Lyssons Beach, St. Thomas, Jamaica
Everything You need to know about Lyssons Beach
Lyssons Beach is a tranquil seascape located in Jamaica’s southeast parish of St. Thomas, just beside the parish’s capital Morant Bay. One of Jamaica’s last remaining truly public beaches, the beach is serene escape for community members & other locals and was developed and upgraded in 2015 by the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s Beaches Upgrading Programme.
The beach's powdery coastline is divided into two sections which are separated by a wired fence; a portion which is owned and operated by the University of the West Indies (UWI) for its students and the other, a fully public portion that is managed by the government run, Natural Resources Conservation Authority. And guess what? Both are free to enter! Yay! My experience is on the government operated portion of the beach.
How to get there
The journey to Lyssons beach takes approximately two (2) hours. Just a side note: at the time I went there, there was some construction going on along the St. Thomas roadway which led to some delays, but overall, it was a fairly simple drive.
Starting from Michael Manley Boulevard, head east along the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway until you reach the Harbour View round-a-bout (the one that takes you to the Norman Manley International Airport). Take the 2nd exit at the round-a-bout and continue straight along towards St. Thomas, passing through Bull Bay. The drive takes your pass scenic countryside, bustling communities and mesmerizing coastlines. You will come across wonderful signs saying ‘You are now leaving St. Andrew’ and ‘Welcome to St. Thomas’ that assures you that you are on the right path.
When you have around 40 minutes left in the trip, you’ll come across a second round-a-bout. At this point, you take the 2nd exit to continue towards Lyssons beach. Google maps is quite helpful along the trip, but overall the drive is a straightforward one because there are no turn offs. Lyssons beach is found on the right hand side, just opposite to the Princess Margaret Hospital.
Related: Bob Marley Beach, St. Andrew, Jamaica
Lyssons Beach
The beach opens and operates during the hours of 9am to 5pm. And as mentioned before, there is no entrance fee. There is however a $300 Jmd parking fee.
The beach is approximately 323 metres long; consisting of fine brown grain sand intimately hugging the crystal clear waters of the sea. The swimming area is shallow and is the perfect area for soaking your worries and stress away. There are no seagrass beds found within the swim areas as they begin approximately 70 meters seaward alongside the coral reef.
Peppered across the beach are gazebos, a few benches and picnic tables which offers seating to patrons. There is also a lifeguard station for the times when there is a lifeguard on duty.
It's interesting that it's my first time visiting the beach considering it was free for me to go the entirety of my tenure at the UWI. I've always heard about Lyssons but I never actually took the opportunity to visit there. But I will say I'm happy now that I've visited. The beach was fairly clean, the staff was pretty friendly and accommodating, and best of all the beach was rather empty when I went so I could frolick as I pleased. I even shot a tik tok/ reel and didn't feel awkward doing it lol. It's the simple pleasures really.
Amenities
Showers
Bathroom
Changing rooms
Benches, tables and gazebo
What to bring
Water shoes
Swimsuit (NB there are bathrooms/change rooms available onsite)
Sunscreen (because sun HOT!!)
Water, snacks, refreshments (there’s no restaurant on site)
Money to pay parking/entrance fee
Wrap Up
Lyssons Beach is the perfect place for a summer day at the beach. It's great for swimming, lyming, playing a game of beach football or just relaxing with family and friends while soaking up the sun. Also, bonus is that pets are allowed on the beach.
Overall, I'd give it a 4 stars out of 5 experience.