Reef Bay

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The best place for swimming is at the eastern end of Little Reef Bay, near the rocks along the eastern shore (to your left if you're looking out to sea).

Genti Bay: The beach at Genti Bay is a good place to cool off after the long hike that you just took in order to get there.

The beach is sandy, but the sea bottom consists of grass and patches of coral. Be careful getting into the water as small sea urchins may be hidden between rocks or pieces of coral.

Genti Bay is the easternmost bay within the greater Reef Bay, the other bays being Little Reef Bay and Parrot Bay. It lies at the end of the Reef Bay Trail near the remains of the old sugar mill.

Little Reef Bay, is the best swimming beach. The beach here is soft coral sand.

As you enter the water the sea bottom consists of sand and seagrass. The water is deeper and the bottom is sandier and more comfortable than the beaches at either Parrot Bay or Genti Bay.

Another plus is the almost guaranteed privacy afforded by the remote location.

To get to Little Reef Bay, you’ll need to take the the spur trail from the bottom of the Reef Bay Trail or walk along the Reef Bay coast from Parrot Bay.

Parrot Bay: The beach at Parrot Bay consists of soft white sand mixed with pieces of coral. There are scattered coral heads just offshore.

There is usually breaking surf; good for surfing, not so good for swimming or snorkeling, Except for the westernmost extreme of the beach, there is a solid line of reef about twenty yards offshore that creates a shallow lagoon between the ocean and the beach.

Take the South Shore Road (Route 104) to Fish Bay Road and continue to the intersection of Marina Drive and Reef Bay Road; bear left onto Reef Bay Road and go up the hill.

Turn left at the top of the hill and proceed about a quarter mile further.

Park across from the house with the new green metal roof. The path to the beach starts at the utility pole and heads steeply downhill to the valley floor. Follow the path to the beach.

Privacy: Along the shoreline there are several patches of sand that jut into the vegetation providing a measure of privacy making Parrot Bay an ideal location for secluded sunbathing and picnicking.

Surfing: Surfers and boogie boarders can take advantage of the breaking southeasterly swells in the summer months, when there are no ground seas providing surfable waves on the north. The surfing and boogie boarding area is on the western end of the beach.

Be careful of scattered coral heads, which sometimes are quite near the surface. Ask the locals for specific surfing information.

Snorkeling or swimming here is advisable only on flat calm days.

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