Beach
Bloody Bay
Bloody Bay, Negril, Hanover
The bay north of Seven Mile Beach, with a quieter public stretch of white sand and reef close to shore.
Why go
It is the alternative to Seven Mile Beach rather than a lesser version of it. The sand is fine and white, the water is generally calm, and there is noticeably less happening along it.
The nearshore has seagrass beds and coral reef, so there is something to look at with a mask without going anywhere by boat.
Where it fits
Bloody Bay is immediately north of Long Bay, a short drive from the middle of Negril. It is an afternoon rather than a destination.
It works when Seven Mile Beach feels too busy, and it works for anybody who would rather park once and stay put.
Good to know
There is a public stretch with facilities
Jamaica's national beach guide lists a public beach at Bloody Bay with designated parking for around thirty vehicles, changing rooms and restrooms, picnic tables, craft shops and food services, and a lifeguard on duty.
Much of the bay is resort frontage
Large properties sit along a good deal of the shoreline. The public beach is a defined stretch of it rather than the whole bay, so it is worth knowing which part you are heading for.
The water is generally calm
Which is what makes it a swimming and snorkelling beach rather than a walking one.
It is in Hanover
Negril straddles two parishes. Seven Mile Beach is in Westmoreland and Bloody Bay is over the line in Hanover, which changes nothing about the trip and explains the addresses.
Our take
Our view: go here on the day Seven Mile Beach stops feeling restful. It gives you the same water with less of the town attached, and the reef close to shore makes a mask worth carrying.
Guides that go here
More in Negril
Explore from
Negril A town organised around its coast, for a trip where the beach is the point rather than part of it.Planning a Jamaica trip?
Tell us when you're visiting and what you're into. We'll send you ideas worth adding to your trip.