The ocean-facing side of Sherbro Island has stretches of undeveloped beach that see almost no visitors. The sand is long and dark, and the Atlantic surf here can be rough — this is not a sheltered bathing beach but open ocean shoreline. The beaches are entirely undeveloped: no sunbeds, no vendors, no facilities of any kind. What you get is an empty beach on the edge of West Africa with nothing but the sound of the waves.
The beaches are most accessible during the dry season when the tracks that cross the island are passable. Swimming should be approached with caution — the currents off the exposed western shore can be strong and there are no lifeguards. The calmer waters of the Sherbro River estuary on the island's eastern and northern sides are a better option for swimming, though the water there is tidal and murky.