Princess Margaret Beach

Princess Margaret Beach curves along the southern side of Admiralty Bay on Bequia, backed by trees with rock headlands at both ends, and it is reached from Port Elizabeth on the Belmont walkway, a path that runs along the shoreline past the bars and guesthouses of the bay. It was renamed after the princess swam there in the 1950s. The water is calm inside the bay and the beach has no road to it.

What you actually see

• The curved beach - the sand between rock headlands on the bay's southern side.
• The Belmont walkway - the shoreline path in from Port Elizabeth.
• The calm water - sheltered swimming inside Admiralty Bay.
• The tree line - the shade along the back of the sand.

When to go

December to May is the dry season and the sailing season. Hurricane season runs June to November. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

The walkway is rough in places and has been damaged by storms. Facilities on the beach are limited to one or two bars. Yacht traffic in the bay is heavy in season.

Nearby

Port Elizabeth is north, and the Old Hegg sanctuary is northeast.