Whitehouse Beach, Beach destination in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica.
Whitehouse Beach is a sandy shore in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, adjoining former salt marsh and backed by a tree-lined strip. About 1 kilometre of the beach is maintained by the Sandals Whitehouse resort, and a coral reef lies about 400 metres offshore. Two buoy-marked swimming areas, 230 and 160 metres long, are monitored by lifeguards.
This area was once a salt marsh and fishing settlement before transforming into a resort destination. Major development occurred in the early 2000s when a large resort opened on the site.
The beach takes its name from the nearby town of White House, about 4 kilometres to the east. The surrounding salt marshes are protected by environmental orders, and notices along the shore alert visitors to the presence of crocodiles.
There is no formal access except through the Sandals Whitehouse resort, which opened in 2005; entry is strictly controlled and a day pass costs US$85, covering meals, drinks and water sports. Two lifeguard-monitored swimming areas of 230 m and 160 m are marked by buoys. The reef lies about 400 m offshore.
The reef about 400 m offshore, used for snorkelling, has been badly damaged by fishermen using dynamite. Outside the kilometre of beach kept by the resort, a narrower tree-lined strip still shows dead trunks and stumps left by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
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