Hi! My family and I are considering a trip to St. John in early spring. I'm currently scoping out all the villas but there are SO many to choose from! Ideally, I would like one w/in walking distance to a great beach. Any suggestions? <BR>

rent this if its available<BR><BR>http://www.greatexpectationsusvi.com/index.html

I have been to Great Expectations two times. The views are magnificent, the accommodations especially great for a family, and the owners are delightful. Have a great time.

Gina,<BR><BR>Most St. John villas (including Great Expectations) are located on the South side of the island because the North side is almost all National Park land. The best St. John beaches are in the National Park (i.e. Trunk, Cinnamon, Hawksnest, Francis, etc.). There are just a few villas that have been built within the National Park boundaries. If you really want to be walking diatnce to a *great* beach, this is where you should stay. Check out this one, which is just above Cinnamon Bay. <BR><BR>http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/cinnamonbay/cinnamonbay.html<BR><BR>There are also some very nice villas within Peter Bay estates that would be easy walking diatnce to a great north shore beach, but this is a very expensive area and may be out of your price range. Here's the url if you want to check it out:<BR><BR>http://www.st-john.com/rentavilla/peterbay.html<BR><BR>Good luck! <BR><BR>

Thanks for the responses! I will definitly check out the websites! Julie, thanks for the FYI on the location of villas. I kept hearing that the north shore beaches are the best. If my family does a LOT of snorkeling on vacation, do you think ST. John would be the right place to go? I think we would want to have a villa w/in walking distance of good snorkeling.

Gina: St. John has *great* snorkeling. It will probably be easier to find a villa that's walking distance to good snorkeling than to find one walking distance to a north shore beach. There won't be too many where you would have both. Once possibility in addition to those listed in previous posts, is Villa Serenity near Francis Bay--very nice, quiet, north-shore beach with reasonably good snorkeling too. The only drawbacks are that this villa has no pool and it's not as close to Cruz Bay as some of the others. Here's a link:<BR><BR>http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/villas...y/default.html

i have been to great expectaions recently and it is not the same. There has been a villa built right in front of it and blocks your view. The view from the bedrooms is still good but from the main room it is blocked. Nice villa but i would go another route.