We stayed at the Ecotents at Concordia in November and had a great time but next time will stay in the solid building studios at Concordia. The staff is great, the pool very nice, unbelievable views, its close enough to the Coral Bay area to make it somewhat convenient (although you have to appreciate that you'll be at the far end of the island and its alot of slow driving to Cruz Bay). But the tents weren't as great as I wanted- clean and large but I hope you're tall because the only, bad, lighting is way up on the ceiling which can't be reached by those of us at 5'3'' and its very, very hot. We didn't sleep well as there were no fans in the tents. Otherwise, its a big step above the Maho side tents at Maho Bay if you are a camper. Very limited supplies at the tiny store until they re-built the campground on that side so you have to shop in Coral Bay for milk, oj, food etc for the huge icebox. Anymore questions, me and Canoebase (he'll see this too) will give you our 2 cents worth. And yes, you WILL need a car.
Virgin Gorda- we researched alot and took the Limnos Charter boat to Virgin Gorda to go to the Baths and loved it. Large boat, very roomy compared to alot of the others, not so much a party boat as just a relaxing trip to the Baths (starting from Spanishtown so you get to see the town) then to Norman Island for super snorkling. I never heard of the No Stress Bar on JVD, maybe others have. Some charters go to JVD, others don't. They all cost $$$, Limnos was cheaper than alot. Unless you are very good at reading navigational charts, you don't belong renting a powerboat, which will cost you alot anyway. Plan on about $100 a piece for the charters, more for some of the other boats but a powerboat rental will be alot more. The ferry schedules above on this board might be worth looking at, much cheaper but lots of limitations on time and locations.

We just returned from St. John last night and we LOVED the eco tents. I think it depends on the experience you want. I wouldn't dream of staying in the studio b/c the tents were such a large part of experiencing the nature of St. John. We never even turned on a fan (small fans located throughout the tent) - preferred to listen to the tree frogs and rain at night and feel the breeze. The view is incredible and the deck is wonderful place to have breakfast and start your day. The lighting is dim but we brought small flashlights to read by and honestly, with all the hiking and snorkeling, we were usually out cold by 9am. I think it really comes down to what type of person you are and the experience you want.

For a day trip to The Baths, we chose Stormy Petrel b/c it's a small boat with no more than 12 passengers. We wanted a more intimate experience than the larger catamarans. We loved the trip and would certainly recommend it although it is a little more money than other trips.

hi Lynne,
Glad you had a good time on STJ. Can you tell me a little more about Stormy Petrel? Sailboat? Where'd you go with them? Etc, etc, etc.

crickett : )

Hi Crickett,

It's a power boat and we had Capt Andy and Laura. They leave out of the National Park docks around 8am. Capt Andy layed out the map and showed us all where we'd be going for the day. Laura drove the boat part of the time while Andy gave us some info about the islands we saw and their history. We first stopped to clear customs and walked thru a few shops for 20 minutes or so. Then we were off to The Baths. You must swim in to shore. Andy and laura are there to make sure everyone got to shore safely. Andy gave a tour of The Baths - probably about 45 mins or so. We did not get to go up top to the restaurant but that was fine with us. After swimming back to the boat, we ordered meals and when we arrived a Cooper Island, our meals were ready. It was a nice lunch with the our boatmates. Then we snorkeled 45 mins to an hour although i can't tell you where. And we returned to port around 4:15pm. It was full day. We were exhausted but really enjoyed the day. The trip is $125, customs another $20 and you pay for your own meal. If you prefer and a smaller group, it's the way to go. There is an open bar with beer, hard liquor, soda, water. A couple people had a couple beers but certainly not a party boat. Mostly couples on our trip with a couple college age daughters. Andy is entertaining and knowledgable. Laura is a sweetheart. they really made you feel like you were on a friends boat for the day. Hope this helps. 🙂

crickett: These are sister boats. Very comfortable and with excellent service, open bar. They leave American Yacht Harbor on St Thomas and pick up at the National Park dock in St John. Usually they do two tours of the Baths- one easy and the other more challenging. You get to choose and they let you switch a couple of times if the challenging is too much so! The biggest challenge is jumping off a 50 foot high rock into the sea at the end! Well, it *seemed* like 50 feet, anyway! 😉 The last snorkel spot is usually the Indians near Norman Island, but I think they may do the Caves instead, depending on the weather. As Lynne said, a very nice day! More expensive than some, but worth it.

Just a quick reminder:
Don't forget to tip the crew!!!

Lynne (& others),

My fiance and I are coming down in May for our third trip in two years and want to stay at Concordia, as we've not experienced that before. We know that they've recently built some new units and were hoping that you could recommend some specific units (like F-2) for privacy, great view and/or the new units. If you could help us out we would be deeply indebted to you and we'd even invite you over for a painkiller or two during our stay.

Mike & Becca

Thanks Lynne,
You gave me all the info I was looking for. I've sailed before, but my wife hasn't. I'm still thinking I want to sail for a day, but if we decide to power, I think I'll go with Stormy Petrel.
Thanks for the response.

crickett : )

Thanks EE... I appreciate your input.

crickett : )

A sailboat adventure will be totally different (as in you can't go to Virgin Gorda and back!) On a day SAIL, they will take you to one or more snorkeling spots within the USVI. Only a power boat will give you a lap around the BVI!

Speaking of Concordia, has anybody stayed at the Concordia Estate Studios? My wife and I will be staying there in April and I'd just like to hear about what it's like. How far away is the nearest beach? What is the best swimming beach that is near by? I feel very good about staying there, since it's off the beaten path a bit and we'll be renting a jeep so we can access the island as we please. I just figured this forum is so helpful that somebody would have some great input. Cheers!

We've stayed there twice (once in the small studio, and once in the larger loft unit) and loved it. The smaller unit was equipped with the basics - sleeper sofa (very comfy mattress), table, deck (gorgeous view!), huge bathroom, kitchen area w/sink, mini fridge, 2-burner stove top (no oven), coffee maker, toaster, blender, pots & pans, kitchen utensils, dishes, flatware, cups, etc.

The loft unit has a full kitchen (including dishwasher, full-sized stove & oven, full-sized fridge) equipped with everything you need. The deck had an awesome view, 2 bathrooms (one down, one up). There's a sleeper sofa downstairs, and twin beds upstairs.

The units don't have AC, but the ceiling fans do a great job. We were there in July both times and didn't miss AC. There's no TV or phone either, but there is a pay phone on the grounds. There's also a pool with a gorgeous view - nice place to sit at night.

We went in Nov and wished we had stayed in the studios rather than the tents. You might hear from Canoebase who did stay in the studios in Nov and was positive about the experience. We had windless nights in the tent with no fans so we sweated our way through the nights, wishing for a fan or the eco-unfriendly AC. Otherwise, Concordia itself is wonderful and we'll rent a studio next trip. Yes, its way off the beaten path. If you haven't been there before, try to get there during the day as it isn't the easiest place to find if you don't know the island. I forget the route # off Centerline Road but once you're on it, you drive for several miles it seems, passing by a number of "Dip" signs (you'll know what I mean when you see them). Concordia is at the top of a short, very steep hill, past one of the dip signs, on the left.
The nearest beach is down the road, about 1/2 mile, its Salt Pond Bay. Swimming is fine, snorkling is fine along the far left side, and the Rams Head hike is great, hot and slightly strenuous, but worth the effort. You can hike down to the beach, but be aware of the heat if you aren[t used to it. We chose to drive down so we could bring a cooler, towels, snorkle gear, food etc. ITs a very quiet sweet beach. There are a few trees for shade.
Yes, you HAVE to rent a car, no way around it on that part of STJ believe me. You might go back and check my brief trip report after 11/11 or so and Canoebase's trip report at the end of Nov for more comments on Concordia.

Karrieb - your reference to the "Dip signs" triggered a memory; is "Clam Dip" still there?

Yes, it is. I remember the big dipper, skinny dip, one sign that was thrown on the side of the road that was Dip S--- (funny!) clam dip and maybe 1 or two others. Certainly helpful if you're trying to help people find stuff, particularly if they're boggled by the hills and curves.

Thanks all for your responses. I'm looking forward to my trip. By the way, I found some mosquito bed drapes for $10.00 and thought I'd bring them with for Concordia. Did any one experience no see um or mosquito troubles while there?

I do remember the other "dips" now that you mention it. "Clam Dip" was the original (I saw it first in July '95 - even had my picture taken with it). At that time it was hand written on the sign. I noticed last trip that it has since been spruced up with peel & stick letters. I'm reminiscing again... must be winter in NE.

I never noticed mosquitos or noseeums (or any other biting bug for that matter) either trip - I can't speak for any month other than July though. The bugs may be worse at other times of the year; maybe when it's cooler and/or rainier.

Sure is after our quickie storm on Monday! We got about 3 very wet inches in Foxboro! Wish I was back on STJ!!