Lazarus Island

Lazarus used to be the reward at the end of a walk. Now it's where the boat drops you.

Lazarus is the island to pick for a proper beach day without the Sentosa soundtrack: a crescent of imported sand at Eagle Bay with a clear lagoon, a ferry ride from Marina South Pier. It suits couples and families with a cool box and some patience. The compromises are real – facilities are limited, the macaques are opportunists and bad weather can cancel the ferry – so go on a weekday morning and pack as if nothing will be for sale.

It used to be the reward at the end of a walk: ferry to St John's, across the causeway, and a beach with almost nobody on it. Since April 2025, when the Singapore Land Authority closed the St John's jetty for repairs, Marina South Ferries has sent its St John's sailings to Pulau Seringat Jetty on the Lazarus side instead. The island at the end of the line has become the one you arrive on.

The beach is the draw, and it is not quite natural: the sand was shipped in from Indonesia and checked for sandfly eggs. The crescent at Eagle Bay is the prize. Coconut palms give some shade, and there is a shelter for when the afternoon storm arrives on time.

Under the sunbathing there is an older story. The Malay name, Pulau Sakijang Pelepah, refers to a barking deer and palm fronds. The island's history takes in Orang Laut settlers, pirates, convict sheds that burned in 1902, and burials for people who died of infectious diseases at the quarantine station on St John's. Former residents remember two kampungs of 44 houses before the resettlement to the mainland in 1975.

Sentosa Development Corporation announced upgrades in October 2023: a convenience store and barbecue spot in a converted shipping container, the Lazarus Sea Sports Centre for kayaks and paddleboards, beachfront glamping, tiny houses and toilets at the jetty. Check what is actually running before you plan a day around any of them.

How to do it well: take the earliest ferry you can manage from Marina South Pier and aim to be in the water before the heat peaks. Bring a snorkelling mask, because small fish dart along the shallows and it keeps children busy for longer than you'd think. Long-tailed macaques live on Lazarus and St John's and will grab plastic bags, so keep food in a closed cool box, not a carrier. Brahminy kites circle overhead. SLA asks you to bag your rubbish and take it back to St John's or the mainland, so bring a bag for that too.

Good to know Ferries run from Marina South Pier (31 Marina Coastal Drive; Marina South Pier MRT, Exit B) to Pulau Seringat Jetty. Pets, prams and bicycles travel free, and the operator asks you to tell staff if you plan to stay overnight. Sailings can be delayed or cancelled in bad weather.

Lazarus Island | Southern Islands | Nearest MRT: Marina South Pier (ferry from Marina South Pier)