Sargassum at Princess Diana Beach (Coco Point): today's state
Clear
Clean, go
Princess Diana Beach, also known as Access Beach or Coco Point Beach, lines up around three kilometres of sand on the calm side of the Coco Point peninsula, in southern Barbuda. Its pinkish tint, which comes and goes over time, intrigues visitors as much as it draws them.
Day after day the beach gets its reading here: a rating running from 0 to 5 appears each morning, Coco Point shows up on the Barbuda sector map, and the bulletin reports calm water as readily as drifting rafts.
Princess Diana Beach (Coco Point) on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
The beach occupies the west side of the Coco Point peninsula, the calm side: oriented south-west, it only opens to the sea from south-south-west round to west-north-west. The easterly flow carried by the trades strikes Barbuda's Atlantic front first; to reach this shore it has to work its way around the point.
Its colour is the other signature: the sand owes its intermittent pink to fragments of foraminifera, tiny shelled organisms, which matches the Pink Sand Beach described in some guides. Over three kilometres, any deposit spreads widely, and the tip of the point does not always behave like the section running up towards Palmetto Point.
Frequently asked questions
Is the pink sand at Princess Diana Beach caused by sargassum?
No, the two are unrelated. The rosy tint comes from fragments of foraminifera, small shelled organisms, while sargassum is a brown drifting seaweed that strands on beaches in episodes.
Is the Coco Point shore exposed to arrivals?
Not much. Set on the west flank of the peninsula and facing south-west, it only opens from south-south-west to west-north-west: the easterly flow has to get around the point to reach it.
How do I check today's conditions before going?
The 0 to 5 rating for the Barbuda sector is published every morning at the top of this page, along with the map. It is the simplest way to know whether the three kilometres of sand stayed clean.
Princess Diana Beach or 17 Mile Beach: which one?
Both lie leeward of Barbuda. This one looks south-west from Coco Point, the other runs due west along Low Bay: compare their morning ratings, the gap sometimes makes the decision for you.
Why does this beach go by several names?
It also appears as Access Beach and Coco Point Beach, and its current name honours Princess Diana. The periodic pink colouring explains the Pink Sand Beach label used by some guides.