cprivalle

We are planning a vacation for mid July and would appreciate any feedback re: St John vs Bermuda. We are avid snorkelers/beach people. We've been to St. Thomas 5 years ago so we briefly saw St John and Trunk Bay. Any opinions as to which Island and accommodations e.g. Westin or Caneel Bay on St John (or others) or Bermuda resorts would be helpful.
Thanks

RobertoB

We've been to both Bermuda and St. John. Both have great beaches but I'd say that St. John has a significant advantage in snorkeling. St. John has a number of shore access snorkel sites that can be reached by car. While Trunk Bay is beautiful there's much to explore beyond Trunk. Consider renting a villa as an alternative to Westin and Caneel.

pnire

We have been to both also and I think Bermuda has a better selection of hotels and shopping but St. John has better snorkleing. The beaches on both are fairly similar - many you have to travel to and are not outside your hotel and many are very private. Bermuda probably has more places to eat and drink but I thought the food was great on St. John. Bermuda will have a more upscale feel. I don't think you can go wrong with either. I would have a hard time picking which to go back to first.

TedTurner

As for number of options, there's no comparison between St. John and Bermuda given that Bermuda's population is over 20 times greater than that of St. John, and there are over 300 eateries on Bermuda, less than a quarter as many on SJ.
Retail is dramatically better on Bermuda. Also a lot more in the way of accommodations, though there's nothing similar to Caneel Bay on Bermuda.

Now when it comes to snorkelling and beaches, St. John is tough to beat.
Just depends on whether or not the other perks are important.

tpatricco

I've been to both Bermuda and St. John. We love snorkling, and are returning to St. John for two weeks (leaving this Tues!!). Bermuda's snorkling pales in comparison to the variety and quantity of beaches for this on St. John. The best snorkling we did in Bermuda was on the reefs off the north shore, and had to do a boat trip to get there. As previous posters have said, Bermuda offers benefits more in Shopping & dining whereas St. John is a much more laid back, nature oriented type island. Trunk Bay is beautiful, but it only scratches the surface of what's on St. John. For snorkling & beach, St. John is easily the winner over Bermuda. Glad to answer any other questions...but check out this website for a taste http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Beaches.htm Trish

bosco

Hi. Have not been to St. John yet, but we really love Bermuda. We went there on our honeymoon in 2000 and revisted last year. We love Bermuda for the beautiful beaches, small quaint resorts and cottage colonies and variety of things to do and see (as well as the British culture). As far as places to stay, there are many depending on what you are looking for. For a couples vacation, consider The Reefs in Southampton. It's now all smart casual (no jackets), has a small, private pink sand beach, an infinity pool and outdoor jacuzzi, a new spa and 3 restaurants to choose from (with the option of a dine around program). Best snorkeling is just around the corner from The Reefs in Church Bay or you can take a snorkeling trip on the North Shore.