Tarkwa Bay and Snake Island are the two Lagos beaches that catch first-time visitors off guard — no road connects to either. Getting there means a car to the jetty, then a boat, and planning both legs together is what actually makes the day work.
Most Lagos beach content focuses on the road-accessible spots along the Lekki-Epe corridor. Tarkwa Bay and Snake Island are a different category entirely — quieter, less developed, and reachable only by water from jetties near the Marina or Apapa. ToTrip Car Rental Services Limited arranges the full car-and-boat combination regularly enough to know exactly where the timing pitfalls are.
Why These Two Are Different From The City Beaches
Elegushi, Landmark and Oniru are all direct road trips along the Lekki-Epe corridor. Tarkwa Bay and Snake Island sit across open water from the mainland and Island, with no bridge or road connection — a boat crossing is not optional here, it's the only way in.
⛴️ Getting To Tarkwa Bay & Snake Island
Tarkwa Bay
Tarkwa Bay is the more established and better-known of the two, popular for its calmer waters and relative distance from the noise of central Lagos. It draws a steady stream of weekend visitors, and jetty traffic can build up on Saturdays and Sundays, so confirming a boat operator and rough departure time in advance is worth doing rather than arriving and hoping for the next available crossing.
Snake Island
Snake Island sees less casual beach traffic and more logistics/industrial activity given its location near Apapa's port facilities, though parts of it are used for leisure visits as well. It's a less spontaneous trip than Tarkwa Bay — coordinating the crossing in advance matters even more here.
"The car gets you to the water — it doesn't get you to the beach. That distinction trips up more first-time visitors than anything else about these two spots."
— ToTrip Car Rental Services, Client Advisory Team
Coordinating The Car And Boat Legs
The trip works best as one planned journey rather than two separately booked pieces — road transfer to the correct jetty, a confirmed boat crossing, and ideally a return time agreed before you leave. Arriving at a jetty without a boat arranged is the single most common cause of delay on this route.
Planning a Tarkwa Bay or Snake Island trip? ToTrip Car Rental Services Limited arranges the road transfer and helps coordinate the boat crossing as one journey.
Plan Your Boat-Access Beach TripWhat To Bring And Expect
Both islands are considerably less developed than the mainland beach spots — fewer facilities, more of an away-from-it-all feel. Bringing cash for the boat crossing and any on-island vendors, along with sun protection and water, is standard advice, since amenities are limited compared to Elegushi or Landmark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drive all the way to Tarkwa Bay or Snake Island?
No — neither is connected by road. A car gets you to the jetty; the final leg to the island is by boat only.
Do I need to book the boat separately from the car?
It's best planned as one trip. We arrange the road transfer to the correct jetty and can help coordinate the boat crossing so you're not left arranging it on arrival.
Which is easier for a first-time visitor — Tarkwa Bay or Snake Island?
Tarkwa Bay sees more regular leisure traffic and is generally the simpler first visit. Snake Island is less set up for casual visits and benefits more from advance coordination.
These two are the Lagos beaches most worth the extra planning — quieter, less crowded, and genuinely different from anything reachable by road. ToTrip Car Rental Services Limited handles both legs of the trip so the only surprise is how good the water looks.