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Fabien
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Located at the western end of Terre de Haut island, Anse Crawen is one of the nicest beaches in Les Saintes. It is home to a reef covered with gorgonians and seagrass beds in which snorkelers can spot reef fish, cushion starfish, and green sea turtles.

Plage d'Anse Crawen, Les Saintes
Anse Crawen Beach

How to get to the Anse Crawen snorkeling spot

Anse Crawen is a wild beach nestled on the western tip of Terre de Haut, the main island of Les Saintes. It is located exactly 3km from the jetty, following Bois Joli road. Near the jetty, there are several bicycle, scooter and small car rental companies.

About 700m before arriving at Anse Crawen, you will see on your right the path that goes down to the Pain de Sucre, maybe the most popular snorkeling spot on the island.

Anse Crawen snorkeling map

Water entrance for snorkeling Anse Crawen

You can get in the water wherever you want from the beach, depending on the area you want to explore. In case of rain, stay away from the manchineel tree (the trees with a red mark on the trunk): their milky-white sap contains toxins and can cause blistering.

Anse Crawen snorkeling exploration tips

The best areas for snorkeling at Anse Crawen are located in front and on the right side of the beach.

Cushion sea star at Anse Crawen
Cushion sea stars are pretty common in sandy and grassy areas.

On the right, along the cliff, you can swim above large areas of sea fans, with sponges and corals here and there. The reef attracts many parrotfish, sergeants majors, damselfish, and bluehead wrasse.

In front of the beach, snorkelers can discover sandy areas and extensive seagrass beds on which many cushion starfish are found. Encounters with green sea turtles are also quite frequent in the bay, mainly feeding on seagrass beds.

Coral reef at Anse Crawen
Two sea fans photographed at Anse Crawen beach.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

There is no snack or restaurant on the beach. The closest accommodation is the Hôtel du Bois Joli, located 300m from Anse Crawen going up to Terre de Haut.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth15ft/5m
  • Water entranceFrom a sandy beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Access costsFree
  • Restaurants nearbyNo

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.