Bath Beach & The Old Railway Line
The East Coast's best bathing beach
Bath Beach is the safest beach for swimming on the wild East Coast, protected by a band of reef just offshore and usually devoid of dangerous currents. It’s also incredibly picturesque, backed by wispy casuarina trees, and a forested hillside in the background. On top of that, it offers plenty of shade, and boasts good facilities, making it a popular weekend picnic spot.
Bath was also once a stop on the old railway line, which ran from Bridgetown to Belleplaine. The adventurous can still follow the 6km trail north along the coast to Bathsheba, or the shorter route south to Consett Bay. At the northern end of the beach a freshwater spring (pictured above) bubbles out of the rocks.
Note: It’s rockier underfoot in the sea here than on the West Coast, so water shoes are advisable. It is also prone to sargassum seaweed at certain times of the year.
By car: Head NE from Bridgetown along Highway 3B 14 miles (22.3km).
By bus: The only direct bus (#7) from Bridgetown (Princess Alice Bus Terminal) to Bath (50min) runs on a Sunday, and there are only four buses in the day. Check the bus timetable.