Named after the picturesque St. Anne’s Church on the other side of the road, compact Church Bay is our best public beach for snorkelling, thanks to the potboilers of the reef which even at high tide are well within reach from the shoreline. The reef is a haven for parrot fish, blue and yellow grunts, wrasse, and angel fish. This beach is best for experienced swimmers since once in the water you’ll find the ocean floor is slippery rock and that you very quickly become out of your depth.
Facing south to southwest, the water nearly always has a touch of surf. The beach, framed on one side by pillared limestone formations, lies at the foot of a clifftop parkland, a favourite spot for our taxi drivers who often stop here a while to savour its shade and panoramic views of the ocean.
Poodle Rock, one of the protruding rocks, also attracts their attention. In the summer season a concession hires out snorkelling equipment and sells refreshments. Nearby are public conveniences. A convenient wooden staircase at the edge of the bay grape, yucca and palmetto woodland takes you down to the sandy cove.
