Hard Bargain Saltinas and Beach, Long Island, Bahamas - The Beaches of Long Island

DIRECTIONS:  Given that the last entrance to Hard Bargain was wiped out by Hurricane Joaquin in late 2015, why include it?   Partly out of its historical significance to the island.  Partly as there still may be a way in which I don’t know or with the right vehicle might be possible.  And as a last resort, one can always walk.  Certainly that’s how those bone fishing do it.  Heading south:  2.1 miles south of Dunmore, there will be a small group of homes and businesses and a road angling off to the right.  This is the main road to Hard Bargain.  If you get to a large pond on the left, you’ve gone about a 1/4 mile too far.   Heading north:  You’ll go through Roses, Taits, and then come to the large pond on the right.  The next road to the left amidst the small group of buildings will take you to Hard Bargain.

The road itself is sand until you get to the air strip, at which point you can either continue on the sand road that runs along the runway or play “IT’S SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY, AT ROUTE QH DRAGWAY.”  Well, that’s what I’d like to do.  If the runway were a bit smoother.  At the end of the runway, make a left back onto the sand road.  In a very short distance you’ll be driving on top of a dike and will find that it has been partly washed out.   Although it would be possible to get past this, the dike has been completely washed out 1000' beyond.  Now from googlemaps earthview, it does appear that if you can get past the first partial wash out, the first dike road that you come to that goes north will certainly get you closer to the main part of Hard Bargain.  There appears to be a small break that would make driving impossible.  But if one had a motorcycle or better yet a trail bike, it should be possible.  One could hike it, but it is a 3 miles round trip without counting any exploring while there.

The beach in front of the abandoned Diamond Crystal salt works is very open and seems to be a bit atypical of Caribbean side beaches in that it gets deep rather quickly.  However, from Galloway at the north to Cabbage Point at the south, there is beach along the entire 10 miles (!) of saltinas that make up Hard Bargain.  Armed with plenty of water and energy food, I’m putting a hike along Hard Bargain as a must do.

Because getting to Hard Bargain is now nearly impossible, and it’s possible that both Hurricanes Sandy and Joaquin may have destroyed them, I’ve included many of the photos of the ruins of the salt works taken during our 2012 visit.