Magens Bay in St. Tomas is undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking sights I’ve ever seen. The National Geographic rates it as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, so I jumped at the opportunity to marvel at its beauty.
Travelling to Magens Bay:
The bus ride to Magens Bay was adventurous, to say the least. Just imagine a rusty bus, void of any protective seat-wear, maxed at full capacity in sweltering Caribbean heat. Not to mention a poor exterior frame, and lack of side panelling to fully qualify for first-world safety standards.
An eccentric bus driver who drove through a Mountainous St. Tomas terrain was more adventure than I bargained for. Despite the bumps, speed, and holding on to the seat in front of me for pseudo balance, I managed to take quite a few pictures of the island along the way. I noticed extensive damage to the foliage and tons of pollution. It was clear that beyond the ports, the “real” St. Tomas was still grappling with the aftermath of its hurricanes in September.
As soon as I managed to jump off the bus, which was propelled up by massive wheels, I noticed empty coke bottles and newspapers rummaged around the zoning area. At the time I don’t remember dwelling on the unsightly pollution, but it’s something that I noticed on the outskirts of Magens Bay. Random pieces of trash by sparse trees, rocky sands, and patchy vegetation – suffice to say that the beach had probably seen better days.
As I walked toward the waters, the most captivating of sights was the mountainous regions that quite literally embed the shimmering ocean. That’s probably what makes the beach so novel — the collision of forestry and sand. Still, one can’t help but recognize that this beach was far from spotless. After dipping my feet into Magens salty waters, I decided to lay my head against the warm sand, only to discover that there were as many pebbles and rocks as there was sand. Nevertheless, I soaked up the sun as much as I could until looming clouds forecasted rain. Torrential downpour.
It seems to be a trend following the increase of temperatures leading more disastrous weather events. Sargassum seaweed has become more present in Magen Bay, and residents have raised issues of envronmental stewardship, and the pollution from boarts that anchor in Magens Bay. It’s clear that the beach is still recovering from the hurricanes because of the number of broken palm trees.
