For seafood and pizza in a central beachfront setting, start with Jack Sprat in Calabash Bay. Its official menu covers grilled, fried, steamed, escoveitch and jerked fish, along with lobster, conch, crab and chicken, and its pizzas can come with lobster or jerk chicken toppings. Lashings Beach Club in Old Wharf suits a longer day, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and beach time. For a casual seafood stop beside the fishing boats, try Eggy's Seafood and Beach Bar. For jerk food, Coco T's Jerk Centre and Bar at the Lashings Hub in Sandy Bank is the place in this group. Treasure Beach spreads across several bays, so plan each meal around where you are staying.
Calabash Bay and Old Wharf: the sit-down spots
Jack Sprat is open daily from noon to 9 p.m., according to its official page, which describes it as a community gathering place for locals and visitors. The Jamaica Observer reported in November 2025 that the restaurant had reopened after restoration work. Katamah Guesthouse says it accepts credit cards.
Treasure Beach spreads across several bays, so plan each meal around where you stay.
Jake's Restaurant sits next to Jack Sprat in Calabash Bay. It serves a farm-fresh menu that changes daily, and it is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Katamah Guesthouse says it accepts credit cards. It suits a visitor who likes a daily special more than a fixed menu.
Lashings Beach Club, in Old Wharf, is a beach bar and grill open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with live music on weekends and beach cook-outs. Its seafood and pizza come through Grego's, a Jamaican-owned seafood restaurant from Junction that expanded to the beach club. Lashings is the right pick if you want to spend a full day by the water.
Mellow Yellow serves pizza, Italian food and Jamaican favourites. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. and accepts cards, according to Katamah Guesthouse.
Eggy's and Coco T's: casual seafood and jerk
Eggy's Seafood and Beach Bar is a casual seafood stop by the fishing boats. Katamah Guesthouse describes it as serving fresh seafood from noon until just after sunset. It is cash only, so bring Jamaican notes.
Coco T's Jerk Centre and Bar operates at the Lashings Hub in Sandy Bank. It is an onsite restaurant and bar, and it is the jerk option in this group. For its current hours and menu prices, ask when you arrive. If you want more jerk options across the island, read Where to Get the Best Jerk Chicken in Jamaica, Parish by Parish.
Ask for the price before you order, especially for seafood sold by size or by what came in that day.
The Pelican Bar: getting out to Floyd's
Floyd's Pelican Bar is offshore, and you reach it only by boat. Departures run from the Treasure Beach area, Parottee and Black River. The Jamaica Observer reported that the bar reopened on February 4, 2026, after repairs following Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa.
Floyd's Pelican Bar sits offshore, and you reach it only by boat.
Prices depend on the operator, the group size and whether you add food or other stops. Treasure Tours, a Jamaica Tourist Board-approved operator, publishes these rates in US dollars for its Pelican Bar trip and for a combined Beach Lunch and Pelican Bar trip. A cooler with drinks is included on the listed tours.
Viaja con Gus gives a broader 2025 estimate of US$25 to US$35 per person for a shared round trip, with private trips from about US$120. The gap reflects the operator, the group size and the departure point, so there is no single boat fare.
There is normally no separate admission charge for the bar. You pay for the boat and for anything you order there. Agree the total price, the return time, the weather plan and whether life jackets are provided before you leave the shore. Before you book, ask the operator to put the price and return time in writing or in a message.
Middle Quarters: roadside shrimp on the way to Black River
Middle Quarters is a roadside village just outside Black River, known for peppered shrimp, locally called swims. Vendors sell spicy shrimp and crayfish from stalls along the main road. The Jamaica Star described the village as famous for peppered shrimp in July 2021. The Jamaica Gleaner once called it the shrimp capital of Jamaica, and it has also reported that the vendors' business has faced difficulties and changed over time.
Peppered shrimp, locally called swims, is the Middle Quarters specialty.
Treat Middle Quarters as a roadside food stop rather than a restaurant district. Vendor availability, shrimp supply, hygiene and prices can all vary. Carry Jamaican cash and ask the vendor what is available that day. It works well as a stop when you travel between Treasure Beach and Black River. For where to stop and what to check before you pay, see Middle Quarters Pepper Shrimp: Where to Buy It in St. Elizabeth.
Black River, the bays and getting around
Black River is the nearest larger town, and it is the practical base for supplies, banking and transport connections. It is also a starting point for river excursions. The river is linked with environmental tourism, including boat trips through wetland and mangrove areas, and a 2017 management plan for the river identifies Treasure Beach and Black River boat operators running coastal and river trips.
Treasure Beach itself is a set of bays and coastal communities in St Elizabeth Parish. They include Calabash Bay, Old Wharf, Sandy Bank, Frenchman's Bay, Billy's Bay, Great Bay and Fort Charles. Parottee is the coastal launch area for boats to Floyd's Pelican Bar. For more places in the parish, see the St Elizabeth restaurant listings. For the parish's other towns, read Weh Fi Nyam in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica's Breadbasket.
From Black River, follow the road toward Treasure Beach and the signs for Jack Sprat and the coastal communities. Jakes Hotel's directions point to the turn toward Treasure Beach near the Jack Sprat sign, after you cross the bridge and pass through Black River. Public transport needs connections through larger towns. One route described by a Treasure Beach travel guide uses a bus toward Savanna-la-Mar, then transport through Black River and onward to Treasure Beach. Local taxis are useful for moving between bays, restaurants, beaches and boat launches, so agree the fare before you leave.
Cards are accepted at only some restaurants and attractions. Treasure Beach Jamaica lists ATMs at Kingfisher Plaza and Jack Sprat, with more in Black River and Southfield. Bring Jamaican cash for boats, roadside vendors, taxis, tips and smaller businesses.
Swimming: where it is safe and where it is not
Some Treasure Beach stretches are fine for a swim, but not every section is safe. Jamaica's Tourism Product Development Company put 18 warning signs along the coastline in 2024, seven of them no-swimming signs and 11 caution signs, covering the stretch from Great Bay to Fort Charles. A local fisherman told the Jamaica Information Service that the areas where fishing boats are kept are generally the safest places to swim.
Locals point to the areas where fishing boats are kept as the safest places to swim.
NEPA lists Frenchman Beach as having strong currents and occasional rip tides, with no lifeguard on duty. The Jamaica Observer has also reported strong currents, undertows and sudden waves as recurring dangers along the Treasure Beach coast.
Swim only where the posted signs and local residents say it is safe. Do not swim alone, stay out of marked no-swimming areas, and stay out of the water when it is rough or visibility is poor. Ask your accommodation, a lifeguard or a local boat operator which section is safest on the day you go.
Is Treasure Beach worth the trip?
Treasure Beach is worth it for a visitor who wants a quieter south-coast base, with small restaurants, fishing communities, beaches and boat trips. Bon Appétit described it in 2012 as a remote rural community outside Jamaica's main resort circuit, and that is still the draw. You get the coastal setting without a dense resort strip.
The trade-offs are real. Restaurants are spread out, opening hours change, cards are not accepted everywhere, and some beaches have strong currents or no lifeguard. It suits travellers who are happy with slower transport and some planning. It is a weaker fit for guests who want all-inclusive facilities, a long list of late-night restaurants or calm water for every swim.
Find more places by parish
Treasure Beach sits in St Elizabeth Parish. Use the full restaurant directory to find places by parish, and check each restaurant's hours and payment options before you set out.
Common questions
These five questions cover the decisions most visitors face, and the answers draw only on the details above.
What are some good places to eat in Treasure Beach?
For seafood and pizza, Jack Sprat in Calabash Bay is the clearest choice, open daily from noon to 9 p.m. For a full day by the water, Lashings Beach Club in Old Wharf serves breakfast through dinner and is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. For a casual seafood stop by the fishing boats, try Eggy's, which is cash only, and for jerk, Coco T's at the Lashings Hub in Sandy Bank.
Is Treasure Beach worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a quieter south-coast base with small restaurants, beaches, fishing communities and boat trips. It suits visitors who are happy with spread-out dining, cash and slower transport. It is less suited to visitors who expect a dense restaurant district, all-inclusive facilities or late-night transport.
How do you get to the Pelican Bar and what does it cost?
You reach Floyd's Pelican Bar only by boat, with departures from the Treasure Beach area, Parottee and Black River. Treasure Tours publishes US$120 total for one or two people and US$55 per person for four to seven people, while Viaja con Gus estimates US$25 to US$35 per person for a shared round trip in 2025. Agree the full price, return time, weather plan and life-jacket arrangements with the operator before you leave the shore.
Can you swim in Treasure Beach?
Yes, in some areas. Follow the posted signs, because the 2024 signs include seven no-swimming notices between Great Bay and Fort Charles. Stay out of marked areas, avoid rough water and do not swim alone. A local fisherman told the Jamaica Information Service that the areas where fishing boats are kept are generally the safest.
What is near Treasure Beach?
Middle Quarters, a roadside village outside Black River, is known for peppered shrimp and crayfish sold from stalls. Black River, the nearest larger town, has banks, shops, transport connections and river trips through wetland and mangrove areas. Parottee is the launch point for boats to Floyd's Pelican Bar. YS Falls and Lovers' Leap are separate excursions along the wider south-coast route, not walks from the beach.