Shelly Bay
Best for. Families with young children who want the flattest, shallowest water on the island and a playground and shaded park a few steps from the towel, rather than the deeper south shore surf.
Best spot. The middle of the bay at mid tide, where the sand runs out almost level and toddlers can wade a long way before the water reaches their waist.
Know this. This is the calm kids' beach, not the pink sand postcard. The sand is paler than the south shore, the North Shore can blow up in a north wind, and there is no lifeguard, so you judge the water yourself.
Bermuda sells its south shore, the pink sand and the turquoise coves of Horseshoe Bay and Warwick Long Bay, so it is worth being clear about what Shelly Bay is and is not. It is not the postcard. The sand is paler, the setting is a roadside park rather than a dune backed cove, and on a rough North Shore day it can look ordinary. What it is instead is the single easiest beach on the island for a family with young children, and for that job nothing else on Bermuda comes close.
The reason is the water. The bay shelves so slowly that a toddler can wade out for many steps and still be no deeper than their knees, and on a calm day the whole flat is warm, clear and gentle. Behind the sand there is proper shade from the trees and a playground and green park a few paces away, so a long day with small children actually works here, with somewhere to run and cool off when the sand gets too hot. As an easy day out it rewards no effort at all, which for parents is exactly the point.
The honest cautions are simple. There is no lifeguard, so the shallow water is your safety net rather than a guarantee, and you keep the little ones within reach. The North Shore faces the open Atlantic to the north, so a north wind brings chop and floating weed and turns the flat bay choppy and cool, and on those days the south shore is the better call. Come on a settled, sunny day at mid tide, bring water and shade, and Shelly Bay gives you the most relaxed family beach hours on the island, playground included.
A family beach, no clubs on the sand
Shelly Bay is a public park beach with a playground, not a lounger and daybed scene. Bermuda's beach club style days sit at the south shore hotels.
There is no beach club at Shelly Bay, and that suits it. This is a public park beach where the amenities are a playground, tree shade and shallow water rather than daybeds and bottle service, the honest choice for a family day that costs nothing. Bring your own shade, water and snacks, since the seasonal kiosk keeps its own hours, and let the flat calm water and the park be the whole plan.
If you want loungers, a poolside lunch and full service by the sea, Bermuda points you to the south shore, where the hotel beach clubs and day passes gather around Horseshoe Bay and Elbow Beach. Our Bermuda beach clubs guide sets out where a paid day by the water is worth it and where the free sand gives you the same view, and we are glad to help you plan a trip that pairs an easy family morning at Shelly Bay with a smarter afternoon on the pink sand.
On the North Shore Road
Shelly Bay sits on the North Shore Road in Hamilton Parish, in the middle of the island, with an open public car park right behind the sand, so a taxi or a hire scooter drops you at the beach. The North Shore bus, routes 10 and 11 between Hamilton and St George, stops on the road by the park, which makes this one of the simpler Bermuda beaches to reach without a scooter, useful with a pushchair and a bag of beach gear.
Come prepared for a park beach. Bring water, sun cream, shade and snacks, since the kiosk is seasonal and its hours vary, and use the tree line behind the sand for shade through the middle of the day. There is no lifeguard, so keep young children within reach in the shallows and stay out after a north wind, when the North Shore turns choppy and weedy. Aim for a calm sunny day at mid tide, when the flat runs out gently and the whole bay is at its best.
Photo: Cansu Joy Burgess via GoogleNot ready to book?
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Shelly Bay is a free public beach with no club, but tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange loungers or day access at a beach club elsewhere on Bermuda. We reply by email.
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Common questions about Shelly Bay
Where is Shelly Bay in Bermuda?
Shelly Bay is on the North Shore Road in Hamilton Parish, in the middle of Bermuda, with an open public car park directly behind the sand. It is one of the easier beaches to reach without a scooter, since the North Shore bus between Hamilton and St George stops right by the park, and a taxi drops you at the beach.
Is Shelly Bay good for young children?
It is the best family beach on the island for small children. The bay shelves so gently that the water stays shallow a long way out, the flattest and calmest swimming in Bermuda, and a playground and shaded park sit just behind the sand. There is no lifeguard, so watch children at all times and keep them within reach in the shallows.
Does Shelly Bay have pink sand?
No. The famous pink sand is on the south shore at beaches like Horseshoe Bay and Warwick Long Bay. Shelly Bay is a North Shore beach, so the sand is paler and the water is shallower and calmer. People come here for the gentle family water and the playground rather than the postcard colour, which is a short ride across the island.
Are there facilities at Shelly Bay?
Behind the sand there is a children's playground, the green of Shelly Bay Park and tree shade, with toilets and a seasonal kiosk that keep their own hours. There are no loungers for hire on the sand. Bring your own water, shade and snacks so a long day with children works whatever the kiosk is doing that day.
Is the water always calm at Shelly Bay?
Usually, but not always. On a settled day the shallow bay is glassy and gentle, which is its whole appeal. Because the North Shore faces the open Atlantic to the north, a north wind pushes in chop and floating weed and turns the flat bay choppy and cool. On those days the south shore beaches are the better choice.
When is the best time to visit Shelly Bay?
The warm swimming season runs roughly May to October, and Shelly Bay is at its best on a calm sunny day at mid tide, when the flat runs out gently and the water is warmest. Weekday mornings are quietest, since local families fill it on warm weekends and after school. The winter months feel raw and cool on the North Shore.