St John planning
 

Hi all! Now that the holidays are over, I need to get serious about planning my itinerary for St. John in March.

We are staying 5 nights at the Westin. Rented a jeep and booked a day trip to the BVIs on New Horizons II. Also picked out the retaurants I want to hit (Lime Inn, Morgan's Mango, Rhumb Lines, maybe Fish Trap and Waterfront Bistro..oh and definitely Woodies for happy hour).

Now I need help planning the daily island exploration. What order to hit what beaches and how much I realistically do in one day while still allowing some time for relaxation. I figure we will have 3 days to explore (2 if we decide to renbt a dinghy one day). What are the must sees and where should I start!

We like great beaches, awesome views, snorkeling and a little bit of hiking and a beach bar or two.

Thanks in advance for your help!

We have been to STJ many times. Start with Hawksnest and spend 2-3 hours there. Next hit the beaches at Caneel Bay (Honeymoon, Salomon, and the main beach there), and maybe have a drink there. Save Trunk and Cinnamon for either early one morning or late in the afternoon after the crowds have dispersed. Also, you will not have to pay an entry fee if you do this.

You should definitely spend an early morning on the backside of STJ at Salt Pond along with the Rams Head hike from that beach. That is a must do in my opinion. Plan on eating at Shipwreck's Landing near Salt Pond and Coral Bay afterwards. Get up early to do this and then hit Trunk or Cinnamon on the way back.

Another way to kill most of a day is by hiking in to snorkel at Waterlemon Cay and then spend the afternoon at Francis and Maho beaches.

Rhumb Lines is our favorite and I suggest you eat there early on because you may want to go twice. Fish Trap is my least favorite on your list but they have a wonderful fish market if you have a villa and cook in. DO NOT waste time at the Westin beach!! I hope you have a wonderful trip and do not miss Jost Van Dyke in the BVI. It is an easy ferry ride from Cruz Bay. Let me know if you have other questions.

Thank you so much for the recommendations! I already have Rhumb lines planned for night 1! Fish Trap was not on the definite list anyway so we'll see..

Where is the best place to start the hike to Watermelon Cay? and how long od a hike is it?


Definitely going to Jost!

Here's a few ideas for beaches/snorkeling....

One of the better snorkeling areas is Waterlemon Caye. You will park at the Suger Mill Ruins parking area, and hike along the water for about 5-10 minutes. The further you hike, the shorter the swim out to the island. The reefs around the island are great. This is not for weak swimmers.

I also thought Salt Pond beach was great. Again, you will hike about 10 minutes down a dirt road to the beach. The best snorkeling is found way out around the rocks sticking up about 150 yards offshore. Again, not for weak swimmers. Once out by the rocks, there are great coral heads out there, along with plenty of marine life.

A few easier snorkels/swims: Maho Beach, Trunk Bay, Francis, Hawksnest, Gibney. At most beaches, you usually have to swim to where you see out croppings of rocky points to find the interesting stuff. This is mostly found at the ends of the beaches. You really must have a book called "Feet Fins & Four Wheel Drive" It was a huge help in finding all the beaches around the island.

Try the happy hour at the Beach Bar at Wharfside village, usually a fun time. I also recommend Zozos at Gallows Point for a nice dinner out.

Hope this helps get you started.

Get a map of the island. You will drive past Francis and Maho and then head to Leinister Bay. You will see a parking area and some potties. Park and take the steps up to see the view and the Annaberg Sugar Mill ruins (another must do!!)

Waterlemon is approx. 3/4 to 1 mile in and is an easy walk. Hang your stuff/backpacks in the trees so the donkeys do not get into them and then swim across to Waterlemon. Once there watch for sea urchins and swim counter clockwise (with the current) around the cay.

At Salt Pond, you may want to take a flotation device if you go out to the rocks. My daughters and I have done that but it is a good ways out so you need to be a strong swimmer. We saw sharks, an octopus, and many other things there. We always have good look seeing neat creatures at Salt Pond. Just be careful of currents.

I too agree with going to the East End of the island to explore. I agree with Salt Pond, just be aware that the hike back up the hill is a hot quarter of a mile. Pack light. If you don't feel like doing a long hike (Ram Head), take the easy 1/4 mile trail to Drunk Bay. No snorkeling there, it is not safe for swimming but it is an interesting experience. It is very rocky and there are scores of coral people figures that folks have made strewn about.If you hike Ram Head, do it early before the heat. To each his own, but for lunch in Coral Bay, a burger at Skinny Legs can't be beat. A must do for us. This newer place has been getting loads of good reviews and they have lobster rolls when available.

http://www.on-stjohn.com/2008/09/26/...trap/#comments

We are definitely trying this place next time. You could then continue on further to the far East End and stop at Vie's Beach or just enjoy a very scenic drive.

Another day, you could do the North Shore beach crawl, stopping at your whim. One of my favorite beaches is Maho. Trunk Bay is not to be missed, even on a "crowded" day. It is a gorgeous beach. Hawksnest is also a favorite.

I'm sure you will enjoy NH II. We did that trip back in 2006 and it is a fun day. You will be teased by only about an hour on Jost. White Bay is one of my favorite places on the planet.

Definitely Rhumblines for dinner. We just tried this place and we love it. Nice atmosphere too. It's easy to miss. You basically have to walk through The Bayside Mini Mart to get to it. It's basically behind and sort of around the block from JJ's Texas Coast. I also very highly recommend Cafe Roma for excellent Italian food. There is also a new place in Wharfside Landing called The Surly Cantina. They have cheap (by STJ standards) and very decent Mexican food. We are always looking for good and inexpensive food.

I also recommend getting a copy of Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive by Pam Gaffin. It is a great and simple guide book. We used that thing constantly our first couple of trips.

We are also going to St. John in March, it will be our second trip.

This is a really good site

http://www.vinow.com/

and their St John beach guide is really good.

http://www.vinow.com/stjohn/beaches_stj/

We like the north beaches best.

Don't try to cram too many beaches into a day. I really would do 2 max; 1 in morning and another in afternoon. Otherwise, you will waste a lot of time driving and looking for parking.

Deb

http://seestjohn.com/

This is a great site to learn a little more about STJ.

I have nothing to add to the St. John planning, other than wanting to wish you a wonderful time. Will it be just the three of you, or will all the kids be going?

Hi ej! Actually..it will be just the two of us! Though I am second guessing that now because I know I know Ellie would love it...

We were just on St. John in November and we ate at Rhumblines. It was our favorite restaurant on the island.

Have a wonderful trip!

http://stjohnusvi.net is another great place to find more information about St John. Good photo galleries if you want to see what it looks like around Cruz Bay (the main city, if you can call it a city) and good beach photos.