Where to get away from crowds

Any suggestions for finding a nice quiet beach or spot on St. Thomas to get away from the crowds? We went to St. Johns last time we were there. Not really into going there again. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Lindqvist Beach, now known as Smith Bay Park, might fit the bill.

Located in the East End, the property was recently taken over by the Magens Bay Authority, who have brought in Porta-Potties and some picnic tables & benches. Admission - $4.00/person if I recall - is now charged at the entrance. No other facilities yet, just a pristine, gorgeous beach.

BYOB and snacks and enjoy, it's one of my favorites.

Lindqvist is changing. Permanent bathrooms have been built, and I think tours are being offered. Not crowded yet, but that may soon change.

If you're trying to get away from the crowds, you probably won't get much information from the internet. If that type of information is posted, it will soon become crowded, I think.

But, there are several places...

We were delighted with the serenity of Emerald Beach. Check it out on You Tube and other comments on CC. :)

Busy day with 5 ships in port, you're docked at Crown Bay along with the Ruby. So beach spring I'm afraid the beach at the Best Western Emerald Beach Hotel in Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach) will be a bit more crowded this day. Smith's Bay (Lindqvist Beach) would have been an excellent option for a quiet, romantic beach with a lunch from Gourmet Gallery but no longer.

We'd head for Cowpet Bay (aka Elysian Beach) on the East End near the Ritz Carlton. There's anice little beach and beach bar and a great restaurant. This is the Elysian condo complex and not a regular stop for cruisers and would be the quietest option with some amenities.

Two other East End beaches are also home to condo properties - Sapphire which has a dive center and amenities, and Secret Harbor which has limited space and is another smaller beach that's home to the Secret Harbour condo property and a beach restaurant just past Cowpet and the Ritz.

Please do not take this as a "Little Miss Smarty Pants" reply BUT you actually might find staying on the ship the best way to get away from the crowds since almost everyone will want to go ashore in St. Thomas. :)

LuLu

Crown Bay has made Water Island very popular, so people docking there are spreading out at Emerald and Water Island so neither is crowded, just more popular. Spreads the love to more beaches, and soon there may be more so stay tuned!

Crown Bay has made Water Island very popular, so people docking there are spreading out at Emerald and Water Island so neither is crowded, just more popular. Spreads the love to more beaches, and soon there may be more so stay tuned!

Sounds wonderful! We haven't been to Water Island, but the bulk of reports I read from cruisers who go to Honeymoon Beach on WI say it actually gets extremely crowded throughout the day, esp when ships are docked at Crown, which makes sense.

Lindbergh Bay may or may not be quiet on this busy day and can be a nice alternative to Magens and Coki. And of course Brewers is just beyond Lindbergh and also may or may not be crowded due to the ships docking at Crown. But for what shamda requested we'd avoid any of the beaches close to the ports and head to Cowpet Bay. Just our opinion of course :)

I agree with Ms411 Lindqvist is changing, but still think it'll be more quiet than some others mentioned. The secret of Sapphire is out, and there are several tours that go there...last time I went, it was a zoo, I turned around and left. There are also tours that visit Secret Harbor (small, pretty beach, great restaurant), Brewer's Beach (larger beach, maybe a food truck or 2, restrooms, no chairs for rent, not particularly scenic IMO) & Honeymoon Beach on Water Island (small-ish beach, restrooms, no chairs, if you're lucky Heidi'll be cooking).

To get to the really secluded beaches (Neltjeberg, for instance), one needs a 4 wheel drive and some sturdy shoes.

As OCruisers pointed out, the least crowded spot will probably be your ship, which, BTW may wind up docking at WICO. Regal & Ruby can't berth together at Crown Bay...last season when the Royal was in with another Princess ship, she often docked WICO, with the smaller ship going to Crown Bay. If Allure or Oasis are in port with you, chances are good you'll be at WICO.

Whatever you do, have fun!

Usvicruizer is correct in that the Regal may dock at Havensight along with the FOS, Getaway, and Carnval that day. That really doesn't affect your day and is actually a good thing for most people because you don't have to taxi through busy CA when returning to the ship. Also, if you were considering going to Paradise Point after the beach you can walk to the tram station from the ship when docked at Havensight. The closest beach to Havensight is Morningstar and may also be an option although that will probably be busy because it's so close.

Here's a map to get an idea where the beaches are in relation to the docks if you're not familiar with STT.

http://www.virginislandsthisweek.com/st-thomas/maps/st-thomas-island-road-map.html

With 18k cruisers in port the more popular beaches will certainly be crowded as mentioned. Although we've never seen Sapphire crowded on big ship days while renting there I'm sure it happens. Gorgeous beach with abundant natural shade and great snorkeling. Owners there (and some cruisers) loved it while the dive center and restrooms were temporarily closed as it was very quiet.

For that "nice quiet beach to get away from the crowds" on a busy port day Elysian or Hull Bay would be our choice. Other than that a day sail is a great way to escape the crowds - not a beach day but certainly a nice day off the big boat.