A barachois is a term used in Atlantic Canada, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Réunion and Mauritius to describe a coastal lagoon partially or totally separated from the ocean by a sand or shingle bar. Sometimes the bar is constructed of boulders, as is the case at Freshwater Bay near St. John’s, Newfoundland. Salt water may enter the barachois during high tide. The bar often is formed as a result of sediment deposited in the delta region of a river or – as is the case in Miquelon – by a tombolo.

Name

The English term comes from the French language, where the word is pronounced. The term comes from a Basque word, barratxoa, meaning little bar. The popular derivation from the French barre à choir is without historical merit. In Newfoundland English, the word has become pronounced as barshwa.

Examples