Pelican Bar Jamaica otherwise known as Floyds pelican bar is located off the Southern coast of Jamaica about 1 ½ kilometers offshore, on a sandbar near Parottee Point in the parish of St. Elizabeth.
We sometimes hear people asking about Pelican Bar in Negril. Nope Pelican Bar Jamaica is not in Negril, you have to drive around 90 minutes from Negril and then take a boat to get there.
Pelican bar is made of driftwood and sits on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean off the coast of St. Elizabeth. Negril is in the Parish of Westmoreland, which is the neighbouring parish.
Why a bar in the middle of the Ocean
We enjoyed our visit to Pelican Bar immensely but we secretly wondered why someone would build a bar in the middle of the ocean.
Legend has it that Floyd Forbes, the owner of Pelican Bar had a dream one night where he envisioned a bar out at sea built on stilts.
Floyd set about building the bar he envisioned in his dream and completed construction in 2001. He named it “Pelican Bar” after the large flocks of Pelicans that resided on the sandbar.
Unfortunately, the original Pelican Bar was destroyed by hurricane Ivan in 2004. The local business community of Treasure Beach recognizing the tourism potential of Pelican Bar helped Floyd to rebuild the bar.
The only way to get to Floyd’s Pelican Bar is via Boat. If you are lucky you might see Dolphins swimming in the water as you go to Pelican Bar.
You can access a boat from Parotee Point, Black River or Treasure Beach. The closest point is Parotee Point.
The boat ride from Parotee Point takes around 10 minutes and costs around $10US. You can also access a boat from Black River or Treasure Beach the travel time will take around 20 – 25 minutes and the cost is around $15US and $35US respectively.
If you are traveling from Negril the transport time via car from Negril to Parotee Point is approximately 90 minutes.
An estimated cost per a person for transportation is around $30US. The price will differ depending on your tour operator/ driver.
If you are coming from Montego Bay the travel time is around 2 ½ hours so budget a bit more for transportation costs.
If you are staying at Sandals Whitehouse there is a catamaran that takes you there. The travel time is around 1 ½ hours.
Pelican Bar is the perfect place to spend the day doing absolutely nothing. It’s a great place to chill and have a few Red Stripe Beers.
You can order fish or lobster meals. If you are not in a hurry you can order when you arrive. If you are in a hurry you can phone ahead and order lunch. You can contact Floyds Pelican Bar at 876-354-4218 for menu details.
The bar is decorated with mementos such as shirts, hats, flags etc. left by previous guests. If you want you can have your name and the year you visited carved into the wood. That is if you can find a spot!
You can also buy handmade items there. More than likely you will see Floyd and a few of his friends playing dominos.
Life Doesn’t Get Better
We can guarantee you that Pelican Bar will be the most unique place you have ever sipped a Red Stripe Beer. Not in the mood for a beer ask for the Pelican Perfection, which is made with lime juice, rum and ginger beer.
Sit back and enjoy, life doesn’t get better than this. Pelican Bar is one of those places that you can brag about when you tell your friends you visited Jamaica. Actually, we have nominated Pelican Bar as Jamaica’s coolest watering hole.
If this doesn’t inspire you, hopefully, the boat ride, scenery, the ocean wind blowing in your face and maybe the opportunity to see Dolphins in the wild will inspire you to visit.
Pelican Bar Jamaica Tours
There are not many tour operators per se that regularly visit Pelican Bar. The only tour operator that comes to mind is Barrett Adventures.
The easiest way to get there is to hire a taxi from Negril or Montego Bay to take you there and then hire a boat from Black River or Parottee Point.
Other Nearby Tours
The south coast of Jamaica has some great tourist attractions, all in close proximity to each other. A few that come to mind are YS Falls Jamaica, Black River Safari and the Appleton Rum Tour.
Tips
- Closest point to Pelican Bar is Parottee Point
- Opens from 10:30 am – 6:30 pm
- Bring some cash for drinks
- Leave all valuables at home
- There are no bathrooms
- There are no changing rooms. Make sure you are wearing your swimsuit.
- Bring a memento to leave behind
- If you don’t mind waiting awhile you can have food. If you are in a hurry call ahead to order. You can contact Floyds Pelican Bar at 876-354-4218
- It’s not a formal establishment. There are no restrooms, dining area etc.
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