There is a bar built out of driftwood standing on stilts in the middle of the sea, a mile off the south coast of Jamaica. No road reaches it. No pier connects it. You get there by boat or you do not get there at all.
Floyd’s Pelican Bar is the thing our guests talk about most after they go home. Here is how to visit it from Treasure Beach.
What it actually is
The bar sits on a shallow sandbar in Parottee Bay, between Treasure Beach and Black River. At low tide the water around it is waist-deep and you can stand on the sand.
It was built by a local fisherman, Floyd Forbes, as somewhere to shelter and drink between trips. It has been rebuilt more than once after hurricanes, each time from whatever driftwood and scrap timber came to hand, which is why it looks the way it does.
It is not a themed attraction. It is a genuinely improvised structure that became famous by accident.
How to get there from Treasure Beach
By boat, and only by boat. From Treasure Beach the crossing takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes depending on sea conditions and which cove you leave from.
Local fishermen run the trip and most accommodation can arrange it. If you are staying with us, our team books it with a captain we know and use regularly — which matters, because this is an open-water crossing in a small boat and the difference between captains is real.
Boats also run from Black River, which is a shorter crossing if you are already over that way.
Agree the price before you set off, and confirm whether it covers waiting time while you are at the bar. Most trips include the captain waiting for you.
When to go
Late afternoon. Aim to be there a couple of hours before sunset.
The light is better, the heat has gone out of the day, and the ride back at dusk over flat water is genuinely one of the best half-hours you will spend in Jamaica.
Tide matters too. At low tide you can wade around the sandbar; at high tide the water is deeper and the bar feels more like it is floating. Neither is wrong, but if you want the classic standing-in-the-sea photograph, ask your captain to time it for lower water.
Avoid days with a strong swell. Your captain will tell you honestly if it is not a good day — listen to them.
What to expect when you get there
It is small. A wooden platform, a bar, some stools, gaps in the floor you can see the sea through, and carved names covering every surface.
They serve cold Red Stripe and rum. Food is usually fresh fish or lobster, cooked to order — if you want to eat, it is worth calling ahead through your captain so it is ready when you arrive rather than an hour later.
People swim, snorkel, drink, and sit. That is the whole activity. Most visitors stay an hour or two.
What to bring
- Cash — there is no card machine in the middle of the sea. Small bills.
- Swimwear — you will want to get in
- Sun protection — there is shade at the bar but none on the boat
- A dry bag for phones and cameras. Spray on the crossing is normal, and boats are open
- Water shoes if you are careful about your feet on sand and shell
- A light layer for the ride home after dark
Combining it with Black River
Many visitors do Pelican Bar and the Black River Safari on the same day — mangrove channels, crocodiles and birdlife in the morning, the bar in the afternoon.
It makes a long but very good day out, and it is the single trip we recommend most often to guests who only have time for one excursion.
Honest expectations
It is famous now, so at peak times in high season you may share it with a few boatloads of other people. Going late in the afternoon helps considerably.
It is also a small open boat on open water. If you are nervous on the sea, or travelling with very young children, factor that in — it is a real crossing, not a jetty stroll.
Neither of those is a reason not to go. It is still the best thing to do on this coast.
Staying nearby
Butterfly Hill is a five-bedroom staffed villa in Billy’s Bay, at the western end of Treasure Beach. Our team arranges Pelican Bar trips, Black River safaris and airport transfers for guests.
See rates and availability, or read our complete guide to Treasure Beach.