Marigot Bay

Marigot Bay is a deep narrow inlet with a spit of palm-covered sand almost closing its mouth, which makes it one of the safest anchorages in the eastern Caribbean and has given it its history: the story, repeated everywhere, is that a British squadron hid here from the French by tying palm fronds to the masts, and while it is not well documented it is at least plausible given the shape of the place. It is now a yacht harbour with a marina, hotels on the hillsides and a small ferry crossing to the beach on the spit. The 1967 Doctor Dolittle film was shot here.

History

The inner bay is a hurricane hole, and the French and British navies both used it; the often told story that Admiral Barrington's fleet hid here behind palm fronds is probably apocryphal. The bay was a setting for the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle, and James A. Michener called it the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean in his 1978 novel Chesapeake (Wikipedia, Marigot Bay).

What you'll find

• The enclosed anchorage - one of the safest hurricane holes in the region.
• The palm spit - almost closing the mouth of the bay.
• The small ferry - the two-minute crossing to the beach.
• The yacht harbour - the marina and the boats in the inner bay.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the yachting high season, when the bay is fullest. The ferry runs through the day. It is a short stop on the west coast road rather than a destination.

Things to know

The beach is small and largely resort-controlled, with the public ferry the practical way to reach it. The bay is now heavily developed with marina and hotel buildings on both sides, which is not the picture the older photographs show. The hiding-fleet story is folklore rather than documented history.

Nearby

Castries is twenty minutes north; Anse La Raye is south along the coast.

Key facts