Happy Bay Beach

HAPPY BAY ★★★★☆

GUIDEBOOK COMPANY

LO

LUCINDA’S LIST

OK

IN

FO BE R L AC UC H IN RE DA VI ’S EW

SID

E!

Beach Review, Happy Bay, St. Martin

page 2

Happy Bay

Just the Facts Beach Type: Hidden gem

Parking: park at Friar’s Bay

Surf Type: Calm

Good for: Couples, Picnics

Amenities: Limited

Other Beach Info: Minimal amenities, so bring everything you need

Location: 15-min hike from Friar’s Bay

Pros Pristine beach, beautiful clear water One of the most secluded beaches on the island, well away from all the crowds Great snorkeling Natural shade from large trees

Cons Requires a 15-minute hike from Friar’s Bay; Minimal amenities

Overall Rating ★★★★☆ Oh, happy, Happy Bay! First, let me say getting to Happy Bay isn’t for the faint of heart, and especially not if you have any physical limitations… including fear of tropical vegetation. But if you can put up with a 15-minute hike through the jungle, and avoid turning your ankle on the rocky path, and don’t mind having to limbo under a decrepit fence… then Happy Bay will make it worth your while.

To get to Happy Bay, you first park at Friar’s Bay, walk past the two restaurants, and follow the trail up the hillside. Or so I had been told.

Having left my mom comfortably ensconced in her Friar’s Bay lounge chair to hold down the fort, I wandered over to what had to be

Happy Bay ! the start of the trail. Lo and behold, there was a small opening in the trees. I figured what the heck, it had to be it, right? After only a few yards and a couple turns in the trail, I started uphill, and saw that some helpful soul had painted “happy bay” on a large rock, with a big arrow, reassuring me that I was in fact heading in the right direction. Knowing St. Martin is the “Friendly Island,” I decided to take the marker at face value (had I been in NYC… not so much).

page 3

Mood Romance

★★★★★

Relaxation ★★★★★ Fun

★★★★☆

Family

★★★☆☆

Value

★★★★☆

Atmosphere Sand

★★★★☆

Beach size ★★★★☆ Cleanliness★★★★★ Swimming ★★★★☆ Snorkeling ★★★★★ Surfing

★☆☆☆☆

Amenities

In my adorable but relatively useless little flip Food ★☆☆☆☆ flops, I found the trail slightly rougher than I had Chairs ★★☆☆☆ expected. I mean, I’m used to hardcore California trails, so I went into this little excursion Equipment ★☆☆☆☆ assuming this was some easy little island version Parking ★★☆☆☆ of a “hike.” It was short, but it wasn’t a walk in the park.!Sharp rocks. Tight turns. Getting touched by palm fronds and who knows what other man-eating island vegetation. You need to commit and recognize a little work is going to be required of you.

About 10 minutes into my journey, I came upon, of all things, a traffic jam. Yep. A multi-generational Indian family, packing in what appeared to be an expansive picnic, at a standstill in the path. My first instinct was to invite myself to lunch… but then I realized they were stymied. There is a fence that goes across the path. Huh. They asked if I knew my way to Happy Bay, and I told them I was fairly certain this was it, again remembering the helpful stone marker. A few minutes later their phone rang, and their reconnaissance team reported the path was in fact legit. So, one by one we practiced our limbo moves, and bowed and yoga-bended our way under the fence. After I saw Grannie go through, I figured I would have no problem, but in retrospect… well, she looked pretty fierce, and could probably have taken me in a scrap, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge. Agility and grace have

page 4

Deserted: With only a handful of other intrepid beach bunnies, you’ll love the quiet.

been bred out of my family long ago… but somehow I managed to get through. OK, it’s really wasn’t that hard, but you do need to bend low, and be mindful of the rusty nail in the back of the board.

Beauty of Happy Bay A few short minutes down the path, I found my reward. Through the palm fronds, the sparkling blue waters called to me. I stumbled out into the sunshine and found a pristine beach that was… empty. Only a handful of other beach-goers shared my intrepid spirit enough to brave the extra mile past Friar’s Bay. (Yes, I did

feel like Columbus discovering America). At first glance you think there isn’t anyone there at all, until you realize the smart ones are all tucked up under the natural shade of the trees at the edge of the beach. Maybe it’s the hike, but it seemed hotter and sunnier on this stretch of beach than at Friar’s.

There are no resorts, no beach bars, not even any houses within a quarter mile (though definitely worth renting). You’re just surrounded by the natural beauty of a lush, Caribbean island. I immediately peeled off my cover up, dropped my hat and camera, and plunged into the inviting water.

Water of Happy Bay The sand is soft and clean, exactly what you’ve come to expect from the beaches on this side of St. Martin.

One end of the beach is pretty flat to the water, but as you walk further

Happy Bay !

page 5

Limited amenities: Bring everything you need, just in case!

away from the trail head, the beach cants to a sharper upslope. The one drawback is the amount of stones right where the surf breaks. Not being as protected as Friar’s, the surf is a little higher here, and you need to watch your footing on the entry. As soon as you’re past the surf break, the sandy bottom drops down a few feet, so that you suddenly go from knee deep to up to your neck. Not a big deal for an adult, but definitely something to consider if you’ve got small kids or aren’t a strong swimmer. But once you’re past the break, the water is perfect.

I didn’t schlep the snorkeling equipment on my first trip to Happy Bay, so can’t vouch personally for it, but I can report that there were several snorkelers prowling the calm bay. There was an organized tour

group of!dinghies!that brought the snorkelers, and they were happily circling a little ways off shore. Visibility looked great from where I was. As I said, slightly more surf than Friar’s, but that’s not saying much at all.

Snorkeling tip: Word on the street is there is good snorkeling if you head out a bit from the beach. You may even see a few snorkelers trekking in by boat.

Happy Bay !

page 7

Follow the path: Don’t be deterred by the fence - you will be rewarded when you see the waters peaking through!

Amenities of Happy Bay Tucked into a rocky outcropping just North of Friar’s Bay, Happy Bay isn’t accessible by any cars. There aren’t really any amenities to speak of, though I noticed an enterprising young man with a stack of old plastic lounge chairs attempting to rectify the situation (word on the street is he’s a new phenomenon, and his schedule is unpredictable).

There is no food aside from what you schlep with you. There is no one to bring you your bucket of chilled Caribs. There are no umbrellas – you must make do with the shade from the natural foliage, and while that is more abundant than most places, you may have to fight for the best spots.

Bottom line In a word? Unspoiled. If you don’t mind going without your rum punch for a day or a few hours, Happy Bay is worth the trek. The hike itself is beautiful, with lovely views back to Friar’s, and the pristine beach is its own reward. If off the beaten path is your desire, head to Happy Bay!

LUCINDA’S LIST

GUIDEBOOK COMPANY

ABOUT LUCINDA’S LIST In Fall 2009, my husband Steve and I thought we had it all figured out.

Beautiful house in Berkeley, CA, the requisite yellow lab, great technology careers... and I was pregnant. But when the fourth miscarriage hit in December, we were heartbroken. We needed time to heal. A break. From everything.

We decided to go to St. Martin, and after an incredible six weeks, it inspired us to change our lives. The people we met, the experiences we had, the living in the moment, the food we ate... we were forever changed. And we wanted to share what we found with others.

So instead of returning home to our old lives, we decided to take our Silicon Valley knowledge to help create a community of people who love the Caribbean. We figured something special was bound to come out of bringing together

LUCINDA’S LIST

people who shared this special experience.

Two months later, we’re already the largest St. Martin fan page on Facebook - 25,000+ fans and growing! - and already we’re discovering the value of bringing people together. We’re not only working on GUIDEBOOK COMPANY

publishing the kind of in-depth reviews of our favorite destinations that we wish we’d found when we were researching, we’re hoping the size of our fan base will attract group discounts for all of us.

Stick around, there’s so much goodness for St. Martin - and other islands yet to come!

The result? beautiful property, immaculately maintained andbecome managed...one and if Ayou aren’t already a fan, click here to

Oh, and one last note... we need to o!er up a brief legal disclaimer.

Although all details in this document are based on information supplied to us or gathered by us at press time, changes occur all the time in the travel world, and Lucinda’s List cannot accept responsibility for facts or circumstances that become outdated or for inadvertent errors or omissions.

So always confirm information when it matters. If we have missed anything, please let us know on our fan page!

© Lucinda’s List 2010. All Rights reserved.

OTHER LUCINDA’S LIST REVIEWS Gourmet Restaurants

Casual Restaurants

Beach Bars

Lolos

Beaches

Hotels

Activities

page 8

Happy Bay