Mero Beach

Mero is a long stretch of dark volcanic sand on the sheltered Caribbean coast north of Roseau, backed by a few beach bars and restaurants, and it functions as the island's main public beach: calm water, easy road access, and busy with local families at weekends. The sand is genuinely black rather than grey, which surprises people who expect Caribbean white. Sunsets over the water are the reason to stay into the evening.

Highlights

• The black sand - genuinely dark volcanic beach rather than grey or gold.
• The calm water - the sheltered Caribbean side, unlike the Atlantic coast.
• The beach bars - the restaurants and bars along the back of the sand.
• The sunset - the light going down over the water from the western shore.

When to go

December to April is dry and calmest. Weekends are busy with local families. Late afternoon is the best time for light and heat.

Practical notes

Black sand gets extremely hot underfoot in the middle of the day. The beach was badly eroded by Hurricane Maria and has only partly recovered. Facilities are the bars and little else.

Nearby

Macoucherie Rum Distillery is south, and Layou River is north.