Beaches · South Shore

Manchenil Bay Beach

Manchenil Bay is part of the same long stretch of St. Croix's south shore as its neighbor Ha'Penny Beach — in fact, several local guides use "Ha'Penny" and "Manchenil Bay" almost interchangeably for different sections of the same multi-mile beach, reached the same way, via a dirt road behind pink concrete pillars off South Shore Road. What sets this particular stretch apart in local description is its consistency: soft, white sand with a sandy bottom in the water rather than the rockier patches found elsewhere along the same coastline, and generally calm conditions that make it a straightforward swimming beach rather than a snorkeling destination. There's little natural shade along this section, so an umbrella or a beach tent matters more here than at tree-lined beaches elsewhere on the island. Like the rest of this south shore stretch, it sees far more local weekend traffic than tourist visits, and there are no facilities of any kind — come prepared to be fully self-sufficient for the day.

Manchenil Bay, South Shore, St. Croix