Seasonal· St Barthelemy· Leeward Islands
South Swell Caveat: Anse de Grande Saline
17° 53.1′ N · 62° 49.3′ W · approximate
Grande Saline faces south-south-east into open water, and on south or south-east swell days the shore break is powerful - the anchorage rolls and a dinghy landing can capsize.
Practical
Position is the OpenStreetMap bay node (approx, mid-bay). The calmest conditions are the dry season, December-April, with trades north of east; the eastern end of the beach is calmer than the western end. Late-summer tropical storm swells (August-October) can light up the south-east coast for days. In any S/SE swell skip Saline as an anchorage and visit by taxi instead, landing nowhere near the break. No lifeguards, no facilities on the beach.
Best for
Deciding whether Saline is a day stop today
Season
Calmest Dec-Apr; risky in S/SE swell, esp. Aug-Oct
Nearby
- Anse de Grande Saline AnchorageRight here
- Anse de Grande Saline0.1 NM away
- Anse du Gouverneur Anchorage0.7 NM away
- South Swell Caveat: Anse du Gouverneur0.7 NM away
- Tamarin (Grande Saline)0.7 NM away
- Ile Coco0.8 NM away
- Natural Pools of Grand Fond (Washing Machine)0.8 NM away
- Le Grain de Sel (Grande Saline)1 NM away