Beach at Gallows Pointe

Old Nov 26th, 2000, 08:23 AM
  #1  
Rick
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Beach at Gallows Pointe

Thinking of taking my family to Gallows Pointe(ages 10, 15,17). My only concern is the lack of beach. Is there any beach there? Would my kids be able to snorkle
there? How long would it take to get to the nearest good-sized beach? Can you take public transportation there or would it be better to rent a car?
 
Old Nov 26th, 2000, 10:16 AM
  #2  
Kara
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There is not a beach as such at Gallows Point......... it has just a rocky seashore. There is a small area that has lounge chairs and a few hammocks down by the water and it is sandy in that area. The entry into the water is rocky but is really not a problem. There is a floating platform a short distance from the shore that you can swim out to. The snorkeling at Gallows Point is very good! My husband and I stayed there last July and plan to go back on our next vacation. Have a great time!
 
Old Nov 26th, 2000, 12:15 PM
  #3  
Ray Snow
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Hi Rick,

I agree with Kara about Gallows Point. There really is a small beach. It's just not a sandy beach but is a rocky beach instead. As Kara indicated, they have brought in a bunch of sand and put it in an area protected from the tide right next to the rocky beach. There are hammocks and chaise lunges in that area. There is also a wooden deck next to the beach with chaise lounges. There is no real difficulty getting into the water at Gallows Point where the snorkeling is good. There is a huge barracuda named Charlie who hides under the floating platform mentioned by Kara. He won't bother you if you don't bother him. He sleeps there during the day and goes out into deeper water to hunt at night. I would strongly suggest that all of you bring canvas top/rubber sole wading shoes ($10 or less at any good sporting goods store) or the more expensive scuba booties to use at Gallows Point to protect your feet from the rocks and small sea urchins (they will sting you if you touch them) which often hide among the rocks. These shoes will give you better footing there also.

The resort is a five minute walk away from downtown Cruz Bay. It is also a 5-10 minute walk away from Frank Bay which has a sandy beach and good snorkeling. The terrific national park beaches are just a few minutes away by jeep or taxi. There is extremely limited public bus transportation on the island, but it is not dependable and not suited for tourists. There are countless safari taxis available to take you to the more popular beaches such as Hawksnest Bay, Trunk Bay, or Cinnamon Bay. There are several jeep rental companies in Cruz Bay. You can rent a car if you look long enough, but they cost as much as a jeep and don't do as well on the island's roads. I reccommend Hertz (340-693-7580) or Spencer Jeep Rental (340-776-6628. I didn't give you the 800 number for Hertz because their rates are lower if you call Hertz-St. John direct. You may not need a rental vehicle the whole time that you are there, because the resort will pick you and your family up at the ferry dock and take you back there when you leave at no cost. You can read the second half of my trip report about our 6 night stay there this past June to see how I handled renting a jeep on St. John. It's posted at http://virginislandsnow.homestead.co...0vacation.html. You should be able to copy and paste this address into your browser's window. St. John is truly a tropical paradise and Gallows Point is an excellent choice for a resort. We have stayed at Caneel Bay in the past and like GP just as well, but Caneel Bay costs BIG BUCKS. Gallows Point also offers Triple A members a 10% discount off of their posted rate. There are some terrific pictures including iPIX at the resort's website - http://www.gallowspointresort.com. As good as these pictures are, they do not do justice to the place. Hope you have a great trip!

Regards,
Ray
 
Old Nov 26th, 2000, 01:45 PM
  #4  
Rick
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Thanks for the help on the beach and car rentals at Gallows Point. I just saw on their website that they really
don't encourage children at this hotel. We are not looking for a lot of "Kids activities". We just want to do some family bonding before our daughter enlists in the Navy. Should we be looking at another location or will we be welcomed with our 3 kids.Also, we can
only go around the middle of June. Will the weather be too hot and humid? Being off-season will this have an effect on services at the hotel and places (i.e.-restaurants closed)on the island? Would appreciate any help with these questions.
 
Old Nov 26th, 2000, 04:48 PM
  #5  
Ray Snow
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Hi again Rick,

June will be a little warmer than December but only about 5 degrees warmer. There are fans and ceiling fans to help out. The harbor side units actually have the best breezes and are a little cooler. Their views aren't as spectacular as the ocean front units, and some people complain that noise from town is sometimes a problem in the harbor side suites. But they also cost less. June is actually my favorite month to go to the Virgin Islands, because the water is very warm, clear, and calm. That starts to change in July. Make sure you pack plenty of insect repellant, because the mosquitos and noseeums are not shy about biting you even inside your suite. They are worse at dawn & dusk.

Even though June is in the off season, there are lots of people who visit the island then, so the services of the resort will not be curtailed, and just about every restaurant, bar, store, etc. will also be open. My wife and I have stayed there several times including this past June, and we have always seen numerous children staying there with their parents. The statement on the web site was aimed at keeping the number of children in check. As long as your kids are reasonably well behaved and don't make lots of noise (especially during the evening in or near the suites) or disturb other guests, you will have no problem. Any guest who finds that other guests, whether juvenile or adult, are making too much noise or behaving very badly and disturbing them can call the front desk about the problem. After hours, they can call the on-site security guard. Either a staff/management person or the security guard will come and warn the offenders to behave better and keep quiet. If they fail to do so, they will be forced to vacate the premises. So you should have no problem. We have never been bothered by any children when staying there. Once a rock group playing a gig in town came back to their suite around 2:30 am and started to party real loud. A quick call to the security guard took care of that problem, which is the only time we ever had any kind of problem at all at GP.

Best of luck,
Ray
 
Old Nov 26th, 2000, 05:08 PM
  #6  
nicole
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Rick,

My family and I have vacationed there many a time while I was growing up. My brother and I were very young and had alot of fun. We were never bored. There was not a beach when we were there either 1983-1986, but we found plenty of rays and yes, I think the same barracuda. Go ahead, it's a great family spot!
 
Old Nov 27th, 2000, 11:49 AM
  #7  
Varsha
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Hi,

Just returned from Gallows Pointe, we snorkeled all over the island and BVI's.
Gallows was in the top for snorkeling. And there were other children in the water with their parents. Not to many people snorkeling at once. Great place, great staff. Recommend renting a car for one day and and going to the various bays for snorkeling. We saw older children at gallows, meaning they were over 10 years old. Have fun
 
Old Nov 30th, 2000, 05:46 PM
  #8  
cj
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If you are renting a jeep/suzuki and want good snorkeling go towards Coral Bay -- visit Salt Pond. Have lunch a Skinny Legs nearby -- great burgers. Jumbie Bay is also very nice. We went in late June/early July and mosquitos were a problem where we were, but loved S.t John anyway!
Go -- and have a great time!
 
Old Dec 2nd, 2000, 09:09 AM
  #9  
mike
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We were in St. John this June and the weather and water were perfect. I don't know if it's a "wives tale" or not, but we took vitamin b1 for 30 days b/4 and we had NO bug problems!! We were there in November also, and the no-seeums were really bad.
I would recommend you consider renting a villa. There are many with pools which the kids would probably like. Try www.caribeannvillas.com or www.cateredto.com
 

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