Trannies Beach
A beach on the north side of West Island facing the Indian Ocean, popular for surfing, beach walks and sunsets, with the remains of an old communications station nearby.
Trannies Beach lies at the northern tip of West Island and takes its name from the radio transmitter station nearby, which dates from the Second World War and the Cold War. It faces the open Indian Ocean, and its waves are bigger than those on the lagoon side, making it one of the island group’s main surfing spots. In calm conditions you can snorkel over the reef flat, and at low tide there are small fish and hermit crabs among the rocks. The evening is a great place to watch the Indian Ocean sunset. It is about 10 minutes by car from the West Island settlement. The beach has no facilities, and visitors should watch out for rip currents.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- West Island Settlement
- Horsburgh Island
- South Lagoon & Pulu Maraya
- Prison Island
- The Rip
- Oceania House
- Cossies Beach, Direction Island
- Home Island