The beautiful beaches of St Thomas - brief descriptions/opinions

[angiem0217]

We will be in ST Thomas in March on NCL Getaway. Not sure where the ship ports and this is our first visit. I would like a nice beach with chairs and food available. My 7 year old loves to play in the water and I just like to sit and relax, eat and have a drink or 2. What is your opinion on where we should go?

 

 

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[blue_water]

Many great choices really. You dock at Havensight (WICO on the vinow dot com schedule). So you're within 20 - 25 minutes of the nice East End beaches like Secret Harbor, Sapphire, Smith's Bay, and Coki. And probably 15 - 20 minutes from Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach) and Magens Bay. You're east of Charlotte Amalie so you'd be dealing with heavy traffic if going to Lindbergh which is to the west of CA.

 

For your interests and because you're docked at Havensight I'd suggest an East End beach, and Secret Harboris a good option mainly because there's a nice beach restaurant associated with the condo resort and you can also rent chairs and the water is typically very calm. We like Sapphire and there are a couple food and drink options there as well as nicer island views.

[O2B@Cagain]

angie: A 7 year old would probably enjoy Magens. It is good for digging in the sand, splashing in the water and meeting other 7 year olds.

 

blue: ITP isn't open during the day when cruise ship people are around. Also, the next time you are on island, I want you to buy your bushwhacker at Coconuts, then walk across the street to Cuzzin's and get one. Straight up taste test and let me know the results. :D

[blue_water]

blue: ITP isn't open during the day when cruise ship people are around. :D

 

We enjoyed the early happy hour there and watching boats in the marina, but you're right, their happy hour doesn't start until 3PM if I remember. So for those cruisers who are returning from STJ or Sapphire and leaving port later in the evening could take advantage of IT or even Iggie's.

Nighttime in Red Hook is a bonus when staying on a land vacation :D

[blue_water]

Can someone tell me if you hear alot of noise from st thomas airport at Emerald Beach (Lindbergh Bay). It cant be all that bad can it, Thanks

 

Yes you're quite close

Edited November 10, 2014 by blue_water

[Ms411]

Though you are close to the airport you don't hear loud noises frequently. It's not a busy airport and many flights leave early a.m. and arrive late p.m.

 

I tried the burger at Coconuts and it was OK. Wouldn't go out of my way. It's not grilled so comparable to what I make at home on the stove. The fries are very tasty, though.

[blue_water]

We often stop at Coconuts before flying out just because their burger is the best we've found on the island. There are other spots with an excellent burger, but the flavor of the Coconuts burger is amazing, don't know how they do it. Don't much care for their fries though so I guess we're opposites! :p

[debbs0723]

Can anyone tell me how long of a taxi ride it is from Crown Bay to Sapphire?

 

Thanks,

Debbie

[smilz]

Depends a lot on traffic and whether you share a taxi aka safari bus with folks going elsewhere. No traffic and all the stars in alignment...20 minutes. Traffic and many ships in port...30-35 minutes. WATCH YOUR TIME ON YOUR RETURN. Weird but bumper to bumper traffic occurs often in the afternoon by the ports.

[blue_water]

Taxi from Havensight is a good 20 min so I'd figure 35 - 40 from Crown but it doesn't matter as it's worth the trip. As debb said give yourself at least an hour to get back by back-on-board time, everyone else is also trying to maximize their time on the island ;)

[sippican]

Awhile back a poster mention that the iguanas at Sapphire were quite bothersome and even aggressive. Can anyone comment on this? If we go we will have some very young children who would be absolutely terrified.

[blue_water]

We have never experienced that while renting at Sapphire. You will see a few iguanas hanging there as on many beaches throughout the Carib, but as long as the kids aren't "terrorizing" them or enticing them with food you shouldn't have a problem. I too have seen a few reports of aggressive behavior by iguanas at Sapphire, but of all the visitors there these have been extremely rare and may have been the result of human interaction or just plain fear of them.

We've noticed they are attracted to red, perhaps because they seem to like tomatoes, not sure. But I wouldn't be concerned since thousands of visitors enjoy Sapphire every year and this behavior isn't reported regularly.

[Jey01]

We are trying to pick a beach for our cruise in January. We are "beginner" snorkelers and would like to do some snorkeling but it's not an absolute must. I was leaning toward Coki until I heard how harassing the vendors can be. Then I was leaning towards sapphire but heard the water is rough there? THEN I had decided on trunk since we are the only ship in town, but I've heard they close the snorkel trail for rough water in the winter (that's an expensive side trip for nothing!) there is always Magens but there's no snorkeling and everything is priced a bit high....what to do?! 😁 what a great problem to have lol. I'm leaning toward coki but my husband already says he feels harassed at the average caribbean stop. He may have to just suck it up. As long as it's safe and people aren't outright rude....

 

 

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[Jey01]

What about lindquist?

 

 

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[blue_water]

You'll be fine at Coki, vendors aren't that bad. The sand at Sapphire, and most beaches, can get roiled up with sea swells, and it can be rough at times. But generally it's very nice.

Do you have your own snorkel gear? If so Cowpet Bay (Elysian) is a less busy alternative, we haven't snorkeled there but friends enjoyed it. Drivers may also be able to help with the weather that day, but some have friends/relatives working Coki too..

[Jey01]

We have snorkels and masks but not fins. Do we need fins and/or a vest? Thought maybe we wouldn't need them at coki? Ive just heard some people say they feel "unsafe" at coki but no one ever gives an example. (Besides pot smoking, which doesn't bother me)

 

 

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[blue_water]

Fins aren't necessary but helpful, you can rent them and vests at Coki if you want. Coki is very popular with families with little kids who snorkel and is not unsafe at all. Some folks just don't like dealing with vendors there, and they don't like the neighborhood heading into Coki. You may be approached by a vendor or 2 asking to rent you chairs or sell you drinks, that's it. Folks who aren't as sensitive or who travel more enjoy the vibe there.

No worries!

[Jey01]

Thanks for the info! I think we will check out coki

 

 

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[blue_water]

We love going to Coki later in the day when staying at Sapphire, very small, intimate and romantic bay. Sapphire is a gorgeous beach with lots of character, but Coki may just be the nicest beach on the island!

Have a great cruise!

[ONCRUISEMODE]

For the first-timer - and even a return visitor - there are indeed a ton of opinions about the various beaches, and we too are certainly biased in our rankings. But each beach has a unique or distinctive vibe or setting that can help one choose based on their situation that day. Some are located near a port while some take much more effort to get to but reward that effort.

 

The East End beaches of St Thomas are preferred by many who are looking for the nicest beach on STT. These include Coki, Smith's Bay, Sapphire, Secret Harbor, and Cowpet Bay (Coki and Smith's Bay are actually on the north side but are on the east end of the island). But others are also very nice and may work best if you have limited time or just want a nice beach to relax at that is closer to port and may be less crowded. And of course the beaches of St John are also gorgeous and should be experienced when possible. Trunk Bay, like Magens Bay, is highly-touted and so a bit touristy most days, but Cinnamon Bay and others less frequented are also beautiful.

 

For St Thomas -

 

Coki Point is a gorgeous beach set in a very small bay with good snorkeling off the beach. You'll find one of the nicest beaches you've seen here, but it will have a lively vibe as it gets very crowded. Several vendors renting stuff and selling food and drink. Taxis are readily available. We love Coki and find it a very intimate and romantic beach when ships are not in port.

 

Smith's Bay Park and Lindqvist Beach is a beautiful, maintained beach (both Smith's Bay Park and Magens Bay are maintained by the Magens Bay Authority and charge a small entry fee) but is much quieter and offers very few amenities. Here you would find natural beauty and relative quiet that you might have expected to see decades ago and not today. Grab your towel and a lunch and drinks from Gourmet Gallery and enjoy the beauty while it's still here. There may be chair rentals and portapotties there now, and you may need to have a taxi return for pick-up.

 

Sapphire Beach is a gorgeous beach in a larger bay with abundant natural shade, nice island views and great snorkeling off the beach. There is a reef area, a sandy swimming area, and a sea grass area where turtles and rays may be spotted. Home to 3 condo properties with food and drink options, but currently there are no chair rentals or public restrooms. So a very nice spot to be for condo guests on big ship days. And those cruisers young at heart (and body) that can be happy with a towel in the sand and the sapphire-colored sea for relief will be rewarded with paradise here. Taxis were stationed here but with fewer cruisers coming here you'll want to have the driver return or call a taxi when ready.

 

Secret Harbor is a small bay that is home to one condo property and has a quieter vibe more like Sapphire. However the water is dead calm at SH and there is no shade available to most day visitors. Good snorkeling and a restaurant on site and nice beach though.

 

Cowpet Bay is very close to Secret Harbor and is home to the Elysian Resort (condo resort) with a small beach and snorkeling. Primarily suited to guests of the condo but still a public beach.

 

Magens is on the north side and is a deep bay with a a nice, calm beach that's maintained (small entry fee) and is touted as one of the top 10 beaches in the Carib by Frommer's, cruise ships, etc. It has that rating for a reason, and it sees many people and so is touristy. No snorkeling here, and for some folks Magens doesn't have the charm or character some of the other beaches do. But it is a beautiful beach that is great for toddlers and kids because it is so dead calm, and it offers restrooms, small restaurant, a gift shop and available taxis.

 

Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach) is closest to Crown Bay and is a popular beach for folks docking there. A nice enough beach with rentals and food and drinks available at the Best Western Emerald Beach Plus Resort. You can also rent a room for the day to take advantage of a shower and changing room. Nice option if Magens and the East End beaches are too much effort.

 

Honeymoon Beach on Water Island is another popular destination for folks docked at Crown Bay because the ferry to Water Island is very close. This beach has become very popular however and gets crowded during the day.

 

Morningstar Beach is closest to Havensight and is a popular spot for folks docking there who are looking for a quick beach stop following an excursion or other tour. Home to the Marriott and you can use their services or just pick a spot on the beach for your towel and take a lunch if you'd like.

 

Hopefully not confusing the choices even more! And here's a map showing the beach locations for those not familiar with the island, just click on the map for a larger view -

http://www.virginislandsthisweek.com..._road_map.html

 

 

How very generous of you to post so much information that clarifies our questions.

[blue_water]

How very generous of you to post so much information that clarifies our questions.

 

Thanks! :) Just paying forward from help we've received, others have also provided helpful insights in that thread from their experiences.

[shirleygallegos60]

Just an FYI... was on FOS last week. Went to Megan Bay, was really disapointed. Lots of debri from storms and water was VERY BROWN!!

[Ms411]

If there has been a storm, the beaches will be adversely affected sometimes for a few days after if it was a lengthy storm with lots of wind and rain.

[Livethelife]

Just an FYI... was on FOS last week. Went to Megan Bay, was really disapointed. Lots of debri from storms and water was VERY BROWN!!

 

Being from Colorado I'm sure you are familiar with what happens when heavy rains hit the mountains. Same thing occurs throughout the Caribbean. It was unfortunate that your visit coincided with a couple of evenings of heavy rains. Next time hopefully you will have better luck!

[camofwilliamsburg]

Coli has a reputation of being bad with pick pocketers. Knowing that I went anyways since I also heard it had great snorkeling. Never left our stuff on beach unattended. We went into the water in turns.... when I moved the kids from one side of the shaded tree to another, a man came out of nowhere and stole our bags and took off. We never got it back. Had our wallet in it, and lots of other stuff. Police came, took us back to the ship. I would never go to Coki ever again, no matter how many people say it is ok. The vendors for braiding hair were super aggressive. The beach is right off the road so it is an easy target to grab and run and hop in a car and get away.