Mandahl Bay Beach, St. Thomas USVI
Tired of all the tourist related beaches surrounding St. Thomas? Perhaps you’d rather experience the rustic charm and uncorrupted landscape of Mandahl Bay. It’s a stretch of beach that hasn’t seen the eyes of capitalism and makes a name for itself as an unassuming, relaxing beach ripe for those who simply want to explore the raw beauty of St. Thomas.
Both the beach and the water are a bit on the rocky side --remember this is unexcavated landscape. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can get away with deep sea diving or walking absolutely barefoot on the sands; you may hit an unfortunate snare. As such, this is possibly the least populated beach area in St. Thomas. If you want the ability to explore in peace, you’ll certainly get that opportunity and Mandahl Bay. The only real inhabitants are local fishermen and those visitors doing their own little bit of fishing from the shore.
As a part of its underdevelopment, there are no facilities around. There aren’t any amenities for tourists who want to have a snack, get a drink, or take a shower to get the sea salt out of their hair. There are usually no people, so no need to keep the land up to a standard that allows much tourism. However, if you’re interested in getting close with some of the beach wildlife --crabs and sea snails that reside on the rocks-- this beach is perfect for you. You may also be lucky enough to catch a pelican swooping down to a bit of fishing of its own.
Remember, the water is rough and rocky. Don’t try to do too much swimming or jogging along this sandy shore because there isn’t much opportunity. Besides, if you slip on a bit of driftwood or get ensnared in some of the rocks, there aren’t any facilities to make sure that you’re properly taken care of.
Of course, this is not to suggest that Mandahl Bay isn’t anything short of magnificent. The sky is clear enough for anyone with any artistic inclinations to catch the most beautiful phenomena. Ever wanted to capture the full moon without the obstruction of pathogens from the heavy onslaught of tourism? Mandahl Bay is just the place to do it. If you want to get to the bay you’ll have to do a bit of work. No roads lead there; you’ll most definitely be hoofing it from the mainland --not especially dangerous, but remember there are slippery rocks and some driftwood left behind from older vessels. Just practice precaution
It’s not your typical beach paradise --at least for those who are looking to do a bit of swimming, snorkeling, or sunbathing. It’s perfect for those who want to have a little Caribbean island all to themselves for a day and capture the natural, untamed beauty of St. Thomas without interruption. The verdict: Mandahl Bay = perfect for fishing, not so much for snorkeling.