Some places are quiet because they are forgotten.

And others — like the windblown ruins of Coppermine National Park on Virgin Gorda — are quiet because they remember.

Set on a sun-scorched bluff at the island’s southeastern tip, this lonely, breathtaking site once echoed with the sound of Cornish accents and pickaxes. In 1838, British miners arrived on Virgin Gorda chasing copper dreams, and for nearly two decades, they turned earth into ore and silence into smoke.

Today, what remains is both haunting and beautiful. The walls of the old engine house still stand. The stone chimney reaches into the sky like a question half-answered. A path meanders through the site where goats now wander, where the past hums gently underfoot.

And just beyond the edge — the Atlantic Ocean roars, blue and infinite.

Where Time Lingers in Stone

If you listen closely, you can almost hear it.

The low thrum of a beam engine — the oldest surviving Cornish one of its kind. The clang of copper carts. The breath of wind threading through the same cisterns and walls touched by miners more than 150 years ago.

This isn’t a museum with velvet ropes. It’s a living ruin. A place where the sea spray mixes with stories and the past hasn’t quite let go.

Visitors often find themselves walking slower here. Breathing deeper. Some perch on the warm stone and look out over the cliffs, letting the salty wind wrap around them, as if the island itself is telling its story one breeze at a time.

The Beauty of Virgin Gorda, Just a Journey Away

At Cane Garden Bay Beach Hotel, we pride ourselves on offering guests more than a beachfront view — we offer a connection to the culture, rhythm, and resilience of the British Virgin Islands.

And while Cane Garden Bay is our heart, we would be remiss not to tell you about Virgin Gorda — and the echoing beauty of Coppermine.

We encourage guests to take a trip to our sister island, rent a car, and drive the winding road down to the old mine. Pass by Hog Heaven. Visit The Baths. And let the spirit of this island — past and present — leave its mark.

Because sometimes, paradise isn’t just where the water sparkles.

It’s where history whispers, the cliffs stand watch, and the ruins remind us that even forgotten places can still shine.