Saline Bay: Mayreau's Spacious Southern Anchorage and Village Gateway

Saline Bay is Mayreau's principal southern anchorage, a broad sweep of Caribbean water and white sand on the island's sheltered leeward coast. Larger and more spacious than nearby Salt Whistle Bay, it gives visiting yachts room to settle offshore while retaining immediate access to a long beach and the quiet interior of Mayreau. For charter guests who want a practical anchorage without losing the island's barefoot atmosphere, Saline Bay is one of the best stops in the southern Grenadines.

The bay is also Mayreau's main maritime gateway. A jetty on the beach receives inter-island ferry services, and the island's only main road begins here before climbing through Old Wall village and continuing north toward Salt Whistle Bay. From the yacht, guests can therefore step ashore and explore Mayreau on foot, passing small local restaurants and bars before reaching the hilltop church and panoramic views toward the Tobago Cays.

Saline Bay is particularly useful within a southern Grenadines yacht charter because of its location between Canouan, Union Island and the Tobago Cays. Mayreau's eastern coastline forms part of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, while Mayreau Gardens lies offshore between the island and the Cays and is known for coral reef snorkeling and diving. A yacht can spend the night in Saline Bay, explore Mayreau in the morning and then continue east into some of the Caribbean's most spectacular protected waters.

Saline Bay lies on the southwestern side of Mayreau and offers a relatively straightforward approach from open water in suitable visibility. Noonsite lists approximate coordinates of 12°38'10"N, 61°23'52"W and identifies Saline Bay as Mayreau's main anchorage. The principal consideration when entering is vessel traffic around the ferry jetty, particularly when inter-island ferries or visiting cruise tenders are operating.

The bay offers considerably more maneuvering room than Salt Whistle Bay, but captains should still select their position carefully and remain clear of the jetty and established vessel routes. Cruise ships occasionally use Saline Bay as a tender destination, and the Tobago Cays Marine Park management framework specifically recognizes Saline Bay as one of the designated areas for cruise-liner anchoring around Mayreau.

Saline Bay is the main yacht anchorage on Mayreau. Cruising guidance recommends the southern end of the bay, where holding is reported to be good and yachts can anchor relatively close to the beach while maintaining adequate clearance from other vessels. Compared with crowded Salt Whistle Bay, Saline usually provides more room for larger yachts and catamarans.

Moorings are also available in the bay. Noonsite reports that the Saline Bay moorings were inspected, upgraded and reinstalled in 2022, although visiting crews should always check the condition of any mooring before relying on it. Conditions can occasionally become rolly depending on swell direction, so captains should assess the forecast before planning an overnight stay.

Saline Bay provides one of the easiest starting points for exploring Mayreau ashore. The road from the beach climbs toward Old Wall, the island's only principal village, before continuing north to Salt Whistle Bay. Small cafés and local businesses line parts of the route, while the historic stone Catholic church above the village offers exceptional views across the reefs and islands of the Tobago Cays. Discover SVG notes that the entire road between Saline Bay and Salt Whistle Bay can be walked in roughly an hour.

Immediately inland from the bay lies the large salt pond that helped give Saline Bay its name and was historically used for commercial salt production. Basic yacht provisioning is available from small grocery stores around Mayreau, but services remain deliberately limited compared with Canouan or Union Island.