Virgin Gorda is the third-largest (after Tortola and Anegada) and second most populous of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Located at approximately 18 degrees, 48 minutes North, and 64 degrees, 30 minutes West, it covers an area of about 8 square miles (21 sq. km). Christopher Columbus is said to have named the island "The Fat Virgin", because its silhouette resembles a rotund woman lying on her back.
Virgin Gorda is one of the BVI's major tourist destinations, largely because of an unusual geologic formation known as "The Baths" located on the southern end of the island. At The Baths, the beach shows evidence of the island's volcanic origins, as huge granite boulders lie in piles on the beach, forming scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. Swimming and snorkeling are the main attractions here. The most notable ruin on Virgin Gorda is the old Copper Mine.
Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a group of islands which form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands.