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we'll be on st john dec 10-18. we have a 2 1/2yr old son. any beaches better for young ones? or restaurant suggestions?
my wife is a vegetarian and tries to eat organic. any reco's for grocery shopping that might be a close approximation?
lastly, we're maybe staying at villa serenity through caribbeanway.com. anyone know it or them?
lots of questions, but we've never been and from looking at the board it seems everyone is very helpful and knowledgeable.
thanks,
joe
Joe-
You should be able to find organic at Starfish market in Cruz Bay, which isn't too far from your villa. I think that is your best bet.
I haven't stayed at Serenity. Caribbeanway is a wholesaler. They market villas on behalf of owners. The owner probably contracts out the property management to someone else. You should ask them who you would call if there is a problem. They'll probably give you the name and number of the on island property manager.
Don't worry about them being a wholesaler. Some people have said that it is better to rent from someone local and not a large off-island wholesaler. I don't agree. I have found that either way is fine, as long as a good property manager is used. Caribbeanway is a reputable and large-scale wholesaler.
Even some of the local firms on STJ are wholesalers, while they also manager some of the properties in their portfolio.
Beaches for young ones are abundant on STJ. I like Trunk Bay for small children. It has a very gradual shore access and a large sandy area for playing. It also has clean showers to wash off small people who collect more sand on their little bodies than their body weight 🙂
Bog Maho is another one - easy access from the road (not too much walking for tiny legs).
Cinnamon also.
Enjoy!
We always liked Caneel Beach at the Caneel Bay Resort when we were on St. John with our one and 2 year olds. There is easy access to the beach with adequate parking nearby. There are restrooms and a relatively kid-friendly open air restaurant very close by where you can grab a nice (but overpriced) lunch, and the water is very calm, even when the 'surf is up' at other beaches. You can't use the Caneel beach chairs, so you'll need to bring your own (as you would at any other beach). The snorkling can be quite good there, too.
Maho Beach is also very easy access with a very gentle entry into the water, but it was too close to the road for us to feel completely safe with a roaming toddler. We also liked Francis with young kids...if you get there early you can set up near a picnic table and there's parking right at the beach, but it can be a bit buggy sometimes.
thanks
