Advice on first trip to St. John

jbpadgett09 · Post by **jbpadgett09** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:24 pm

My wife and I are going to St. John in June. We will be arriving Tuesday about lunch, and will be leaving about lunch on Saturday.

The main reasons we are going to the island are to snorkel and hike (mostly snorkel).

I have been reading some books about which beaches are best for snorkeling, but figured I would ask you here.

I have read about the cruise ships being there on Wednesday, so we will most likely avoid Trunk Bay on that day.

We are staying at Grande Bay, and will have a jeep available every day on the trip.

Which beaches are can't misses for our snorkeling adventure. We prefer to snorkel in shallower water if possible (no more than 10 foot or so). We definitely don't mind hiking before or after our snorkeling trip. We will be bringing food and our own snorkel gear to the beaches.

We are SO excited for the trip, and hopefully we love it so much we can make it back for a longer trip next time.

shoemak38 · Post by **shoemak38** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:57 pm

Your question is like taking a kid to a candy store and telling them they can only pick three things. Three different kids will pick three different things. That’s how I view St. John one enormous candy store of snorkeling beaches and not enough time to devour it all. Saying that this is a well-versed group of people with a wealth of knowledge. To guide you in selecting some great snorkeling for your three days we need to ask you a couple questions.
First what end of the island are you staying on?
Second are you renting a car?
My favorite two beaches are Hawksnest and the beach that you swim from to get to Waterlemon Cay (after a 1 mile hike).

jbpadgett09 · Post by **jbpadgett09** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:08 pm

shoemak38 wrote:Your question is like taking a kid to a candy store and telling them they can only pick three things. Three different kids will pick three different things. That’s how I view St. John one enormous candy store of snorkeling beaches and not enough time to devour it all. Saying that this is a well-versed group of people with a wealth of knowledge. To guide you in selecting some great snorkeling for your three days we need to ask you a couple questions.
First what end of the island are you staying on?
Second are you renting a car?
My favorite two beaches are Hawksnest and the beach that you swim from to get to Waterlemon Cay (after a 1 mile hike).

I'm staying at Grande Bay, and yes I will have a jeep for every day of the trip.

islandjo2010 · Post by **islandjo2010** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:26 pm

Welcome jbpadgett09 ~ you and your wife are going to LOVE St. John! As shoemak38 said, you almost can't go wrong snorkeling any beach on St. John! And I second Waterlemon Cay! That's our family's favorite snorkel. It's a fairly easy hike to Leinster Bay...set up at the beach there! You will find nice snorkeling along the rocks in shallow water. Then you can snorkel out to Waterlemon Cay. The snorkel out is deep and the current can be strong...if you use good judgment on the current conditions and either wear a snorkel vest or have a noodle, you should be fine...ask others about the current and the best way to swim around the day you are there. You will find the snorkel there amazing. We make Leinster Bay/Waterlemon Cay a MUST day outing and usually try to go twice during our visit.

We will be on STJ in June also...

jbpadgett09 · Post by **jbpadgett09** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:45 pm

islandjo2010 wrote:Welcome jbpadgett09 ~ you and your wife are going to LOVE St. John! As shoemak38 said, you almost can't go wrong snorkeling any beach on St. John! And I second Waterlemon Cay! That's our family's favorite snorkel. It's a fairly easy hike to Leinster Bay...set up at the beach there! You will find nice snorkeling along the rocks in shallow water. Then you can snorkel out to Waterlemon Cay. The snorkel out is deep and the current can be strong...if you use good judgment on the current conditions and either wear a snorkel vest or have a noodle, you should be fine...ask others about the current and the best way to swim around the day you are there. You will find the snorkel there amazing. We make Leinster Bay/Waterlemon Cay a MUST day outing and usually try to go twice during our visit. We will be on STJ in June also...

Thanks. Do you recommend parking near the Sugar Mill, then hiking to Leinster Bay?

islandjo2010 · Post by **islandjo2010** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:58 pm

Yes, we have always been able to find a spot to park in the lot near the Sugar Mill around 10 am. If you wait until after lunch, you may have a hard time finding a spot to park...I don't think most people pack their lunch when going there because of the hike. We have had people look and comment...wow, you brought a full size cooler with you! That's our teenage son's workout for the day! He has even made it to the beach, set up and ran back to help his mom (me) and sister carry things!

loria · Post by **loria** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 7:44 pm

if you like a deep water snorkel--try kiddle bay! we also like to snorkel the yawzi point trail-- that point runs between great lamesur and little lamesur... walk about 1/3 the way out the trail and there is a small trail off to the left of the trail that leads to a small 'beach' you can get in there and snorkel up the point and around into little lamesur (it's long-- but totally doable ) or just got up and back...

JJShaw · Post by **JJShaw** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:16 pm

We like the reef between Honeymoon and Salomon..(sp) We usually park at Caneel and walk in and always see lots of Angel fish there. Between Francis and Maho is good too..I didnt like the deeper water at Waterlemon although seeing the star fish was neat..But be ready...if you are only there from Tuesday til Saturday...you will NOT want to leave..

michigan girls · Post by **michigan girls** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 10:25 pm

Salt Pond Bay is pretty good snorkeling, and from that beach you can also hike over to Drunk Bay (very easy hike) where you can't swim or snorkel, but it is fun to explore as most visitors make "sculptures" out of washed up coral and some of them are quite amazing. You can also hike Rams Head from Salt Pond beach (not so easy).

My favorite snorkel is Maho - but that's because I love the turtles, and there are always so many there. The snorkeling along the right side is quite nice also though.

Jan&MikeVa · Post by **Jan&MikeVa** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 11:12 pm

Our favorite snorkels are Maho, Francis, and Little Lameshur. Maho we like to the right, Francis both sides, and Lameshur to the left.
The snorkel at Waterlemon is awesome and the starfish you'll see make you forget about the depth.
If you're into turtles hang out in the grasses at Maho and Francis.......my FAVORITE

Happy planning.

jbpadgett09 · Post by **jbpadgett09** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:22 am

Thanks everyone for the good advice so far. I just showed my wife this thread and she is very excited.

snorkeler525 · Post by **snorkeler525** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:05 am

Since you said shallow snorkeling, I would go with Maho (to the right and in the middle for turtles and possibly rays), Francis (both sides but we like the right side as a bit quieter), and Salt Pond with a walk to Drunk Bay. For in town snorkeling, Frank Bay isn't bad and right in front of Gallows Point Resort is decent too. You can walk to both from Grande Bay. Have fun - you will find your trip isn't long enough and will be back.

grandpainin · Post by **grandpainin** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:52 am

Pack a cooler with lunch, snacks and drinks Go early, stay the day and enjoy. Go to a great place for dinner. Next get day up and do it again. Now you are hooked.

AquaGirl · Post by **AquaGirl** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 2:56 pm

I definitely related to the "kid in a candy shop" example. We are "snorkel-aholics" and enjoy so many snorkels on St John.

As others have mentioned, Maho is an excellent choice. Its a gorgeous beach with a gradual slope, near the road, with a small parking lot. We always see multiple turtles and rays in the middle of the bay, right off the beach. The snorkel along the shore and out to the point is excellent. We've seen octopus and a nice variety of fish. We always take a lunch, find a nice shady spot under the sea grape trees, and spend the whole day. Snorkel as soon as we get there, then chill for a while and have lunch, then do another snorkel in the afternoon.

Another vote for the reef between Honeymoon and Solomon. Park at Caneel and its an easy walk along a flat path to the beach. The reef is in shallow water and, as mentioned, you usually see lots of angelfish. We've also seen eels, and an array colorful fish. We haven't been to Honeymoon since they added the pavilion.

If you want a short hike to a beautiful view, take the walk up to Peace Hill, then down to Denis Bay. The walk to Peace Hill is short and easy. The walk down to Denis Bay is short, but steep. Watch out for the cactus lining the path!

Have a great trip!

jbpadgett09 · Post by **jbpadgett09** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:09 pm

Thanks everyone for the tips. Seems Maho, Honeymoon, Francis, Soloman, and Salt Pond are the unanimous choices for the board. Is there a reason most people avoid Trunk Bay, is it the crowd?

We may try the snorkel out to Water Lemon, but may just snorkel the beach there and not travel out if the water is too deep. Depends on my wife for that one. I know we will probably at least see a couple nurse or lemon sharks on the trip, but I don't want to get her in too deep of water and make her too nervous.

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