Spencer Ambrose Beach Break

[TTEllis]

On 8/9/2020 at 11:50 PM, CintiPam said:

I will take a speedboat over a curvy mountainous van drive anytime. I always have been a bit of a queasy car passenger so it was great on my second Spencer Ambrose tour experience to spend all the transportation time enjoying a glorious boat ride! 
 

I hope you are able to return as you plan.  I doubt I will be trying to cruise at all in 2021.  

Unless we have a group from the ship doing the Land and Sea tour together I'm almost positive I'll be with Spencer again on the Beach Break and pass on the "curvy mountainous van drive" over to Jalousie. The boat ride to and from just makes the day so much easier. 

 

[CintiPam]

9 hours ago, TTEllis said:

Unless we have a group from the ship doing the Land and Sea tour together I'm almost positive I'll be with Spencer again on the Beach Break and pass on the "curvy mountainous van drive" over to Jalousie. The boat ride to and from just makes the day so much easier. 

 

And you are correct that you also beat the crowds to the shaded spots and “least falling to pieces” beach chaises.  
 

I was amazed in March at the large number of snorkeling tours that stopped for 30? minutes or so during the time we spent there.  It was like an invasion fleet landing and then departing in waves of well-choreographed ballet every 30-45 minutes.

[TTEllis]

1 hour ago, CintiPam said:

And you are correct that you also beat the crowds to the shaded spots and “least falling to pieces” beach chaises.  
 

I was amazed in March at the large number of snorkeling tours that stopped for 30? minutes or so during the time we spent there.  It was like an invasion fleet landing and then departing in waves of well-choreographed ballet every 30-45 minutes.

Yes!! Boy those rattan or straw beach chairs were scary, for someone my size sitting in one would be nothing more than a hospital trip back to Castries.

 

I laid out on my beach towels, the little tree down the beach on the LEFT walking towards Gross Piton that's about the only shade on Jalousie, you couldn't get near it that east end of the beach it's always crowded down there. 

 

Looking forward to going back next year if they'll let me. 😉 

Sorry about the revolving ballet.

 

Water between the Pitons was very calm great swimming and still refreshing as hot as it was. 

With that being said not many people in the water except for a handful of us. It was great. 

Spencer never ran out of anything to drink, either did Cosol always ice cold everything, it was nice. No problems, I'm looking forward to going back like I said, if they'll let me. Night night Todd

[lynncarol]

My husband and I did the Spencer Beach Tour several years ago and really liked it. They supplied snorkeling gear (not sure if this will be the case after Covid) and their lunch was delicious. Nobody has mentioned this, but by law all beaches in St. Lucia are open to the public and the snorkeling/lounge-chair area at Sugar Beach is adjacent to the very ritzy Viceroy resort. While you can not get off the beach to enter the resort grounds (they have security guards) you are certainly allowed to stroll along the pristine sand and swim in the water in front of the resort. Much much less rocky and crowded than the area where Spencer's tour sets up.

[CintiPam]

Hi, lynncarol, TTEllis in the previous post mentioned that he puts his towel down beneath the only shade tree over there, but I need a lounger for when I am not in the water; and I will not pay the Sugar Beach rental cost of $50 per chair!
 

However, I do all my swimming in that gorgeous beach area (only snorkel in front of the rickety chaises.).
 

BTW, be sure to bring water shoes with you if you return there because the first five yards or so is extremely pebbled.

Edited September 2, 2020 by CintiPam

[reedprincess]

On 9/2/2020 at 2:09 PM, lynncarol said:

My husband and I did the Spencer Beach Tour several years ago and really liked it. They supplied snorkeling gear (not sure if this will be the case after Covid) and their lunch was delicious. Nobody has mentioned this, but by law all beaches in St. Lucia are open to the public and the snorkeling/lounge-chair area at Sugar Beach is adjacent to the very ritzy Viceroy resort. While you can not get off the beach to enter the resort grounds (they have security guards) you are certainly allowed to stroll along the pristine sand and swim in the water in front of the resort. Much much less rocky and crowded than the area where Spencer's tour sets up.

To be completely transparent, yes - you can get into some of the grounds of the resort, even if not staying there, or only visiting for the day. The restaurants and spa are open to the public. You can make spa reservations for during your Beach Break and enjoy the facility (stunning!), have lunch or drinks at the Bayside Beach Bar and Restaurant, etc. You can't use the pool or roam the property at will, obviously, but they're usually more than happy to organize a short tour if you want to check out a couple rooms, and the restaurants/spa are available/open to the public. 

And yes, as noted in virtually every post about beaches, resorts, etc here on CC - ALL beaches are public beaches in St Lucia, by law and custom, up to a certain amount of feet from the high water mark.  Hotel facilities aren't necessarily public, but the beach itself, and water access, absolutely is. Any and all beaches..

Enjoy 

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by reedprincess

[TTEllis]

On 9/2/2020 at 7:40 PM, CintiPam said:

Hi, lynncarol, TTEllis in the previous post mentioned that he puts his towel down beneath the only shade tree over there, but I need a lounger for when I am not in the water; and I will not pay the Sugar Beach rental cost of $50 per chair!
 

However, I do all my swimming in that gorgeous beach area (only snorkel in front of the rickety chaises.).
 

BTW, be sure to bring water shoes with you if you return there because the first five yards or so is extremely pebbled.

Yes, $50 for chair rental that's why I laid out on my towel!! Yep that first 5-10 feet into the ocean at Jalousie......OUCH!!

 

After your in the water though swimming between the Pitons it's one of the most extraordinary environments on Earth. It's why we keep going back and back and back.😎

[CintiPam]

4 minutes ago, TTEllis said:

After your in the water though swimming between the Pitons it's one of the most extraordinary environments on Earth. It's why we keep going back and back and back.😎

+1 (although March only was my second visit to this beach so far!)

[TTEllis]

On 9/9/2020 at 9:51 PM, CintiPam said:

+1 (although March only was my second visit to this beach so far!)

You'll be back, two or three times to Jalousie and the Pitons all that does is make you want to go more.😉😎

[TTEllis]

On 9/9/2020 at 9:51 PM, CintiPam said:

+1 (although March only was my second visit to this beach so far!)

Same thing with Trunk Bay you can't go just 2 or 3 times once you spend the day at Jalousie or Trunk all you can think about is how and when you're going back. 😁

[CintiPam]

22 hours ago, TTEllis said:

You'll be back, two or three times to Jalousie and the Pitons all that does is make you want to go more.😉😎

Agree; hope to return in 2022!

[CintiPam]

22 hours ago, TTEllis said:

Same thing with Trunk Bay you can't go just 2 or 3 times once you spend the day at Jalousie or Trunk all you can think about is how and when you're going back. 😁

We spent a day at Jost Van Dyke a couple of years back and loved it.  We have not (yet!) been to Trunk Bay.  

[TTEllis]

12 hours ago, CintiPam said:

We spent a day at Jost Van Dyke a couple of years back and loved it.  We have not (yet!) been to Trunk Bay.  

I've never been to Jost Van Dyke(yet!) have friends who've been there, they never shut up about the place. I'm definitely going to have to spend a day there. 

Trunk Bay don't worry you'll end up there one way or another, same experience as Jalousie or Jost Van Dyke you never want to leave.