joe

We are looking for a nice beach to spend the day on a shore excursion. Would like to have chairs, snorkeling, food/drink. Thanks for any help!!

jen

Definately Orient Beach on the French side. Beautiful, with lots of chairs (you may need to rent if not part of any of the resorts) but little beach side restaurants and beach bars. Bear in mind this is also a topless beach and does have sections with full nudity. We're Canadian so we didn't care, but you never know.
Lots of Europeans.

Melanie

Joe, I assume that you are on a cruise for this one day visit. I second the Orient Beach suggestion. If so, your cruise ship will most likely offer a half- or full-day 'beach party' shore excursion. I know RCL's included lunch and I think chair rental. If you want to do it on your own, get a taxi at the pier and arrange for them to pick you up (in time to get you back to the ship). There are lots of places to eat and drink on Orient (and very good ones, too), and most if not all also rent chairs and umbrellas. It is a very active beach, though, which is great if you want to people watch, but as Jen said, parts of it are clothing optional.

Enjoy! It's one of my favorite places.

Gail

I agree on Orient Beach, but don't take the ship's excursion. It's MUCH less expensive to take a taxi on your own and that way you can spend as much time at the beach as you want. You aren't any the excursion's time constraints.

paul

Orient Beach is overcrowded, because it is so well known. It's the one beach I would therefore be sure to avoid. Try Baie Rouge or Bay Longue, both lovely and with a little less of the circus atmosphere that Orient has.

Will

Author: will ([email protected])
Date: 2/18/2001, 12:05 pm ET

Message: we're interested in Dawn Beach as a snorkeling spot but have heard the "trek to the beach is a real challenge". Can anyoneprovide details on this? Also, has anyone taken one of those hour long snorkling tours out of the Grand Case Beach Club? Cost? Contact? Was it worth it? We are also told that the rocks below Ft. Anderson to the left side of Little Bay Beach on the Dutch side is a very nice beach with easy snorkling access from that beach. Anyone have any experience with that snorkling spot?


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Anita

Hi, Joe!

My suggestion is Baie Rouge. A lot less crowded than Orient Beach. There are 2 beach restaraunts, one French, the other owned by a man we befriended over the last couple of years going to St.M. It's Gus' beach bar, and Gus is an absolute doll. (Try the short ribs with salad - excellent!) The water is warm and clear, and you can rent snorkel equipment and beach chairs & umbrellas right there. You may need to ask directions, as there is no sign for the place, but it's well worth it!

Barbara

Dawn beach is vey easy to get to. there is a new road that avoids the hilly winding pot holed road. There is a nice beach bar on the Dawn Beach end of the beach a called Scavengers and the snorkeling over there is great.
The trips from Grand Case to Creole Rocka re defintiely worth the trip. it is some of the best snorkeling around.