress nearly ruined it. Check the ferry schedule BEFORE you go, not when you get to the terminal. We caught the 11 AM ferry back by about 4 minutes. Never again without pre-planning the exact return time.
Took the taxi to Cane Garden Bay, had the most perfect beach morning of the trip. Three beach bars within 100 meters. Water was absolutely calm and warm. On the way back the driver pointed out the Sage Mountain overlook. Ten dollars each way, best beach of the cruise.