We just began our vacation yesterday and plan to visit Happy a few times while we're here. We've always hiked from Friar's in the past, but I believe there is an alternate way to get there as I've seen people coming and going from the opposite side of the beach where you'd normally enter. Anyone know a shortcut?

If you go to Google maps, satellite view, you can see Rue Happy Bay just before you get to Grand Case after the long straight-away from Marigot. Haven't done it yet but it seems passable. Cool Heure Cafe is on the corner.

Satch74 is right - you turn left into a little dead-end parking area. There's a white gate with a lock and low, cinder block wall that you have to climb over (easy). From there you're on an asphalt road most of the way to Happy Bay. We saw a few cows when we were out there and a couple of people, once in a while, but never had a problem. The walk is easy and open all the way --- just keep going straight until you see the water.

Oh - we left our car by the low wall with the doors unlocked and trunk empty. No problems.

Thanks! We were wondering about the route "over the wall." We usually take that turn off anyway but follow it all the way to the left up to the Friar's bay beach club lot. Never have we left our car at the gate/wall and walked from there. Good to know it's okay!

Immediately below Happy Bay in the pic above is a resort development of some kind. Is it abandoned? I remember seeing an abandoned old resort on a youtube video where sailors visited the island, wonder if that is it.

Hmmmm...I assume you mean those two decent sized structures. We always walk past the ruined condos (the 5 structures to the left and further away from the beach) but have never actually seen those two structures.

I'm looking at everything that starts at that jog in the road, the 5 brown roofs in an arc, as well as whatever that is closer to the road.

Years ago, the secret service stayed in those buildings when Pres. Bush came to the island to meet with Pres Mitterrand of France. It was the one and only time that a Concorde landed on the island. The buildings have also been used to house Gendarmes, in the past, when the buildings were in good shape.

Is the walk from the "wall" safe? It seems like a real good spot to ambush a couple of beach goers .

We went a few years back walking from Friars. Not a bad walk . Looks to be about the same distance either way. I was not overly comfortable at Happy Bay but it was a nice beach. The dude that works their or a friend of his, could not tell who was who, kept lurking in the brush near where we had our towels. He was naked . Kind of creepy. Anyone had this experience at Happy Bay?

I do not know who you are describing but the man that we know who cooks, sells food and drink, and rents chairs at Happy Bay is Danny and at least based on our dealings with Danny, you are not describing Danny or a "friend" of his. On a relative basis, I feel safer walking from wall than from Friar's - neither one makes us too nervous not to do it.

The guy that lurks in the bushes is commonly called a "bushwhacker"and is not a friend of Danny's. We have seen him there and if you ignore him, he usually disappears.

Those creeps are called "bushwackers" and they lurk in the brush and expose themselves. I have never heard of them harming anyone, but they do scare people. Cupecoy Bay was another popular hangout for them. It has been quite a while since I've seen a report that mentioned them. Maybe they just got tired of being ignored.

I know who Danny is and I have seen the Cupecoy bush peeper. This guy was hanging at the hut with the guy who sells water and food. He was totally ripped, short and well.. Very well endowed. I thought maybe a weird service was being offered or something. Goes in the whatever category but it was strange and for sure not Danny or the bush pervert.

The phrase "very well endowed" brings to mind Elvis. He had a bad reputation at Club O although I never saw him doing anything out of line there. I spoke with him a couple of times at the Perch and he seemed like a regular guy. I think people were afraid or envious of his size. He lives on Anguilla and use to come to SXM but I think he got the message and stays away. He probably knows Danny and was having a chat with him and trying to be inconspicuous.

He may have been Anguillan (sp?w) but he was short and had about 1 % body fat and 99 %tile endowment. I believe $ for something was in the air. Could be wrong but Happy Bay has been option C since we went there. Perhaps a fresh start is in in order.

Just returned home today from two weeks in SXM. Visited Happy Bay twice ( first time in 18 years) and enjoyed it very much. There was a lot of full nudity on the beach, made no difference to us.

murphy
From your description is seem that was Elvis. He probably just dropped by to say hi to Danny. He wasn't showing off. Was there a zodiac or a small runabout in the water near shore? If so, I'm sure it was Elvis.

The "dude" as you put it, was most likely a "bushwacker", a frequent occurrence at Happy Bay. Yes, we had this "experience", pretty much each time we went there. The last time was 2 years ago when a bushwacker wouldn't leave us alone. We had to leave the beach and this wacko followed us all the way from HB to the parking lot in Friar's. Once there, I grabbed the lug wrench in the trunk of the car and chased him across the parking lot but I couldn't catch him. Then we went to the Gendarmerie of Grand Case to report the incident. The cops knew who I was talking about and told me they'll take care of him. We've never been back to HB since.