☰Gelliceaux Bay

Gelliceaux Bay is on the western, leeward side of Mustique — sheltered from the Atlantic swells that make Macaroni Beach dramatic. The water here is calm, shallow at the shoreline, and clear enough to see the reef from the surface. It is the best swimming beach on the island and the most reliable for snorkelling: a short swim out from the beach reaches coral with fish that have grown accustomed to being watched.

The bay is quieter than Macaroni most of the time, partly because it lacks the postcard-recognisable sweep of the eastern coast and partly because reaching it requires a longer golf buggy ride through the southern part of the island. Both qualities — the calm water and the relative solitude — make it the choice for anyone who would rather swim than pose.