Dead End Beach, Saint James

Jamaicans are unpretentious when it comes to place names so it’s no surprise that this beach gets its name from being located at the end of a dead end street in Montego Bay, St. James parish. When I started this blog back in December 2016, I said I’d make it my point of duty to highlight free beaches across Jamaica since I resent the privatization of our best pieces of coastline and the need to pay for enjoying the natural resources of sun, sand and sea. My two beach posts in 2018, namely Frenchman’s Cove and James Bond Beach, strayed from that commitment but here I am, back in 2019 with the free beach link!

Getting There

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As is customary, I give directions from my hometown of Kingston but by no means am I suggesting you travel as far as from Kingston just to visit this beach! You’d be better off combining it with a visit to other Montego Bay spots. Anyway, from Mandela Highway in Saint Catherine, take the Edward Seaga Highway linking the north and south coasts of Jamaica. From St. Ann where this highway ends, the road is virtually a straight one all the way out to Sunset Boulevard in Montego Bay. Take the second exit at the Sangster’s International Airport roundabout, then at the T-junction where the road ends, turn right to end up on Kent Avenue. You’ll pass a few popular hotels such as Toby Resort and Sea Garden, the UWI Western Jamaica Campus student accommodations then voila! You’re here.

It’s a free beach so don’t come expecting amenities like restrooms or a shower, however if you ask nicely across the road at the Dead End Grill and Bar (formerly Mystery Grill), I’ve seen them allow non-customers entry into their restrooms. Curbside parking is allowed on both sides of the road and where there’s people, there’ll be vendors so you can purchase anything you need from either them or the grill such as coconuts, chips, Jamaican style lunches, beers, juices and even cocktails.

The Beach

There isn’t much sand but there’s just enough to spread out a towel and sunbathe if that’s your fancy. The water is gentle and shallow for quite a bit out, and oh so clear, warm and inviting! The sand is coarse in a few places so water shoes would come in handy. Of course, no one’s employed to clean the seaweed so you’ll be swimming with it but this wasn’t ever a problem for me– nothing harmful about mingling with a bit of aquatic sea plant!

What’s unique about this beach though is the perfect vantage point it provides for watching planes coming in to land. The Sangster’s airstrip is just behind it so you’ll see the planes coming in up close and be able to read the names of the international carriers– quite a treat. I was staying at the student accommodation across the road so I got to see the sunset day after day for a few weeks, whether on the beach itself or from my balcony. And gosh, what a view right!

With such beautiful sunsets, it’s no wonder that that was the most crowded time of the day to visit, and the crowd is a mixture of both locals and foreigners. It also gets a bit crowded on weekends and you’re bound to run into someone playing music for all the beach-goers with a boombox, perhaps from a car stereo.

Wrap Up

Thankfully a piece of coastline left free for the locals in Montego Bay! Far from the best beach out west, it’s still a nice spot for budget travelers and locals who can’t afford day passes to enjoy the ones up the road, and watching the planes is a nice treat. With nothing exceptional about this beach except at sunsets, it gets three stars, ☆☆☆.

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My love for the beach has steadily grown since I’ve began this blog. It’s almost tying with waterfalls for my favourite place to unwind in nature! Check out the other 7 beaches I’ve written about here.

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‘Til next time, ✌.