Salt Life Caribbean Youtube channel

I and many others are in love with quiet St. John. It has a such a different personality then the other Virgin Islands. It softly seduces with post card vistas and some of the most beautiful beaches in all the Caribbean. Here is an article that gives you a little insight to these seductive sands.
________________________

St John USVI is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands. Its sister islands are St Thomas and St Croix. The exotic beaches here are unique among the beaches of the Caribbean and the world.

The island is only nine miles long and three miles wide and two thirds of the island is the Virgin Islands National Park and therefore protected by the USA Park Rangers.

Most of the tourists arrive in St John for its beaches. They are unspoiled and are surrounded by pristine waters calmly lapping its sandy beaches.

It is located to the east of St Thomas on a 20 minute ride by ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay in St John. Coming from St Thomas that is populated and very busy, you will notice that you arrived to a place totally the opposite, St John is laid back, relaxed and the calm can be felt all over.

Beaches

Trunk Bay

This is one of the most famous destinations in the Virgin Islands. It is located about two miles from Cruz Bay. It is a hearth shaped spectacular beach. This beach has visitor’s facilities, like showers, changing areas, restrooms, food area, as well as picnic facilities.

The white powdered sands are surrounded on one side by coconut palms and on the other by crystal clear blue waters.

When visiting Trunk Bay pay a visit to the Archaeological dig where many prehistoric artifacts were found. You’ll see remnants of bones and plant material.

This is an ideal beach for Family Vacations, since the place is children friendly with many water sports and calm waters. And at the same time very popular with groups of cruise lines passengers, that like to spend the day here. It also has an underwater snorkeling trail.

Trunk Bay is easily accessible by public bus, taxi or car; there is a scenic ferry ride across Pillsbury Sound to St. John.

Cinnamon Bay

Larger than Trunk Bay, this beach offers beautiful jungle like surroundings, featuring mango and cacao trees, as well as great underwater life and water sports.

It is located three miles distance of Cruz Bay on North Shore Road. The beach is great for kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, diving or swimming through flagrant corals and colorful tropical fish. You will also find here all facilities for visitors like changing rooms, showers, lockers and a local restaurant. There are also facilities for picnics and family reunions.

Salt Pond Bay

This is a fairly unknown beach along the southern coast of the island. It features a salt pond where locals take salt from. The salt is formed from sea water that enters the pond via subterranean tunnels. Once the water evaporates it leaves a white foamy residue of sea salt.

Blue Cobblestone Beach

This beach gets its name from the cobblestones along the beach. It is great for a snorkeling adventure along the large rocks. This area is also renowned for bird watching because the area is more secluded and the birds abound here.

Caneel Bay

Caneel Bay is an idyllic resort area. The beaches are made of powdered white sands great for sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling.

To get there you will take a ferry from St Thomas provided by the resort and dock in their private pier. Or if you are already on the island you’ll take route 20 and turn left where the sign tells you to get to the beach.

St John Hawksnest beachHawksnest Beach

This beach is very accessible and popular among locals in St John. It is a short drive from Cruz Bay. The parking for this beach is very close to the sea, making it very easy to carry all you need for a great beach day.

They have all facilities for picnics and barbeques. The corals and tropical fish here are incredibly beautiful. Some of the fish you’ll find here are the grunt, fry and goatfish. Your entire family will love the scene under the sea regardless of age.

St John Maho beach

Maho Bay

Maho Bay

This beach offers a lot to families with small children and those who like calm and shallow waters for swimming.

You can get to this beach going past Cinnamon Bay one more mile. You may park below one of the maho Trees and enjoy your day. There are no signs or parking spots, just plain beach. The road is lined by coconut palm trees.

The snorkeling between Maho Beach and Little Maho is great. You’ll enjoy and array of tropical fish and exotic coral reefs.

Salomon Beach

It used to be a Nude Beach, but since the new legislation on public nudity, this is no longer possible. Those breaking the law may get fines of hundreds of dollars and even jail time.

It has become a family beach, but it is accessible only by boat or by hiking through a guided trail. This trail is one of many provided by the authorities.

The waters are calm and shallow in Salomon Beach and the coral reefs are spectacular. This is a great place for beginning snorkelers. The reefs between Salomon Beach and Honeymoon Bay are unique.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddy_Tuchman

St. John has many more beaches many of which you might find yourself to be the only inhabitants of. The list above will give you a good start though.

If you’ve been to St. John I’d love to hear which beach is your favorite.

Over and out from somewhere south,
RumShopRyan

P.S. – Leaving soon? These recommended links below will help you save money and book your trip:

We use all the companies listed here or on the resource page. By booking through these links, the small commission we earn helps us bring you more Caribbean content so that you can save money and have a better island vacation. Crystal and I greatly appreciate any support!