Carambola and Davis Bay

Davis Bay is a wide crescent of pale sand on the northwest shore of St Croix, backed by steep green hills with a valley running inland behind it. It is one of the longest beaches on the island and generally one of the emptiest, partly because the surf here can be heavy: when a north swell runs, the shore break is powerful and the current strong, which keeps casual swimmers away. On calm days it is superb. The Carambola resort and a Robert Trent Jones golf course occupy the valley behind, and the rainforest road that crosses the western end of the island starts a few minutes away.

What you actually see

• The beach - a long pale crescent below steep green hills.
• The setting - forested valley running inland behind the sand.
• The golf course - laid into the valley by Robert Trent Jones.
• The rainforest road - the western crossing starts nearby.

When to go

December to April is the dry season, though winter north swells make this beach rough for days at a time. Summer and autumn are usually calmer. Mornings are quietest. Check the surf before committing to a swim.

Honest expectations

The shore break here is genuinely powerful in swell and the current runs; there is no lifeguard and it is not a beach for weak swimmers or children on a rough day. Facilities depend on whether the resort behind is operating, which has varied. The access road down is steep.

Nearby

Cane Bay is fifteen minutes east; the rainforest road runs west.