Virgin Gorda is an island in the group of British Virgin Islands.
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| Virgin Gorda | ||
| Overseas territory | British Virgin Islands | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3.930 () | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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places
Plum tree
This place called the "plum tree" is located on the western slope of Gorda Peak. From Savannah Bay the narrow Plum Tree Bay Road leads over Pond Bay, Mahoe Bay and Nail Bay to the Paradise Beach Resort. Some unpaved side paths lead up the slope. Giorgio's restaurant is located directly on the sea and has a sheltered pier.
- Mahoe Bay or Tetor Bay. Fine sandy beach. There is a hotel, a villa complex and a restaurant.
- Savannah Bay. Long, curved sandy bay, is ideal for sunbathing and swimming. There you can also enjoy a beautiful sunset.
- Giorgio's table, by the sea, Mahoe Bay. Tel.: 495-5684, Fax: 495-6099. Italian, expensive.Open: Hours of operation: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
- Mango Bay Resort, Mahoe Bay. Tel.: 495-5672, Fax: 495-5674. 12 studios, suites and 5 villas, restaurant, jeep rental, beach.
- Nail Bay Resort ****, Mountain Trunk Bay. Tel.: 494-8000, Fax: 495-5875. 10 apartments, 6 suites and 10 villas with 1-5 bedrooms, pool, kayaks, tennis court, wellness center, 2 beaches. Location: on 50 hectares of former sugar plantation.Open: Sugar Cane Restaurant & Bar, open daily 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
background
This very irregular and frayed island is 15 km long. In the northern third, the width is only 500 to 900 meters. The 415 m high central part is 2.8 km wide and the flat south reaches a width of 1 to 2 kilometers. The highest point is Gorda Peak at 457 meters.
Christopher Columbus called this island Virgin Gorda, in German it means something like "Chubby Virgin". Landed a hundred years later Sir Francis Drake with his ships and prepared the attack on the Spanish fleet, which was stationed on the island of San Juan. English planters later came to the island to plant cotton and sugar cane. In the 19th century, two different English companies mined for copper. In 1964 the first hotel was built on Little Dix Bay by Laurance Rockefeller and Rockresorts, who are also responsible for the construction of the marina.
There are only two larger towns on the island. In the hilly northeast is the small town of North Sound. It is extremely popular with sailors. The harbor is protected and you can find appropriate accommodation and restaurants there. The road from Spanish Town also ends at the North Sound. The elongated narrow eastern part of the island can only be reached by boat. In the flat plain in the southwest lies the main town The Valley, which is also called Spanish Town. This used to be the capital of the British Virgin Islands.
Plantation economy
Around 1680 some British farmers left the island of Anguilla and settled on Virgin Gorda. A good ten years later there were so many farm workers on the island that it was given its own lieutenant governor and a member of the island council was appointed. In 1717 the island was the most densely populated part of the Virgin Islands, with 317 whites and 308 coloreds. 1812 was the year with the highest population ever counted, around 8,000 residents. As a result of the abolition of slavery, which led to a decline in the plantation economy, the copper mine was exploited. In addition to 40 skilled miners from Cornwall, Britain, 150 islanders worked there.
At the beginning of the 20th century the population had dropped to 600.
getting there
- plane: Virgin Gorda has an airfield, Virgin Gorda Airport (IATA: VIJ, ICAO: TUPW).
- ship: There are ferry connections to other islands in the British Virgin Islands group, but also to the American Virgin Islands.
- There are several marinas on the island.
mobility
There are a few taxis on the island, cars and jeeps can be rented, and motorbikes can also be rented in The Valley.
Tourist Attractions
- Fall Jerusalem National Park. This small, uninhabited island is practically an extension of The Bath. There are also large rounded rocks on the beach.
- Gorda Peak National Park. The boundaries of this 106 hectare national park were determined by the 300 m contour line of the Virgin Gorda hill. Its summit point is 418 m and is also the highest point on the island. The whole area has been reforested with mahogany in recent years. In between you can find many native and exotic plants. From the main road that leads from Spanish Town to Gun Creek, a path branches off into the national park. There is a lookout point and ruins of a copper mine.
- Little Fort National Park. This 14 hectare national park south of the marina begins behind the post office. Centuries ago there was also a Spanish fortification on the site of which some remains of the wall and the powder house on a hill have been preserved. There are no hiking trails in this national park.
- Prickly Pear Island National Park
- Spring Bay National Park. In the south of Virgin Gorda, this national park is 2.2 hectares. An avenue of palm trees leads to the adjoining Spring Bay. Another path leads to the car park at The Bath.
- The Bath National Park. This national park encloses a 1.6 hectare area on Spring Bay in the north and a 23 hectare area on Devil's Bay in the south. He is known worldwide for television advertising. Huge, smooth rocks pile up on top of each other, sometimes forming caves. In between there is a fine sandy beach and small areas of water. For the future, the expansion of Bath National Park to 56 hectares of land and 360 hectares of water is in preparation.
- The Coppermine National Park. This national park is located on the windy southeastern tip of the island on the 77 m high Mine Hill. Copper ore was mined there between 1838 and 1867. Parts of the boiling house, chimney, well and shaft entrance have been preserved to this day. Not only copper is found in this area, but also quartz, molybdenum and small amounts of gold.
activities
Some hotels have tennis courts and there are many water sports options.
