Turtle Beach

Turtle Beach is the white-sand stretch, about 1,500 feet long, at the quieter eastern end of the St Lawrence Gap in the Dover area, next to the Turtle Beach resort. Part of it is reached by a sandy track rather than from the main road, and most of the people on it are staying in the hotels, apartments and guesthouses along the shore, from couples to families.

The waves are small to medium, a little livelier than the calmest south-coast beaches but generally safe for a swim, and good for body-boarding; the stronger breeze further out suits windsurfers. The name is earned: female sea turtles come ashore here to nest between April and December, and hatchlings usually emerge in the late evening or at night. They head for light, so if you come across a nest or hatchlings keep torches and phone lights off and give them room. The Barbados Sea Turtle Project monitors the beach in season.