Sandy Bay

Sandy Bay drops the island's southern face in an amphitheatre of coloured badlands - ochre, rust and violet ridges eroded from the volcano's old heart - down to a black-sand cove where Atlantic rollers argue with the shore and the phonolite pinnacles of Lot and Lot's Wife stand their biblical sentinel duty on the skyline. The descent road is its own event, vineyard and distillery pockets soften the moonscape, and the cove's drama - swimming is emphatically not the errand here - serves walkers, photographers and the island's contemplative end-of-road tradition.

What you actually see

• The badland amphitheatre - coloured ridges to the sea.
• Lot and Lot's Wife - the phonolite sentinels on the skyline.
• The black-sand cove - Atlantic drama at the road's end.
• The distillery pocket - the island spirit's improbable home.

When to go

December to May for the settled season; late light fires the badland colours. The cove is a scenery-and-walks errand in any month.

Honest expectations

The sea here is dangerous - currents and rollers rule out swimming plainly; the descent road asks low gears and attention. Facilities are none - carry the visit's needs.

Nearby

The Sandy Bay ridge viewpoints, Blue Hill and the peaks.