North Bay
Salt Cay
Found off the north coast, this 1.75 mile (2.8 km) beach is the largest and by far the best beach on Salt Cay. A few coral heads can be found in the water here, but much of the coastline offers a clean sandy bottom and pristine beach.
A few vacation rental villas are located on this scenic beach.
Due to being on the north side of Salt Cay, this beach is usually sheltered from the ocean swells caused by the eastern trade winds.
During the winter whale season, it’s possible to see humpback whales off the northern coast (but you’ll need to take a dedicated whale-watching trip to get the best view).
Although there are no dedicated public accesses to this beach, the area has very little development and many paths to the coast can be found.
Grand Turk can be seen on the horizon from this coast, and on most days, cruise ships can be seen in the distance going through the Columbus Passage between the Turks Islands and the Caicos Islands.
Snorkeling
Small and distinct reefs, excellent for snorkeling, are found at several spots over the North Bay coastline.
North West Point, the section of North Bay nearest to Balfour Town and Little Bluff Lookout, offers the finest underwater sights.
Ocean surface conditions can be a little choppy at times due to the eastern trade winds, visibility is however typically quite good.
To find a site, simply look for one of the darker patches off the beach. It’s easy to see the reefs from on shore against the clean sandy bottom.
The reefs off North Bay Beach feature a beautiful combination of yellow sea fans, fire coral, leafy stinging coral, and schools of bluehead wrasse, French grunts, parrotfish, and blue tangs. Queen triggerfish, black durgons, and angelfish can be seen gliding by as well.
The larger creatures include the occasional barracuda, southern brown stingrays, and spotted eagle rays.
Getting Here
There are two ways to get to North Bay Beach, traveling by road (follow the road that heads north 660 ft (200 m) west of the airport), or by taking a scenic 1 mile (1.65 km) walk along the coast from Balfour Town. There are lots to explore, so take plenty of drinking water.
When driving, take the north turn off of the road between North District and the Salt Cay Airport. This road leads straight for 1500 feet (440 m), then arrives at a T-junction with a road that parallels North Bay. At this point, simply pick a beach path that looks appealing.
The hiking path from Balfour Town leads along an incredibly scenic route, which leads along Balfour Town Beach, Little Bluff Lookout, and through coastal vegetation, at which point it reaches the western side of North Bay.