CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (CROIX)Beach· Antigua· Leeward Islands
Ffryes & Darkwood Beaches
17° 3.0′ N · 61° 53.8′ W
Two of the island's best-known west-coast beaches south of Jolly Harbour, with turquoise water, beach bars, sunset views and Montserrat's volcano on the horizon on clear days. The anchorage off them is called Picarts Bay.
Practical
Position is Ffryes Beach (Wikipedia); Darkwood Beach is about 0.8 km south (17.0421 N, 61.8940 W). Ten feet can be carried toward shore but it tends to shoal (AMG, ABYMA). Hazard: an unmarked rocky patch charted but not visible, about 1,600 yards offshore due west of the sugar mill at Picarts, roughly 350 sq ft: give it a wide berth. Good for lunch but can be rolly overnight. Beach bars include Dennis Cocktail Bar & Restaurant above Ffryes and Darkwood Beach Bar. Turtles nest at Darkwood; turtle-watching season is July to September (tourism board).
Best for
A lunch stop and swim on the way south from Jolly Harbour
Season
Lunch stop in normal trades; turtle nesting Jul to Sep
Nearby
- Dennis Cocktail Bar & Restaurant0.1 NM away
- Ffryes Bay Anchorage0.1 NM away
- Crab Hill Bay (Johnson's Point)1 NM away
- Antigua Scuba School (Bodog Beach Club)1.1 NM away
- Bodog Beach Club (formerly Castaways)1.1 NM away
- Indigo Divers (Jolly Harbour)1.1 NM away
- Jolly Harbour Supermarket (Epicurean)1.1 NM away
- Budget Marine (Jolly Harbour)1.2 NM away