Mountain Trunk Bay on Virgin Gorda
Mountain Trunk Bay is the quiet cove below the Nail Bay estate on Virgin Gorda's northwest coast, gently sloping sand with coral a few strokes out and the Dog Islands across the water. It is the easiest swim on this stretch and a good first snorkel. The catch is the way in, down a lane through the estate.
Conditions: Calm on most days, with a gently sloping sand entry and coral close to shore; the cove faces west toward the Dog Islands. A winter north swell can make the entry rough, by our read of the map. No lifeguard and no facilities as of October 2026.
Mountain Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda at a glance
| Entry | Free; no authority posts a fee, and the territory's minister for natural resources told the House of Assembly in March 2023 that all BVI beaches are public |
|---|---|
| Hours | None posted |
| Parking | No lot is mapped; Turtle Bay Path, a lane through the Nail Bay estate, ends about 20 m from the sand |
| Restrooms | None |
| Shade | Some |
| Snorkeling | 4 of 5, Very good |
| Crowds | Quiet |
| Drive from Spanish Town | about 18 minutes by car |
| Lifeguard | No |
Updated Oct 23, 2026.
Routes to Mountain Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda
About 18 minutes by car from Spanish Town. How to reach the British Virgin Islands: British Virgin Islands map, British Virgin Islands weather, month by month, Ferries between the British Virgin Islands, Getting to the British Virgin Islands, Things to do in Tortola and the British Virgin Islands.
Which sand is Mountain Trunk Bay?
Below the Nail Bay estate the coast breaks into three beaches, and the names travel. Mountain Trunk Bay is the southern one, the soft cove at the foot of Turtle Bay Path, with a rocky point closing it to the north. Beyond that point runs the longer, reef-fronted beach the estate calls Nail Bay Beach, and past the boulders at its far end, Long Bay. Maps put the name Nail Bay on the water off this cove, which is where most of the muddle starts.
The rest comes from other Trunk Bays. The one beside Spring Bay near Spanish Town is Valley Trunk Bay, on the same coast but well to the south; Trunk Bay on Tortola is another island; and the famous Trunk Bay with the underwater trail is on St. John, in the US Virgin Islands. If a description mentions a national park or an entry fee, it is not this beach.
Getting down to Mountain Trunk Bay
By car or taxi from the Spanish Town ferry dock, north through The Valley and up the Nail Bay road into the estate, then down Turtle Bay Path, a concrete lane that ends a few steps from the sand. The drive is 18 minutes, and from the Gun Creek dock on the North Sound side it is 15. No lot is mapped at the bottom, the lanes serve the villas above, and nothing at the beach will call you a ride, so agree the pickup time with the driver before they leave.
The tradeoff: this is the estate's beach in practice. On March 9, 2023, the territory's Minister for Natural Resources and Labour told the House of Assembly that all BVI beaches are public, and that where a beach adjoins private property access must still be provided. The sand and the water are open; the gardens and the lanes are someone's home, so drive in slowly and leave space for the people who live there. For lunch, Sugarcane, the restaurant and sports club on the hill above, opens from Wednesday as of October 2026.
Snorkeling and swimming at Mountain Trunk Bay
This is the gentlest water on the Nail Bay shore. The sand slopes in slowly, the cove faces west with its back to the trade wind, and coral and reef fish start close to shore, which is why we rate it 4 of 5 and why it suits a first snorkel or a child on a mask. The livelier reef is around the point on Nail Bay Beach, where the coral sits farther out across shallows and the swim takes more care.
In winter a north swell can wrap into the cove, by our read of the map, and on those days the entry turns rough and the snorkel is off. There is no lifeguard and nothing to rent, so bring your own mask, water and shade. Mahoe Bay, to the south,, is the other calm water with a reef on this coast, and Savannah Bay beyond it the long, easy beach.
Questions people ask about Mountain Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda
Where is Mountain Trunk Bay on Virgin Gorda?
On the northwest coast, below the Nail Bay estate, between Mahoe Bay to the south and Nail Bay, around the rocky point, to the north. It is 18 minutes by car from the Spanish Town ferry dock and 15 from the Gun Creek dock to the end of Turtle Bay Path, by our measurement, then about 20 m to the sand.
Is Mountain Trunk Bay the same as Trunk Bay?
No. Trunk Bay with the underwater trail and the entry fee is on St. John in the US Virgin Islands, and Tortola has its own Trunk Bay. On Virgin Gorda, Valley Trunk Bay sits beside Spring Bay near Spanish Town. Mountain Trunk Bay is the cove below Nail Bay, farther north.
Can you go to Mountain Trunk Bay if you are not staying at Nail Bay?
Yes. The territory's Minister for Natural Resources and Labour told the House of Assembly on March 9, 2023, that all BVI beaches are public and that access must be provided even beside private property. The only road down is a lane through the estate with no lot, so arrive by taxi or park with care.
Is Mountain Trunk Beach good for snorkeling?
4 of 5, by our read: a gently sloping sand entry with coral and fish close to shore, easy for beginners and children. The livelier reef is around the point off Nail Bay Beach. A winter north swell is the drawback, and there is no lifeguard or rental on the sand.
Written by Virgin Islands Villas. Updated Oct 23, 2026. Updated Oct 23, 2026.
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