biggs

Hi all,

Trying to plan a 10th anniversary trip in June 2014. Trying to decide between Coral or Cruz. I imagine the days will be spent at beaches, so not sure either location would be superior on that criteria. Dining options would probably be more of the deciding factor. Would like something laid back, mainly casual food with some places for live music. Not interested in "clubs" at all. What would you all recommend?

Will probably have some more questions as time gets closer. Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

Bassguy66

If you want more dining options, and a few fun casual bars, I think Cruz Bay is the clear choice. Coral Bay is beautiful, but very laid back, and a (lot) more islolated. There are no "clubs" that I know of on STJ. You will need a jeep regardless of where you stay to get to the beaches during the day. You will have to pick a location based on whether you want to be able to walk into town, and have a short 5-10 min drive.

DebitNM

We stay with friend who live in Coral Bay. It is less crowded, close to several really nice beaches and there are some good places to eat. You can always go to Cruz Bay for the day/dinner/beaches out that way. I like the lack of hustle and bustle of Coral Bay.

steviegene

Coral Bay is very cool but very quiet. Not really much of a centralized "town". It has a casual surfer vibe. Isolated (which can be good or bad depending on what you like).

Cruz Bay is busier than Coral Bay, but not busy in any real sense of the world. In June, the off-season, I would imagine you would not have any problem with it being too "busy". It has more selection in terms of shops, a variety of fancy and casual restaurants, and has Several beach side bars that often feature live music. Depending on where you stay you can walk into town (which is good because there is a parking shortage). I would not personally want to dine & drink and then make the drive over to Coral Bay. -- its a relatively long drive because the roads are steep and windy.

My husband and I stayed at Gallows Point last winter. They are individually owned condos but run exactly like a hotel, with pool, amenities, etc. The view across the bay was beautiful, the room had a kitchen so we could prepare breakfast, they don't allow really young kids which was a plus for us and its a really easy walk into town.

You'll love St John!

brenandg

steviegene answered your question very well. Based on your criteria, I think Cruz Bay would suit you better. You could also look at Grande Bay which is right in town very near to Gallow's Point but a little less pricey. It is a condo complex which are individually owned. The difference from Gallow's Point is that they don't have daily maid service. I am definitely a Cruz Bay person because I like being able to walk to town for dinner. Coral Bay is just quieter and more spread out.

biggs

Thanks everyone for your responses. Sounds like either end of the island would work fine for us. Are there any villas close enough to Cruz Bay to walk, other than the Gallow's Point condos. We would rather have a more private villa than a condo. What about any villas close enough to Coral Bay to walk? Thanks again.

steviegene

I don't have specific info on rental villas. If you google rental villas in st john, lots of options come up, some of which (like home away.com) you see the rentals location on a map. When looking don't get confused between Cruz Bay and Great Cruz Bay. Cruz Bay is where the town is.

Also, just to be clear, in Coral Bay there really isn't a "town" to walk to. There a couple restaurants and some rental shops, but its too spread out to be considered a centralized walk-to area.