Havens Beach is the village beach of Sag Harbor, a short ride from Main Street. Lila Havens gave it to the people of Sag Harbor in 1924 for recreational use, specifically “quiet recreation.” That is still the right way to use it: shallow bay water, boats on the horizon, a walk along the sand and, in good weather, a swim.
Water quality is the one thing to check. The Village of Sag Harbor posts testing reports for Havens Beach, Windmill Beach and Little Northwest Creek, with the tests run by the Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force. The Friends of Havens Beach campaigns to make the beach reliably swimmable. Look at the latest results before you put a child in the water, and read the water quality guide for how advisories work in Suffolk County.
There is no lifeguard, so for a guarded swim, Foster Memorial Beach is a few minutes away on Noyac Bay. Permits and parking are on Hamptons Beach Pass.
