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St. John's Island Guide-Things to do

 

 

The Tap Room-St John Brewers' flagship brew pub, , is located in Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay, St John. Home to Tropical Mango Pale Ale, Island Summer Ale and LIquid Sunshine Belgian Wheat Ale, the bar also offers several other seasonal brews crafted on site. Featuring the island's largest selection of draft beer as well as A/C and wireless internet access, the Tap Room is a great stop after a long, hot day at the beach.

Trunk Bay- The good news: this world-class stretch of white sand and turquoise water is St. John's most photographed beach, which features a marked underwater trail for beginning snorkelers. The bad news: because of its popularity, it can get very crowded with cruise ship passengers and members of sightseeing tours.

Waterlemon Cay- is a small cay within Leinster Bay.  To get there, you'll need to do a short 10 minute hike in from the Annaberg...

Caneel Bay-Honeymoon Beach secret tip... Go to the Caneel Resort and park in public parking area they have a smooth walking trail to Honeymoon Beach, and their bar/grill is open to the public so you can even...

Francis Bay-Sea Turtles, beautiful beach, never crowded. Favorite beach on the island. 

Cinnamon Bay, US Virgin Islands National Park-
Date of review by Trip Advisor: Jan 20, 2011 Don't miss Cinnamon Bay on St. John if you're traveling to the USVI. You get a gorgeous, uncrowded and long beach of soft coral sand located in a US national park, backed by thick vegetation and palms with crystal clear water shading to various hues of turquoise and deep blue, with cays and the BVI rising in the distance. You can rent snorkeling gear, kayaks, sailboards, even a hobie cat at the little waterfront store, or just rent a chair, buy a few beers and sit on the beach. For true budget accommodations, you can camp in the campground right off the beach. There's a convenience store, prepared food, as well as restrooms and shower facilities.
Cinnamon Bay Campground is committed to offering guests an eco friendly, tranquil and intimate camping experience within the beautifully preserved natural
surroundings of St. John. Site assignments are made on a first come first served basis. All accommodations have a selection of site locations, some near the beach,
others are tucked amongst the trees. All offer easy access to nearby central bathhouses that include rest rooms and cool water showers. Each site is private and
serene and within a minute’s walk of Cinnamon Bay Beach, the longest beach on St. John.

Ram Head Trail-We loved the hike and echo the others who say go early, take water and wear tennis shoes. We also believe that someone long ago was asked "how long is this hike?" They answered, 'about a mile" and they printed that on the sign at Salt Pond Bay. It is definitely longer than that!

St. John's Big Blue Snokeling-Capt. Wilson is very knowledgeable about the sea-life in each of the areas visited and brought valuable insight. A drifting snorkel was the hilight of the charter plus two other beach areas that are hard to reach by land. There were sea turtles, angle fish, sea anamones and lots of very cool  fish and coral. Unlike some other charter's, Capt. Wilson was very flexible about cancelling a subseqent booked trip and refunding the deposit when the weather did not cooperate. A trip on Big Blue is highly recommended during a stay on St. Thomas or St John.  

Shopping-For any one who enjoys shopping, visiting the arts and crafts studios and stores on St. John will be a high point of your trip. St. John attracts creative designers who produce all kinds of products, with a large range of prices- although many are high-end. The main shopping areas
can be visited in one jam-packed day or in two relaxed days with lunches at charming restaurants in the shopping areas.

Mongoose Junction Stroll through winding lanes with native stonework and tropical garden setting. Enjoy watching local artists create paintings, wonderful jewelry, and more. At Best of Both Worlds about one hundred artists and artisans sell their work. You will also find sophisticated duty free
shops with products from around the world: gifts, jewelry, clothing, authentic artifacts, and more. Be sure to have lunch, dinner, or at least a tropcal drink at Ocean Grill, outdoor dining at it's best. Dinner is also available at Paradiso Restuarant, and lunches at Sun Dog Cafe are a favorite. Every Wednesday night Sun Dog has dinner and free local music jam. There are some incredible musicians living right on little St. John!

Wharfside Village This beach front shopping mall has a variety of tourist shops, locally made products, jewelry, stores with outdoor supplies for water sports, and even a spice factory. It also has relaxing restaurants.

The Marketplace is just down the South Shore Road from Cruz Bay, and has every service from a gym and excellent drugstore to a bookstore and supermarket (St. John style, of course!). There is even a hardware store if you need it. More good news - shopping for watches, jewelry, cameras, perfume, china, liquor, and more is duty-free in the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. travelers are allowed to return with $1,600 worth of duty free purchases. You can also mail duty-free gifts of up to $100 per gift (no liquor or cigarettes) to friends and families. Liquor is one of the best deals available and is typically 60% less than US prices - be sure to try the Virgin Island's Cruzan Rum.

Nightlife-Reggae music is popular as well as Jimmy Buffet-type bands. In Cruz Bay, check out Fred's Patio or the Beach Bar in Wharfside Village. Be sure to visit Coral Bay and try the live music at Skinny Legs- or more local music at Sputnik almost across the street. Skinny Legs draws a crowd from all over the island is considered to be the best sport's bar. Larry's Landing has some good music in it's new location. Inner Visions is the local reggae band. You can't get more local or irie!

Happy Hour is a must at Woody's in Cruz Bay.  It's a really small bar/restaurant with only a few tables inside and two outside, and you'll see the crowds spilling into the street come happy hour.   Try the shark bites and conch fritters for some great local flavor.    They also have a walk up window if you want to get something to go. Drinking on the street is the norm here, so no worries about chugging that drink before you move onto the next bar. 

For an evening out, take your party to happy hour at Joe's Rum Hut and then enjoy the view at Jake's- both in Cruz Bay. Jake's and The Quit Mon Pub are both open until 4 am, and Jake's serves food (breakfast included) all the way up until closing. Try the Caneel Bay Bar for its famous rum punches or JJ's Texas Coast Cafe, across from the ferry in Cruz Bay for a real taste of the local scene. You can play pool and pour your own drinks at Larry's Landing in Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay or find video games at Jake's in the lumberyard complex of Cruz Bay. For excellent and fresh seafood, try the Fish Trap or Lime Tree in Cruz Bay.  The Fish Trap also has a small seafood shop attached where you can purchase seafood to take back to your villa to make your own culinary specialites.

If you visit during Carnival (July 4) or during their long Christmas holiday, which goes from mid-December to mid-January (their Three Kings celebration is after Christmas), be sure to join in some of the local celebrations for great entertainment. A visit to St. John in November affords you the opportunity to attend Flavors of St. John, a food and wine event where you "Dine with all St John's Best Restaurants in One Night".

House Boat Tour-Don't want to sail on a catamarin? Don't want to scuba dive or para-sail, or catch any huge tuna? Like to be on the water but prone to sea sickness? Like a slower pace in multiple bays out of Coral Bay - THE boating capital of St. John. Just took this houseboat, with Captain Pete and his First Mate Sass, and had a ball. The Angel's Rest houseboat is very cool. Fed fresh fruit from Sass' yard, homemade mango salsa, fresh French bread, baked Brie cheese and chips. Had sodas, water and ate at a table that looks straight down into the water. The cabin looks exactly like a West indian cottage - yellow and blue and the peaked roof catches the rain that goes directly into the houseboat's cistern. This provides the fresh water for the shower. The electricity is provided by a solar panel. Sass cookedbaked Brie in her small, but efficient, galley.

All of this was built by Captain Pete and is worth the effort. They can only take 6 or less people. It costs $25 per person per hour - and was one of the best expenditures made here on St. John. P.S. Our family lives on St. John, and have seen many other seafaring charters cost more and offer less. PPS. We are not hired by Captain Pete and we are not his siblings....we just found a treasure and want to share this with our Trip Advisor family. I took my Trip Advisor hat with me but was too busy snorkling to wear it. The houseboat Angel's Rest website is up and coming but you can always find Pete through Connections in either Cruz Bay or Coral Bay, or Skinny Legs.

St. John's Sport Fishing-Located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico lies one of the top fishing grounds in the world. The Virgin Islands is home to world-renowned sport fishing. The Mixed Bag Fishing Charters offer year-round offshore action with Marlin, Dorado, Tuna, Wahoo, while inshore they catch Snapper, King Fish, Skip Jacks and more. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned pro, they seem to be able to accommodate your needs with two boats to choose from - Mixed Bag I 40ft Luhrs Express Sport Fisherman - Mixed Bag II a custom 32ft Diesel Inboard Center Counsel with marine head

Pictures of Ram Head Trail, St. John
This photo of Ram Head Trail is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Pictures of Ram Head Trail, St. John
This photo of Ram Head Trail is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photos of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park
This photo of Trunk Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Virgin Islands National Park Photos
This photo of Virgin Islands National Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

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