Cockelshell Beach two days ago update

[seashinesunshine]

There was an earlier thread where we were trying to find a current update on Cockelshell Beach since the Hurricane.

I was there two days ago so here is my update. I have not been there before so I do not know what it was like, but the beach seems to be running as normal. I didn't see any signs of above water damage, it was full of people and everyone was having fun. There are a lot of broken shells etc on the beach, but maybe it has always been like that. As far as the water, there is a few feet of sand, then about five feet of rocks to walk thru, then sand again. We snorkeled off to the left side, near a raft and I think Reggie Bar, near the pig. The snorkeling was not great, the water was murky, there were lots of fish and rocks etc, and sea urchins (more on that at the end of the review) The food at the bar looked and smelled great!!!! I would say the beach is fine. :)

Taxi was $6.50 per person each way. About a 20 minute ride.

My daughter got to ride horses at the beach. There is a small stable, I think there were 4 horses and one donkey. The cost was $20 for a 30 minute ride and she got to ride in the water, I rode also. The horses are smaller than what we ride here, but they seem to be well cared for and were not as scrawney as some horses I see down there, They have shade, water and the shed had a bag of horse treats in it. They are picketed out behind the beach each night and there is grass there. They are well behaved horses. They had an english saddle, we rode barefooted and the stirrups were "open" so you could not get your foot caught. I am going to repost this as a horse info thread also since some are interested.

Back to the sea urchins. While snorkeling, I kicked my foot down and kicked into a sea urchin. It was one of the most painful things I have experienced!! I got back to shore and my son helped me to Reggies Bar ( I hope I have that name right) They gave me some first aid, after most people in the bar suggesting that I pee on it:D, the bar people cleaned it off, rinsed it in vinegar, put antibiotic cream on it, then took a can of Sterno fuel, lit it and burned the bottom of my foot. It got a bit hot a few times, but thanks to the venom, I didn't have much feeling, they said the heat burns the barbs and kills them so they stop the venom. What ever they did, it worked and helped a lot. They said to leave the barbs in and they will disolve in my foot. I did go to the infirmary on the ship, and they said there was nothing else they could do for me, so the bar people knew what they were doing!! I really really apperciated the care they gave me. They guy who helped me, checked on me a few more times also. But don't let the sea urchin thing scare you off, it was just fluke, they are all over, but most of the time they are deeper and I should have paid more attention.

Any questions, please ask, it may take a day or two to get back though, tomorrow we are in airports all day to get home.:)

[amistad]

I am so glad you posted, I am one of the people having a very hard time deciding what to do in St Kitts. May I ask if you were wearing water shoes and the barb went through or were you bare footed? I would hate for my 4 yr. old grandson to step on one of those, I have a friend that did in Barbados and he told me it was extremely painful. If you have a chance would you also post whether you ate at any of the establishments? Thank you again for posting I have been watching for recent posts since some had mentioned that it smells like sewer and is very nasty, I'm glad your day went well for the most part.

[Julitta]

Thanks for the update. Sorry you stepped on a sea urchin, ouch! :( The bar is called Reggae Beach Bar. I was there in January and (to answer the PP) the food is very good but the service was slow.

[IslandBoundKS]

We were also at Cockleshell on February 11th. We rented chairs and an umbrella from a guy between Reggae Beach Bar and Lion's. He had a a little sign posted to a tree and a cooler with beer, soda and rum punch if we wanted to purchase drinks - instant beach bar! I agree that it wasn't the best place to snorkle, but it was a fun beach with a beautiful view of Nevis. My 11 year old son had a great time playing in the water and collecting shells. I walked down the beach and ordered the shrimp plate from Lions to share with my husband and it was delicious. We thought it was a great place for a beach day - I didn't think the water/beach was dirty and did not notice any smells.

[watsup]

Is there any shade at all on the beach? Any trees?

[seashinesunshine]

I was not wearing water shoes when I stepped on the urchin, would have been good to be wearing them! The urchins were pretty far out so I don't think you need to worry about your grandson.

We didn't eat at the bars but Reggae's sure looked and smelled great!

On the beach I didn't notice any sewer smell at all, but when we were riding the horses way far back from the beach there was just a small area that had some kind of odor, the guide said something about it, but I couldn't understand him, just in a small area not at the beach though.

Now that I am home and have hugged and kissed the cats, slept in my own bed one night, I am ready to go back!

[seashinesunshine]

Is there any shade at all on the beach? Any trees?

 

Funny~I can't remember, the things you can forget, There was trees by the horses and by the pig, so I would say, the beach closer to the water had no shade, but farther back there must have been trees.

Let me see if I can get a photo attatched.

[seashinesunshine]

Funny~I can't remember, the things you can forget, There was trees by the horses and by the pig, so I would say, the beach closer to the water had no shade, but farther back there must have been trees.

Let me see if I can get a photo attatched.

could not get a photo attached, can't figure out how to do it:confused:

[IslandBoundKS]

There were some palm trees further back on the beach in the area between Reggae and Lion's. A family we rode with to the beach set up their towels back there so their little boy could have some shade when they were out of the water.

[houlacruiser]

I am so glad you posted, I am one of the people having a very hard time deciding what to do in St Kitts. May I ask if you were wearing water shoes and the barb went through or were you bare footed? I would hate for my 4 yr. old grandson to step on one of those, I have a friend that did in Barbados and he told me it was extremely painful. If you have a chance would you also post whether you ate at any of the establishments? Thank you again for posting I have been watching for recent posts since some had mentioned that it smells like sewer and is very nasty, I'm glad your day went well for the most part.

 

I highly recommend Thenford Grey and his tours. If you do a search for Grey's Tours in St. Kitts you will find him. Best tour guide I have ever had!!!

[mrspjotter]

Islandboundks - we were there on feb 11th too and rented chairs and a parasol from Leroy - halfway between Reggae and Lions!

 

The beach was nice - we aren't really snorkellers so can't comment on the amount of fish etc but there was definitely no sewage smell.

 

We arranged a cab with Pereira tours beforehand excellent service would highly recommend.

 

Only problem I had with the beach was the horses - I thought the way they were ridden sometimes up and down the beach was very dangerous. My kids aged 10,7 and 7 were playing on the waters edge and a couple of times I thought the horses galloping got a bit close for comfort! The other problem is they messed everywhere so my kids had to move up and down the beach to avoid the horse mess and they also messed in the sea when being ridden which wasn't very nice for swimmers!

 

Please don't get me wrong I am a farmers wife so i'm used to horse muck but I just didn't think this was very nice - I passed my comments onto Liz from Pereira tours and she said the riding has recently been taken over by a new company so she will pass the comment on.

[seashinesunshine]

Islandboundks - we were there on feb 11th too and rented chairs and a parasol from Leroy - halfway between Reggae and Lions!

 

The beach was nice - we aren't really snorkellers so can't comment on the amount of fish etc but there was definitely no sewage smell.

 

We arranged a cab with Pereira tours beforehand excellent service would highly recommend.

 

Only problem I had with the beach was the horses - I thought the way they were ridden sometimes up and down the beach was very dangerous. My kids aged 10,7 and 7 were playing on the waters edge and a couple of times I thought the horses galloping got a bit close for comfort! The other problem is they messed everywhere so my kids had to move up and down the beach to avoid the horse mess and they also messed in the sea when being ridden which wasn't very nice for swimmers!

 

Please don't get me wrong I am a farmers wife so i'm used to horse muck but I just didn't think this was very nice - I passed my comments onto Liz from Pereira tours and she said the riding has recently been taken over by a new company so she will pass the comment on.

 

I agree with the horse mess, we rode the horses on the beach and I thought they should have some kind of "bag" or something to catch things. I didn't see any droppings on the beach when I was there. I am surprised that they were galloping, we were told not to even trot. The horses were very used to people and didn't even flinch when a little boy threw a rock right at my horses head. His mom sat there and wtched him throw the rock and didn't even try and stop him! Having been around a lot of horses I was surprised at how well these horses behaved around all the people.

[Andrea0908]

Our family of three ended up at Cockelshell Beach last week on our Southern Carribean Carnival Victory cruise. We're not even 100% sure how that happened??? After MUCH research on multiple boards, we knew where we wanted to spend our day in St. Kitts and that was South Friar's Beach or Frigate Bay(we went there, happily, 3 years ago). The woman at the info desk in St. Kitts said those were the 2 best beaches and highly recommended them. The day spent at The Marriott was also an option. We should have gone there. It's absolutely gorgeous! Once we spoke to the woman at the information desk, she asked us to wait with other cruisers to get a taxi to the beaches. We found that they wait until they get enough to fill their vans and then persuade you to go to Cockelshell. We had heard from many that the taxi drivers eat and drink well at Cockelshell Beach while they wait for you to go back to the ship. Well, well, well... that's exactly what happened. So, there are definitely some politics being played out in which beach they send you to. As soon as we told our cab driver we wanted to go to S. Friar's, it was shot down. He told us it wasn't "as nice" as Cockelshell Beach, the waves were rough, no facilities. My biggest regret the entire week was Cockelshell. Yes, you see Nevis and it's beautiful. The conch shells washed up were in abundance and that was amazing to see. I'm not complaining there. But, the snorkeling was murky, there were a thousand people on this small beach(elbow to elbow), the vendors were in abundance and wouldn't leave you alone, be it hawking jewelry or asking to give you an aloe vera massage. The upside was I finally got to see and pet Wilbur, the resident pig. I will never again venture to Cockelshell Beach while in St. Kitts and I will hold my ground with the taxi drivers on where and how I decide to spend my day in St. Kitts. If mass crowds and local vendors are your thing... then Cockelshell is the beach for you.

[amistad]

I thought I had my mind made up and now after you recent experience I don't know what to do again. Andrea, could you tell me how many ships were in port that day? I have gone back and forth trying to decide whether to go to the Marriott beach or to Cockleshell, I want clean restrooms, good food, nice sand and chairs and an umbrella for rent. Thanks

[Andrea0908]

I thought I had my mind made up and now after you recent experience I don't know what to do again. Andrea, could you tell me how many ships were in port that day? I have gone back and forth trying to decide whether to go to the Marriott beach or to Cockleshell, I want clean restrooms, good food, nice sand and chairs and an umbrella for rent. Thanks

 

 

Amistad,

I should have stuck to my guns and insisted on South Friar's or Frigate Bay. That was my biggest regret all week. The Marriott is gorgeous! I wish we went there. It's on the Atlantic side, but it's pristine! You still have to pay, either way, for chair and umbrella(if you choose) rentals, so what's the difference? We do not eat off the ship, but others who were with us did and it took a long time to arrive. There is wait staff constantly coming around. Be warned, on the day we were there last week, the beer came with ice my husband ordered and my coke and my daughter's Sprite was warm. I don't trust ice unless I'm at a resort. Anyhow, we are snorkelers and we couldn't see the bottom. The view is beautiful, the waters tranquil, the beach sand lovely. We like to go to the unknown little gem hideaways that the other 2,999 passengers don't all know about. The woman at the Tour Info desk got me. She knew what we wanted. She steered us to the right beaches after I had done my research. It's my own fault I didn't follow through and was able to be talked out of it. My own personal opinion, do the Marriott, S. Friar's or Frigate Bay. Less congested and less vendors, nicer beach and crystal clear waters. The only other ship in port that day, besides us was the Maasdam. So, I can't even imagine if there was a RCCL or Celebrity also in port. We would have been sitting on the road. As it was, it was over-crowded with just two ships in port that day.

p.s. Negotiate and RE-NEGOTIATE the price of your taxi fares to the beaches.... ALWAYS! Good luck!

[Andrea0908]

Amistad... on more thing, you are free to go up and order for yourself. There is walk up service and also tables under a pavillion to eat at at Cockelshell.

[amistad]

Thank you Andrea for answering me back. I have had such a hard time deciding what to do, I hate being bugged the whole time I am relaixing at the beach by vendors. I actually want to get a massage, but I don't like it when I am laying there reading or napping and you get the hey lady look at this even though you have your eyes closed. I also like decent restroom facilities and food options. I have one month before we go so I guess I will keep contemplating, that's half the fun.

[Andrea0908]

Keep reading the boards Amistan. I also researched Frommer's and Fodor's books before deciding. Cockelshell had bathrooms facilities. They weren't great or immaculate, by any means. Yes, they flushed, so that's a plus. I stressed right up to the day we arrived in each port, worried that I made the wrong decision on which beach or tour operator to go with. It will all work out. I've never had a bad cruise yet and we just did #9. Best of luck to you

[TrishLoves2Cruise]

Hey Andrea, when you were on the beach did you happen to see any sea glass?

[Andrea0908]

Hey Andrea, when you were on the beach did you happen to see any sea glass?

 

No sea glass in St. Kitts @ Cockelshell. There were boatloads of conch shells though. A couple that we friended on the cruise did find tons of sea glass on the beach in Rodney Bay in St. Lucia. Hope that helps.

[Feelin' Nauti']

There was an earlier thread where we were trying to find a current update on Cockelshell Beach since the Hurricane.

I was there two days ago so here is my update. I have not been there before so I do not know what it was like, but the beach seems to be running as normal. I didn't see any signs of above water damage, it was full of people and everyone was having fun. There are a lot of broken shells etc on the beach, but maybe it has always been like that. As far as the water, there is a few feet of sand, then about five feet of rocks to walk thru, then sand again. We snorkeled off to the left side, near a raft and I think Reggie Bar, near the pig. The snorkeling was not great, the water was murky, there were lots of fish and rocks etc, and sea urchins (more on that at the end of the review) The food at the bar looked and smelled great!!!! I would say the beach is fine. :)

Taxi was $6.50 per person each way. About a 20 minute ride.

 

Back to the sea urchins. While snorkeling, I kicked my foot down and kicked into a sea urchin. It was one of the most painful things I have experienced!! I got back to shore and my son helped me to Reggies Bar ( I hope I have that name right) They gave me some first aid, after most people in the bar suggesting that I pee on it:D, the bar people cleaned it off, rinsed it in vinegar, put antibiotic cream on it, then took a can of Sterno fuel, lit it and burned the bottom of my foot. It got a bit hot a few times, but thanks to the venom, I didn't have much feeling, they said the heat burns the barbs and kills them so they stop the venom. What ever they did, it worked and helped a lot. They said to leave the barbs in and they will disolve in my foot. I did go to the infirmary on the ship, and they said there was nothing else they could do for me, so the bar people knew what they were doing!! I really really apperciated the care they gave me. They guy who helped me, checked on me a few more times also. But don't let the sea urchin thing scare you off, it was just fluke, they are all over, but most of the time they are deeper and I should have paid more attention. .

Great review.

 

First - sorry to hear about the barbs.

DH had several in his hand after touching a urchin.

 

As for the shells, maybe that's how they got the name CockleSHELL :D

 

Did you rent beach chairs at Reggie?

 

As for snorkeling, this is the main reason we're thinking of heading to Cockleshell.

You said it was great near the pig. :eek:

Exactly where is this? :D

Thanks!

 

Chris

[jigger]

What ia the cost of Beer / Drinks at Reagae ?

[seashinesunshine]

Great review.

 

First - sorry to hear about the barbs.

DH had several in his hand after touching a urchin.

 

As for the shells' date=' maybe that's how they got the name CockleSHELL :D

 

Did you rent beach chairs at Reggie?

 

As for snorkeling, this is the main reason we're thinking of heading to Cockleshell.

You said it was great near the pig. :eek:

Exactly where is this? :D

Thanks!

 

 

Chris[/quote']

 

Actually I said the snorkeling was not great, the water was too murkey for good snorkeling, not very many fish too many plants and not enough coral. If you are looking for snorkling, I would not come here, otherwise the beach is good.

We did have a beach chair, but I don't remember how much it was, couldn't have been more than 5$.

:)

The pig is close to Reggae's bar near the parking lot.

[seashinesunshine]

Hey Andrea, when you were on the beach did you happen to see any sea glass?

 

Tons of sea glass on the black sand beach that runs along the port. When you are just out of the shopping areas, go left (with your back to the water) and you will come to a sidewalk that runs along the waters edge, there is a long beach that is black sand and full of garbage. I would not walk along there alone. If I knew I could actually sell sea glass on Ebay, I would have picked up way more!! There was tons there. We did get some really neat peices, cool colors.

[Feelin' Nauti']

Actually I said the snorkeling was not great, the water was too murkey for good snorkeling, not very many fish too many plants and not enough coral. If you are looking for snorkling, I would not come here, otherwise the beach is good.

We did have a beach chair, but I don't remember how much it was, couldn't have been more than 5$.

:)

The pig is close to Reggae's bar near the parking lot.

:( Ohh. I must have been involved reading your review, that I some how skimmed over the word not. :(

 

Each website that I have read, said Cockleshell is the beach to go to if you want to snorkel.

 

This is disappointing to me, since I thought this was the place to go. :(

 

Did you see Spice Mill over on the beach?