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Caribbean Villas is the property management company we use to book our villa. We typically stay in four bedroom properties
with full kitchens, pool and a jacuzzi. The staff at Caribbean Villas are awesome! The process of booking a villa is simple,
and they will meet your ferry in Cruz Bay, bring your rental car to the pier, and escort you to your villa. Then they leave
you alone to settle in to your vacation, but they're only a phone call away if necessary. They have always been very responsive
to our needs and I really can't say enough good things about this company!
On average, a four bedroom villa should cost approximately US $600-700 per night. At this rate, you can get a large
place, usually with a spectacular view. Personally, I think the best values are in Reef Bay, where there are only a handful
of villas availabe for rent. The road to Reef Bay is a dead end and the area borders the national park, so it feels even
more "far away" than it is. The East End and Coral Bay areas also get points for isolation and solitude. It may
be a good idea to avoid houses that are close to Cruz Bay, Chocolate Hole and Gift Hill. The rentals in these areas tend
to be closer to other houses, are noisier and sometimes have less spectacular views.
Other accomodation options include the Westin St John which is between Cruz Bay and Reef Bay along the south shore. Eco-tourists
will probably like Cinnamon Bay Camp and Maho Bay Camp. These two places get rave reviews from friends and co-workers of
ours and they are extremely affordable.
Of course there's a lot more to St John than the sarongs and solitude I've already alluded to. Most of our days are spent
on the beach swimming and snorkeling. There are many beaches, each with its own personality. It's fun to explore different
beaches and see which ones you fall in love with. I guarantee you'll find at least one to call your own!
Did I just say snorkeling? Ok let's talk details. Snorkeling gear is available for sale on the island, but it's pricey.
Bring your own and save time. Also, if you wear glasses like me, you may be surprised to know that you can get a snorkeling
mask custom made with lenses to match your prescription. Ask about it at a professional dive / snorkel shop in your area.
For novices, a nice place to start snorkeling is Frances Bay. When facing out to sea, the best snorkeling here is off
to the right past the end of the beach, along the rocky southern shore of Mary Point. The water is relatively shallow and
protected and there's lots to see. Watch for the fish that pretend to be dead on the bottom and then zoom away if you get
too close!
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We mainly avoid the busy beaches on the northwest coast. If you must go to one of them, avoid Trunk Bay at all costs and
head instead to Jumbie Bay, which is just to the west. Trunk Bay is filled with truckloads of day trippers who come over
from cruise ships docked in Charlotte Amalie. It's crowded, and the coral there looks damaged. Jumbie Bay is pretty, cozy
and the color of the water was spectacular. Our favorite snorkeling site is Waterlemon Cay. We snorkeled around the Cay
again this year, and two of us swam with dolphins. No joke! Dolphins!! It was awesome!
The trail to Waterlemon Cay leads past the Annaburg Ruins. This is an old sugar mill that was operated by slaves and
their Dutch masters when St John was a Dutch colony. There's another, more remote sugar mill ruin at Reef Bay. The Reef
Bay ruin is overrun with hermit crabs and jungle growth. The conditions here must have been horrific. The tropical heat is
hard enough to bear after a hike to the ruins. Combined with the heat of boiling sugarcane it must've been like hell on earth.
We also enjoy Saltpond Bay and Lameshur Bay. Saltpond is a little busy, but its a laid back crowd. Last year we made our
own "gay beach" here by hiking to the right where the trail from the parking lot meets the beach. We claimed a
patch of sand and set up camp for the day. The snorkeling here was AMAZING! From the beach, snorkel out along the east side
of the bay towards Ram Head. This is a longer snorkel, and the water gets choppy. Not good for novices. You can also hike
to the top of Ram Head from here. It's a long hike, but not as long as it may seem. The path takes you up over the first
set of headlands and down to Blue Cobblestone Beach, where thousands, maybe even millions, of smooth blue-ish stones clap
like thunderous applause in the surf. It's an unusual and delightful auditory experience. Lameshur Bay is another incredible
spot. Great Lameshur Bay is often empty. The drive there is a little tricky and I always need a little love and support
to get over the bumpy parts, but the road quickly smoothes out. This beach feels completely removed from the rest of the
island, there's good beach combing and snorkeling and for us, usually, total isolation.
The best map we've found is National Geographic's Virgin Islands National Park map. It's a good representation of the
island, including roads, topography, and lots of place names. The Virgin Islands National Park visitors center in Cruz Bay
is a great place for maps, books and free information from park rangers. There's also a great book called St John Off the
Beaten Track by Gerald Singer. It's crammed with history, snorkeling advice, hiking trail information, flora, fauna, photos
and more. The Lonely Planet Virgin Islands guide book is also useful, but it really doesn't do a good job of conveying the
St John experience. Of course, what book could possibly explain what it feels like to hover weightless over a pair of hawksbill
turtles as they glide below the surface of a warm, sun dappled tropical bay. Mmmmmmm.....
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| Brown Bay |
For some more relaxation and privacy, head to Brown Bay. Drive east on the Centerline Road through Coral Bay and Estate
Zootenvaal. Just past E.Z. you'll cross a bridge (hardly noticeable, more of a place for rainwater to pass under the road
really). Just across this "bridge" is a place to pull off on the left. From this clearing you can hike up the
trail to the right. The trail to the left leads to a shooting range or something that is off limits. Hike for about 30 minutes
over the ridge and down to Brown Bay. Wow, privacy, shallow water, great snorkeling, and manic pelicans diving for fish.
When facing out to sea, the best snorkeling is off to the right and around the point. At this location we have seen tons
of conchs and an octopus. To the left (west) side of the bay is a path that leads to some old ruins. This place is the essence
of St John for us, undeveloped and pretty much ignored by other tourists. Ask at the National Park Visitors Center in Cruz
Bay about the conditions at this or any other beach within the park. Brown Bay has been littered with personal items (trash)
at times. These items are left behind by immigrants who come ashore at this secluded spot and leave things behind when they
move on.
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| Saltpond Bay |
Some Additional Links:
Maho Bay Camp
Cinnamon Bay Camp
The Westin St John Resort
Virgin Islands Ferry Schedules
Much of the week we cook dinner at the villa. However, there's some great food to be had in restaurants. In our opinion,
the best food on the island is at Miss Lucy's. Follow 107 south to the Calabash Boom area, between Coral Bay and Saltpond
Bay. Miss Lucy's is on the water side of the road (make reservations). Skinny Leg's in Coral Bay is great for lunch. Morgan's
Mango in Cruz Bay, next to Mongoose Junction is good for dinner (make reservations). The cocktails are amazing, the vegetarian
plate was a bit lacking. But did I mention the cocktails? There's also a reliable sandwich kiosk in Mongoose Junction (a
small outdoor mall) for lunch as well. I have to say that as a group of up to 8 obviously gay men, we are generally treated
warmly everywhere we go. The vibe on St John is very tolerant and relaxing and I have never felt uncomfortable there. There's
a lot more to recommend. Feel free to email us with questions about this very special little place!
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