Beaches of Reef Bay
Genti Bay, Little Reef Bay & Parrot Bay
Excerpted from St. John Off The Beaten Track © 2006 Gerald Singer

Select a Beach: Snorkeling ------ North Shore Beaches ------ Salomon Bay Honeymoon Bay Caneel Bay Scott Bay Turtle Bay Caneel Hawksnest Hawksnest Bay Little Hawksnest Bay Gibney Beach Very Little Hawksnest Denis Bay Jumbie Beach Trunk Bay Cinnamon Bay Little Cinnamon Bay Maho Bay Little Maho Bay Francis Bay Leinster Bay / Waterlemon ------ East End Beaches ------ Brown Bay Haulover (North) Hansen Bay/Vie's Haulover (South) ------ South Shore Beaches ------ Salt Pond Kiddel Bay Grootpan Great Lameshur Bay Lameshur Bay Europa Bay Reef Bay Genti Bay Little Reef Bay Parrot Bay ------ Cruz Bay Area Beaches ------ Ditleff Point Klein Bay Monte Bay Hart Bay Chocolate Hole Great Cruz Bay Frank Bay Cruz Bay

Reef Bay consists of three inner bays, Genti, at the end of the Reef Bay Trail, Little Reef Bay and Parrot Bay on the west. The best place for swimming in Reef Bay 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

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.

Getting There
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.

Facilities
Small picnic site and pit toilets.

Little Reef Bay

Little Reef Bay
Little Reef Bay is the best swimming beach in Reef Bay. 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.

Getting There
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.

Trail to Parrot Bay

Parrot Bay

Getting There
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.

Boogie Boards at Parrot Bay

Reef Bay Surfer

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