alternative to St John
 

My husband and I (early 50s) are trying to decide which Caribbean island to go to next February. We've been to St John twice, Tortola once and Virgin Gorda. Of those three, we like St John the best, but are thinking of trying something different next time.

We like to snorkel from the beach, and prefer islands that are lush and green, not flat and arid. We do not like to be near cruise ship crowds and are not big shoppers. We also don't need/want any nightlife, although we do like to go out to eat dinner every night with good food in a laid back atmosphere. We do not golf or play tennis, but do enjoy hiking.

Because of those reasons, St John is great for us. But it is hard to get there from Chicago (2 flights plus a ferry, takes all day). Also we like to stay close to the water and St John doesn't really have many choices there. We like to be able to walk to at least a couple restaurants. We stayed at Gallows Point last year and it was nice but noisy at night (garbage trucks, restaurant noise all night long). Also Gallows Point was pretty pricey for what you got (our loft bedroom was hot even with AC on and the bed very uncomfortable). We did really enjoy the great ocean view from our balcony and also liked having a kitchen for breakfast and lunch. We didn't mind driving to the beaches since we could walk to many restaurants at night.

Having said all that, does anyone have any suggestions? I'm thinking we may have to compromise or just go back to St John and try to find a different place to stay, maybe a condo (our first time there we rented a house but had to drive everywhere, both the beaches and out to dinner which was not relaxing).

Thanks!

One of the drawbacks in your list of requirements is that most mountainous & lush islands outside of the Virgin islands don't have very good "off-beach" snorkeling. Another difficulty you'll encounter is the islands that are easy to get to will be more crowded compared to those that take one or more connecting flights and/or ferries to reach.

Remember too that any resort, hotel or rental unit that is "close" to restaurants and shops is bound to have exposure to "residual noise". You can either be secluded or near everything not necessiarilly both. People (and thus "noise")go to where there are activities and facilities.

If you liked St. John but find it too pricy for your budget you might want to check out the islands of Vieques or Culebra.

Antigua may be another island that has what you are seeking (except perhaps for the snorkeling).

Stay out in the Francis Bay area or along the north shore road. There aren't as many rentals to choose from there and you are a 10 - 15 minute drive to Cruz Bay, but you are close to the beaches and it does tend to be quiet. Trade-offs.

We just returned from Vigin Gorda and thought it was a good alternative to St. John. The nice thing about VG, is that there are villas ON the beach or within a minute or two walking that won't break the bank. The snorkeling might not be as nice, but it was a close second from what we saw and I actually liked the island atmosphere better than St. John.

Thanks Roamsaround. Your info about off beach snorkeling outside of the Virgins was helpful and I wasn't aware of it. I did realize that islands that are harder to get to will be less crowded, and I'm willing to trade-off for that. Just was hoping that once we got there, we wouldn't have to drive everywhere. We like to walk and have no problem walking to restaurants within a mile of our place. The problem with Gallows Point was our villa was only a few yards from their restaurant (we could see diners on the balcony from our bedroom windows). The noise from the diners didn't bother us, rather the sound of delivery trucks at 3 am, etc. The town and the rest of the restaurants were too far away to hear, it was just the resort's restaurant that bothered us.

iamq, I think you're right about the north shore road. Our first trip we rented a house up in the hills (I think above Chocolate Hole) and the driving was a pain. North Shore would be closer. Or I was even wondering if we should stay in Coral Bay. We took a day trip there again this time. It is quieter and there are more restaurants there now than our last trip in the 90s. We were in Virgin Gorda in 2002. We had a beautiful house just a short walk up the hill from the beach. VG was very nice, but at that time, there didn't seem to be many decent restaurants, food was even more pricey than St. John, and the scenery not as pretty. The locals also seemed a lot less friendly.

I guess we'll have to make some compromises. How about the Turks/Caicos? I believe it is more flat/arid but with good beaches, snorkeling, restaurants.

If the things you want the most are beaches, snorkeling and restaurants then I think Turks and Caicos might be for you. The rest of the island though (only my opinion) is very ugly (no vegetation, litter, among other things, etc.... Just adding that, because you were saying you would like lush vegetation, which is definitely not Turks and Caicos.

Turks & Cacios would be a good choice for snorkeling if you are willing to give up the lush and mountains. However, I would suggest Grand Cayman instead. The best Island for snorkeling. (IMHO) There are hotels in various price ranges or condos units with full kitchens. Getting around is easier than St. John. I would suggest a car just to get to all the various off shore snorkeling spots, sightseeing tourist areas, Rum Point and a few resturants. Georgetown can get crowded when the cruise ship are in, but just adjust your schedule to be elsewhere and it's not a problem.

Also maybe Curacao. Though its hard to get there. The topography is hilly with lots of brush and cacti. There are many beach coves that are good for snorkeling. We stayed at the Lions Dive hotel in a 2 bedroom apartment. There are 3 resturants on site and a few more were within walking distance. We did the animal encounter introductory scuba dive at the Aquarium (you don't not have to be certifed) and swam with sharks, stings ray, puffer fish, turtles, dolphins and many variety of fish. It was a great experience. (my DH is 54 and he had the time of his life)

Oh, wanted to throw Cozumel in there also. Lush topography, good beaches, downtown area easy and safe to walk through even at night, great assortment of resturants and some of the best snorkeling though you need to book boats trips out to the reefs for the better experience. The Island is easy to get to and one of the least expensive destinations. I would also consider Tulum, Akumal and Port Aransas outside of the Play del Carmen area of Mexico.

I was going to suggest Grand Cayman too if you can get over the fact that once off the beach, it isn't hilly & green. Beaches are so perfect though that you may never get past the beach area anyway. We've been to both St John & GC & would probably pick GC because of not having to drive to beaches & easier to get to. Love Riviera Maya area of Mexico too same issues as GC.

We went to Riviera Maya a couple of years ago with a big family group and I wasn't crazy about it. Probably because we were at a huge all inclusive (Barcelo), and that isn't our cup of tea (felt like a cruise on land). Very noisy at the beach/pool with loud music, water aerobics classes, etc. And beach wasn't as pretty as Virgin Islands. Maybe if we could have stayed off the reservation we would have had a different experience, but it wasn't our choice -- that type of place is great for large family reunions, which this was. We did escape for a day trip to Tulum which was our favorite day of the trip.

I think it's probably back to the Virgin Islands for us. It is so beautiful there we've been spoiled!