Floyd’s Pelican Bar

About a mile off the south coast there is a sandbar, and on the sandbar a
fisherman named Floyd Forbes built a bar out of driftwood and mangrove poles. It
is still there, still standing on stilts in waist-deep water, and there is no way
to reach it except by boat.

What you do when you get there is not complicated. You swim, because the water
around it is shallow and clear. You drink a Red Stripe. You eat whatever has been
caught that day if you have asked ahead. People play dominoes. The inside is
papered with flags and scrawled messages from everyone who has ever sat there.

Getting out to it

Boats run from Parottee Point, Treasure Beach and Black River. Parottee is the
shortest crossing at around ten minutes; from Treasure Beach it is closer to
twenty-five. It is an open fishing boat and you will get wet, which is the point
rather than a problem.

Being straight with you

This is not a smart bar. There is no proper floor, the facilities are basic,
and if what you want is a cocktail list and a clean washroom you will be
disappointed. If what you want is the strangest and best hour of your holiday, go
late morning when the sea is calm and the crowd is thin.

Bring cash. Nowhere out there takes a card.

Good to know

• Where: on a sandbar about a mile off the Saint Elizabeth coast
• Getting there: open boat only, roughly 10 minutes from Parottee, about 25 from Treasure Beach
• Best time: late morning, for calm water and fewer people
• Bring: swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a dry bag and cash
• Cash only at the bar
• Expect to get wet on the boat

Details confirmed against three published guides, September 2026. Crossings
depend on sea conditions and are confirmed on the day.