Below hilly Palmetto Park on North Shore Road (just west of the Palmetto Road roundabout), Robinson’s Bay is a perfect place for a quick dip in the heat of summer, when parish children dive from the high rocky ledges into an azure natural swimming hole. With its rocky formations and reefy edges, there are several areas to swim here, and snorkeling in and out of the tiny bays amid yellowtail, butterfly fish, and striped sergeant majors is a great way to while away a morning or afternoon.
As a child, I enjoyed many waterlogged birthday parties here, and my brother and I considered an after-school dip here the ultimate treat.
The property, now public, bears the telltale signs of British military use in years past: steps carved into the water at various points, natural stone bridges between rocky outcrops, and old changing huts made of thick limestone. Locals can often be found line-fishing off the rocks.