Virgin Gorda Archives | Page 3 of 3

April 5, 2013April 23, 2021

Hog Heaven, Virgin Gorda

There are bars with a view and then there are bars with a VIEW! Hog Heaven is a Bar & Grill sitting high atop Virgin Gorda with an absolutely beautiful view of the entire North Sound.

From your perch in the sky, you can see Leverick Bay, Bitter End Yacht Club, Saba Rock Resort, Necker Island and The Sandbox on Prickly Pear Island.
On clear days, you can even make out a faint strip of Anegada in the distance.

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Necker Island in the distance

Hog Heaven is a small, unassuming building on top of the hill on Nail Bay Road overlooking North Sound. It’s owned by Blondie, who apparently is also a pig farmer/ship captain on Virgin Gorda.

One of the rum drinks on the menu was a Blondie Special and we ordered that and a rum punch and took a seat to drink in the view.

Blondie Special and Rum Punch

Hog Heaven is known for its BBQ, so we decided to order a plate, as well as a bowl of Conch Chowder. Both were delicious and very reasonably priced.

Want some Rum with a View (and some delicious BBQ)? This is the place to get it on Virgin Gorda!

Have you been to Hog Heaven? Tell us about it!

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

December 19, 2012April 27, 2021

Rum Therapy On Virgin Gorda

We’d spent the better part of two days on Virgin Gorda in the past – both times on sail trips, and saw just bits and pieces of what this island has to offer. During our recent trip to the VI’s, we had a chance to stay “on island” which gave us a better opportunity to explore this British Virgin Island reportedly dubbed “Fat Virgin” by Christopher Columbus.

What did we experience on Virgin Gorda this time? It took several weeks to sift through our very full photo memory cards, but here are some of the highlights through pictures.

We arrived in Spanish Town on the ferry from Tortola, and rented a car through Mahogany Rentals (they met us at the ferry dock with our vehicle for the week – very convenient!) Our beautiful oceanside accommodations were graciously provided by Lorna at Rambutan Villa (more on that later) and we made our way up to Nail Bay to locate the villa before continuing up the hill to the highly recommended Hog Heaven.

Hog Heaven is a bar/grill overlooking North Sound with a spectacular view of Necker Island, Prickly Pear Island, Saba Rock and on a clear day you can even make out Anegada.

We lingered at Hog Heaven for quite a while enjoying the views, a Blondie Special (their specialty rum drink) and some tasty BBQ ribs.

From there we headed directly to The Baths, making a quick stop at Mad Dog for a beverage and Top Of The Baths to take in the view.

Mad Dog

Top Of the Baths

We then headed down the path towards The Baths. Although we’d been to The Baths twice before, the beauty never ceases to amaze us and the vibrant colors change depending on the time of day and the angle of the sun.

We continued on the trail to Devils Bay

Devil’s Bay

During the rest of our time on VG, we took in as much as we could, including:

Spring Bay

Big Trunk Bay

Savannah Bay, Pond Bay, Mahoe Bay Overlook

Savannah Bay

Jumbies, Leverick Bay

On our last day, we rented a dinghy from the extremely accommodating General Manager of Leverick Bay Marina. We arrived later in the morning and by then they only had one dinghy left, but he graciously set us up, gave us directions to the places we wanted to see in North Sound that are accessible only by boat, told us to watch for seaplanes and set us on our way.

Our yacht for the day! From Leverick Bay, we headed over to Biras Creek to make a quick stop at the Fat Virgin Cafe to enjoy a rum punch and the view.

We hopped back in dinghy and headed straight to Saba Rock passing the Bitter End Yacht Club. BEYC was closed for the week for a private function so were only able to enjoy its beauty from the water – this time.

Bitter End Yacht Club

We’d briefly stopped at Saba Rock before during a sail, but there’s enough to do on “The Rock” that you could easily spend an afternoon lounging in the hammocks or in the bar enjoying the sunshine and tales from the many sailors that visit.

Before heading out to our last stop, we ordered one of their rum drink specialties – the Saba Rock Banana Daiquiri.

Just a short dinghy away, The Sandbox beckoned. The Sandbox is located on Prickly Pear Island and we docked to enjoy some time in the sun.

Prickly Pear Island and The Sandbox

Heading back to Leverick Bay we took a quick pass by Mosquito Island, a private island purchased by Sir Richard Branson that he hopes to develop into a premiere eco-tourism resort.

Mosquito Island

Sun kissed and satisfied with our afternoon of captaining our dinghy through the beautiful North Sound, we headed back to our tropical oasis at Rambutan Villa to enjoy the remnants of the days sun rays and listen to the waves gently lap the shore.

The owners of Rambutan Villa also own the stunning Villa LaVida next door. Both are available for weekly rental. If you are interested in finding out more about renting these oceanfront properties, email them at [email protected] or
[email protected]

To see other posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

October 12, 2012April 27, 2021

Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 of this series, click here: Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 1) – Norman Island and Peter Island.

Virgin Gorda
We rose early the next day in anticipation of our sail to Virgin Gorda. On our way, we passed Salt Island, Cooper Island and Ginger Island, which we didn’t have time to explore this sail, so they’ll remain on our “need to explore” list. Previously we had an overnight stop at Cooper Island, but because we arrived late and left early, we got a few sunset pics and that’s about it – for now…

View from Cooper Island

First stop in Virgin Gorda – The Baths

Explored the massive boulders and crystal clear water of The Baths and Devil’s Bay.

From the Baths, we took a hike to the top and enjoyed a dip in the pool, a few Piña Coladas and a gorgeous view at the Top Of The Baths.

Next stop – North Sound

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner overlooking North Sound at Leverick Bay Resort & Marina.

Last Stop – Bitter End Yacht Club for the night.

Played pool, foosball and darts while while enjoying some beverages at the Bitter End Crawl Pub (good selection of rums!), then headed back to the boat for several very spirited rounds of Liar’s Dice!

Up next: Our time on Anegada “The Drowned Island”
Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 3)

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

October 5, 2012September 25, 2019

Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 1)

Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be,
Just a dream and the wind to carry me,
And soon I will be free…Christopher Cross

It’s no secret that we love to sail.

Can you beat the feeling of the sun warmed sea air on your face and the sounds of the sea as you adjust the sails to catch the warm breeze? We’ve been lucky enough to sail the British Virgin Islands (BVI) twice and are hooked. Once on a sailboat and once on a catamaran, we can’t wait to go back again. Although we’ve seen quite a bit of these picturesque islands, there is still so much more to explore and we look forward to doing just that.

Through lots of pictures and just a few words, we’d like to share some of what we’ve experienced – so far – in the BVI. Check out this MAP to see the location of each of the islands.

Norman Island
At the southern tip of the British Virgin Islands, this privately owned, uninhabited island has plenty to experience. We spent one night on both of our sails in The Bight – a sheltered harbour which makes a great anchorage. While there, we:

1. Took a hike to the top!
(You can find the path behind Pirates Bight. Great views of The Bight, Peter Island and Tortola.)

2. On our way back down, we stopped for a drink, some sun, beach time and chatter with fellow boaters at Pirates Bight.

3. Dinghy-ed up for a drink at the infamous Willy T’s.
(Go during the day for some tasty food and a (usually) quieter crowd. Go at night for the party! Read more about one of our visits here: Rum Therapy at Willy T’s)

4. Snorkeled the Caves
(Just past Treasure Point is a great area to snorkel with several caves and abundant fish. Keep your eyes open for treasure – apparently some was found years ago in The Caves.)

Peter Island

We took a short sail around Norman to Peter Island, home of the magnificent Peter Island Resort and Spa. We spent an awesome day in Deadman’s Bay doing the following:

1. Walked the beach, kayaked and enjoyed cocktails at the Deadman’s Beach Bar & Grill

2. Snorkeled
(Turtles can sometimes be found in the sea grass beds)

3. Took a short hike up the road to get a beautiful view of Deadman’s Bay and the other side of the island

After a great day basking in the sun at Deadman’s Bay, we moved the boat around the island to Little Harbour for the night. As the sun went down, we enjoyed some rum and wakeboarding behind the dinghy. We’d already had a great couple of days and were looking forward to heading north the next day to the beautiful island reputedly named The Fat Virgin by Christopher Columbus – Virgin Gorda.

Check out Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 2):
Virgin Gorda

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.