Sandy Point: The Shawshank Beach With Federal Rules

The most famous beach on St. Croix is the one you can visit least: Sandy Point, two miles of white sand with nothing built on them at the island's southwest tip, protected as a National Wildlife Refuge because it is the largest nesting ground for leatherback sea turtles under the U.S. flag.

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Sandy Point's rules are strict and enforced: the refuge is open to the public weekends only, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — and it closes entirely from April 1 through August 31 for turtle nesting season. There is no fee, no facilities, and no shade to speak of. Time it right and you may have a two-mile beach nearly to yourself; time it wrong and you'll meet a locked gate. Check the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's current notices before you go.

Yes, that movie

The final scene of The Shawshank Redemption — the boat, the sand, the reunion the whole film aims at — was shot here at Sandy Point, standing in for Mexico's Zihuatanejo. Stand on the empty sand in winter and the location scout's logic is self-evident: there is simply nothing built here, in any direction, but beach.

The turtles

Leatherbacks — the largest turtles on Earth — haul out here in spring and summer to nest, which is exactly why the refuge closes. Greens and hawksbills use St. Croix's beaches too, including the preserve bays near the villa. The full story, including how to see turtles responsibly, is in our sea turtle guide.

Making the trip work

Sandy Point sits about an hour from the East End, past Frederiksted. The move: a Saturday west-end day — morning at the refuge (in season), lunch in Frederiksted, then Rainbow Beach for the facilities, the bar, and the sunset. Bring water, real sun cover, and carry out everything you carry in; the refuge has no services by design.