Best beaches and chair rentals?

Are there any beaches with chair rentals and a bar close by that also have off beach snorkeling? Where is the best place?

Divi Little Bay - about which there are numerous other threads - may be what you want. It is closest beach with any decent snorkeling - you can rent chairs and umbrellas - and there is a bar (and restaurants) there.

Divi Little Bay - about which there are numerous other threads - may be what you want. It is closest beach with any decent snorkeling - you can rent chairs and umbrellas - and there is a bar (and restaurants) there.

We aren't really concerned with how close to port it is, more so snorkeling quality and bar quality. I'm assuming Divi Little Bay is very crowded??

Divi Little Bay is very rarely crowded.

There are 2 timeshare resorts on Little Bay. The few times that I have been there the beach was not crowded. Many timeshare folks rent cars and visit other beaches. We have a timeshare at Flamingo and rarely swim in the water there. We are more apt to visit other beaches via car and swim in the pool at our resort.

Divi Little Bay is very rarely crowded.

Wonder why it doesn't get busy with it looking nice from pictures and it being so close to port , and with amenities?

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Wonder why it doesn't get busy with it looking nice from pictures and it being so close to port , and with amenities?

 

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Probably because its known as a resort beach and the sand is just not as soft as other beaches. There's nothing at all wrong with Little Bay. Theres just nothing special about it either. Not everyone wants to travel 1000's of miles to stay close to port and visit a beach that they could find anywhere.

We always head up north. We have gone to Grand Case multiple times and always enjoy it. The restaurants do not normally charge for their chairs as they assume you will order something during the day. The whole road next to the beach is lined with restaurants/bars etc.

Is Little Bay walkable from the pier? I can see that Great Bay would be easily walked to but have read about pollution issues there. What would a water taxi to Little Bay cost? We'd normally take a taxi to another beach but on our day there we'll have four ships in with us and I just don't want to put up with lots of traffic getting back to the ship, especially considering we'd have to leave early afternoon to get back in time anyway.

Thanks!

Is Little Bay walkable from the pier? I can see that Great Bay would be easily walked to but have read about pollution issues there. What would a water taxi to Little Bay cost? We'd normally take a taxi to another beach but on our day there we'll have four ships in with us and I just don't want to put up with lots of traffic getting back to the ship, especially considering we'd have to leave early afternoon to get back in time anyway.

Thanks!

I would say it would take about an hour each way to walk it or a 10 minute land taxi. No water taxi to Little Bay. Taxi cost is in the $5 pp each way range.

I would say it would take about an hour each way to walk it or a 10 minute land taxi. No water taxi to Little Bay. Taxi cost is in the $5 pp each way range.

An hour?? Definitely a taxi for us then lol! And as I'm understanding, the only reason to avoid Great Bay is because of a history of pollution in the water? Seems strange since Little Bay and Great Bay are only separated by a shortish looking seawall.

Thanks Karysa for your help!

An hour?? Definitely a taxi for us then lol! And as I'm understanding, the only reason to avoid Great Bay is because of a history of pollution in the water? Seems strange since Little Bay and Great Bay are only separated by a shortish looking seawall.

Thanks Karysa for your help!

Its the drainage into Great Bay that pollutes it and the currents apparently do not take it to Little Bay. Little Bay has always passed the pollution tests as far as I have read.

I would taxi to Little Bay to and on the way back I would taxi to town and either walk back to the ship via Front St or better yet via the Boardwalk. Enjoy your cruise. :)

Its the drainage into Great Bay that pollutes it and the currents apparently do not take it to Little Bay. Little Bay has always passed the pollution tests as far as I have read.

 

I would taxi to Little Bay to and on the way back I would taxi to town and either walk back to the ship via Front St or better yet via the Boardwalk. Enjoy your cruise. :)

Correct, karysa, the currents don't clear the pollution readily from Great Bay, but Little Bay, where Divi is located, has not been affected.

Here's a post on the subject from my friend IRL, kal, here in 2010:

gary - I had not previously viewed your posts on the canal effluent into Great Bay. As always, you're spot on but just spending time observing and smelling those canals is a real eye opener. :eek:

 

Once the material enters into Great Bay it takes quite an effort for removal. Great Bay is an "enclosed embayment" where it is not favorable to purging. There isn't enough tidal sweeping for water exchange and topography just extends the retention time.

 

All in all, the water is gorgeous to observe, but there's no way to see contaminants in the parts per million (ppm) or even parts per thousand range. Look at the immediate shoreline of the canals just upstream of the Great Bay discharge point and notice all the "floating material". Not good!

gary

Even though it would be easier to go to Great Bay, from what I've been reading here it just sounds gross! Little Bay it will be for us!! Anyone know if they have SUP there?

Thanks for all the great info!

Even though it would be easier to go to Great Bay, from what I've been reading here it just sounds gross! Little Bay it will be for us!! Anyone know if they have SUP there?

Thanks for all the great info!

SUP?:confused: Not sure what that is. :)

SUP?:confused: Not sure what that is. :)

Sorry, stand up paddleboarding

We have never found off-beach snorkeling to be particularly good anywhere on the island. The best is probably Dawn Beach (a taxi ride from the port) where sea conditions often preclude snorkeling. Our 2nd best choice would be Happy Bay Beach .....but this is a long way from the Port and only accessible by hiking from Friars Bay Beach. And Happy Bay Beach is also popular with some nude (we mean totally nude) sun bathers so it can offend some folks. Happy Bay has some reef (but more rocks) along the rocky coast that lines the right side of the beach. We have actually viewed lots of beautiful fish at this site (but this does not happen every day) and its our "go to" snorkel beach when we stay on the island.

Hank

Sorry, stand up paddleboarding

Yes they have SUP :)

It was $25 per board per hour last May.

Yes they have SUP :)

 

It was $25 per board per hour last May.

That's great to hear..thx!!

That's great to hear..thx!!

You are welcome. :)

Aquamania runs the water sports at Little Bay. Here is the website if anyone is interested to see what they offer.

http://www.stmaarten-activities.com/