TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) BVI Trip Reports and Photos Back from Virgin Gorda: Little Dix and Mahoe Bay

Hello and many thanks to TTOL folks for all the help before we went. We LOVED it!! (tho didn't have great snorkeling weather the whole time)

Loved being at Litttle Dix and Mahoe Bay (Open Deck) equally. Advantages to each-- wonderful to have the mix. We're passionate about St John, but now love VG as much (again: advantages/disadvantages to each)

Would be most happy to answer in detail to any questions. (Folks were so wonderful and patient with all my endless pre-trip queries.)

By the way: We checked out Adagio and Bellamare while we were at Mahoe-- wonderful!

Thanks again-- and please feel free to fire away with questions.

Because we love the off-beach snorkeling at St John, we, too, wondered whether we'd be somewhat disappointed with VG. No way! Snorkeling at the Baths, Spring Bay, Devil's Bay isn't as good as on St John (though climbing down and around the Baths and over to Devil's Bay is groovy), but there are a number of other places that probably equal the best of St John (or nearly so). Actually, we thought the coral was somewhat better on VG, tho more and more variety of fish on St John (may not always be the case-- and we did see the biggest octopus we've ever seen last week; but no squid, which we always see in abundance on St John)
The reefs at Mahoe Bay are good and also off the beaches in both directions, up and down (e.g. Savannah Bay, etc). It's great-- you can easily swim along the coast in that area from one beach/set of reefs to another-- all totally uncrowded and good snorkeling (and easy to get to by car also). Mountain Trunk Bay, a little farther up the coast, is also good for off-beach snorkeling-- and also easy (sort of) to get to (certainly easy to park a car there; the road to it is a bit rough). We didn't get to Long Bay, which is supposed to be very good. If you drive to the north sound, you can take a (free) ferry over to Bitter End and snorkel with one of their trips from there to some of the reefs off shore. (We did that-- $10 each) Or rent a Boston whaler from Leverick Bay, also on North Sound. Or take a (free) ferry over to Biras Creek for some lovely hiking.
The hiking, by the way, is at least as good on VG as on St John; even better we think. And the island is even more beautiful. They're similar, but VG has even higher hills and seems more "remote" and islandy.
There's no real "town" on VG, not even to the extent that Cruz and Coral Bays are towns. There's one street, where the yacht club is, with some restaurants (one pretty good one-- Chez Bamboo), but no real stores, etc. A few tiny "supermarkets" around the island (very limited). Restaurants are better and more numerous on St John.


Floridays: The ferry from STT to VG is kind of a long ride. Better to fly closer I think. I kept hearing that the VG airport will probably stay open, by the way-- maybe even with another runway. (We once did a little sea-plane arrival to an island on the Great Barrier Reef-- very fun)