Shell Beach (Anse de Grand Galet)

Shell Beach, or Anse de Grand Galet, is the beach you can reach on foot from the tender, which on an island with no bus network makes it the single most useful thing to know about Gustavia. It is a small south-facing cove ten minutes' walk from the quay, and instead of sand much of it is a deep bank of tiny shells that shift and rattle underfoot. The water is clear and calm enough for easy swimming, with rocks at either end worth a snorkel. Shellona, the beach restaurant at the far end, rents sunbeds and serves an expensive lunch, but the beach itself costs nothing.