White Bay

White Bay on Jost Van Dyke is a short curve of very white sand behind a reef with a narrow gap in it, and the reef is what makes the bay: yachts anchor outside and come in by dinghy through the cut, and the water inside stays flat. The Soggy Dollar Bar on the sand, named for the state of the money people arrive with after swimming in, is the best known of several bars along the beach and is a fixture of Caribbean sailing.

The main sights

• The white sand - the short bright beach the bay is named for.
• The reef gap - the narrow cut boats and dinghies come through.
• The beach bars - the Soggy Dollar and its neighbours on the sand.
• The flat water - the calm inside the reef whatever the sea is doing.

When to go

December to May is the season and the busiest. Day charters arrive from midday. Hurricane season runs June to November.

Practical notes

It is very crowded from midday when the day charters arrive. The beach is short and fills quickly. The reef gap is tricky for anyone not used to it.

Nearby

Great Harbour is east, and Sandy Cay is offshore.