It wasn’t until we’d been at Maho Bay Camps for a day or two that the Dude and I discovered that the gorgeous sweep of water we looked out on every day from Maho’s lofty outdoor dining pavilion was not, in fact, Maho Bay. We were more than a little chagrined—gazing at that tantalizing aquamarine water every morning over breakfast, you couldn’t help but long to swim in it. We thought we’d accomplished our goal with a dip in the waters of Little Maho, the camp’s private inlet. When we found that our breathtaking panorama was actually the bay just east of Maho, Francis Bay, our determination to conquer this elusive beach grew to D-Day–esque proportions.
Francis Bay is curiously neglected by guidebooks and tourists alike—though admittedly, the beach is a bit of a challenge to get to. If you’re staying at Maho, you can easily swim around to it from the eastern edge of Little Maho Beach. Otherwise, your only choice is to descend from the North Shore Road by a hiking trail, which takes about 15 minutes.
I can understand why the casual tourist might be reluctant to don hiking boots just for the sake of visiting a beach that’s not, after all, particularly popular or well known—but boy, are they missing out. Francis Bay was easily my favorite beach on the island. The trail down to the beach was easy—you didn’t really even need hiking boots—and enlivened by lovely views down to the water. Emerging at the bottom of the trail, we found ourselves on a gorgeous crescent of white sand that gave way to rocks at its eastern end. Utter glory—and hardly a soul about. We shook our heads in amazement.
It turned out to be the first of many visits to Francis Bay, and with each visit, our wonder at its lack of prominence only grew. There are wonderful reefs at both ends—the one on the western end is great for beginning snorkelers, while the one at the eastern end offers a worthwhile challenge to the more experienced, with a noticeable current as you swim out towards Mary Point (no lifeguard here, so snorkel at your own risk!). Both of these reefs are teeming with sea life. Besides the usual suspects—anemones, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, parrotfish, damselfish, angelfish, and a slew of others—we saw two barracuda, one of them over 4 feet long. Whoa.
Not only that, the snorkeling is excellent throughout the bay. Without even swimming too far out, we saw two sea turtles, several stingrays, and zillions of fish. The exceptionally calm waters and abundant sea life make Francis Bay a great place to bring children (as well as a popular anchoring spot for yachts—but don’t worry, the swimming area is enclosed by buoys). And despite its lack of visitors, Francis Bay even has bathrooms, picnic tables, and barbecue grills. So what are you waiting for?