I'm sitting in Providence right now and I think its a balmy 15 or so!! About 10 in Mass earlier this AM. We just came back from trip #4 and didn't make it to Haulover this time so I can't report on the trash. When we've gone before, we walk in through the vegetation on the trail (don't know if that's East or not)- the beach itself is pure rock so surf shoes are a MUST. Also, the fabulous coral starts right at the edge and there are a TON of urchins so you must step very, very carefully. Its the best snorkling on STJ in our opinions but you have to be really cautious or you'll step or sit on something (fire coral in my case about 20 years ago, rash for 6 months afterwards). Also, there are no facilities and the location is isolated so bring water etc as there's no place to pick up anything. (We didn't make it this time as the plan was to eat at Vie's first which we were assured was open, got there and for the 4th time trying, it was CLOSED and I was MAD so we had to go elsewhere to eat and didn't want to drive all the way back to snorkle.) However, don't let that stop you. I can't think of a better place to see the underwater world than Haulover. Yes, this island is so addictive, we're already planning trip #5 from cold, cold Boston!

Thanks for the reply, Karrieb. We too are freezing here in MA.

The trail through the woods to Haulover was a little littered (said to be from boat people sneaking in) and the beach was a little gross last January. But your post encourages me to try agin given the quality of the snorkeling. Definitely gotta get me some of those surf shoes...

BTW, also isolated (a bit of hike as you have to cross over the ridge) is Brown Bay. Were there in Jan. and were the only ones on the beach the entire day! Had to take all waters, snacks etc., but worth the effort. Snorkeling good, not great, but the privacy was priceless.

Yes, in that location, the shoes are a MUST. Brown Bay, on STJ? Never heard of it. I didn't buy the Fins book. Where the heck is it. I hear we have snow/freezing rain etc for Friday, oh joy, but it won't beat last Friday's wicked storm- that was one for the books! We got about half a foot in Foxboro!

karrieb

Trip #5? That will not exactly help wean yourself from this board. 😀

On the other hand, I am jealous as hell you can actually start planning it.

Haulover is one of our favorite places to snorkel on STJ. It isn't an especially pretty beach, but we go there to snorkel, not to hang out. It's a rock beach. Stuff does tend to wash ashore----it is on the channel and some days can be a bit rough. Illegals coming ashore do dump clothes on the path and that can look quite creepy. But it's good snorkeling. I also love that so few people go there. We were there at mid-day in March and had the beach to ourselves.

That was funny actually. When we first arrived, I was disappointed to see so many vehicles. I'm not used to seeing so many over there. But when we got to the north shore, we were alone. All the people in the vehicles had driven all the way there, then plopped themselves on the south shore beach right by the road where the snorkeling isn't anything special.

One of our favorite days on STJ is to spend the morning at Haulover then get to Vies for lunch and spend the afternoon on her beach. There's always the chance that she won't be open, so we bring sandwiches in case. I really like it over there. It's still old Caribbean, a culture away from Cruz Bay.

We've never been to Brown Bay. We've hiked the Johnny Horn trail over to Coral Bay a couple of times and thought about taking the cutoff down to Brown Bay, but never did. Just another thing on the list.

Actually, there is a couple of things that bother me about Haulover. First time I was there, in the mid-80s, there was nothing man-made that was visible when you were in the water looking back at the beach. It looked as it might have hundreds of years ago. Then somebody built that villa. Not a tasteful West Indian house that blended into the hills. but that big villa that has nothing to do with the West Indies. As it looks to me, the hillside has been defaced. And now the road has been cut through the hills. Too often development isn't improvement.

I REALLY am trying to wean, was working out ok but then I got a big, dull work project, the weather in RI and Mass is aweful so this is my mental health release. Yes, I always plan vacations, my favorite hobby. Trip #5 may be within a year but then again, college tuition payments for our son may get in the way, as well as trips to North Carolina to look at property for those retirement years still about 10 years plus away. We shall see but the dreaming goes on. Next time it'll be the studios at Concordia, that much is decided! But if I win the lottery in the meantime...

I hear you and have been trying to plan for June 2006 myself. I don't have the harsh NE winters as I left all that 26 years ago for Texas, but was recently given project myself with time lines right on top of June & July (no kids this trip, had the full moon planned and everything).
Our window is also rapidly closing with #2 entering college.

We can only dream and live vicariously through the board. 😉

PS
If we do not cross again before then, have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Thanks and the same to you. These messages about the holidays in STJ are killin' me! In my next life, I plan to have a couple of kids who get full scholarships to Harvard so I don't have to budget....

Hi Karrieb,
Happy holidays 🙂
I guess we'll be seeing you soon huh? trip #5, gotta luv it 🙂
Take care.

Hi Pia!!!! Yes, its a given that we'll be back, timing is totally up in the air due to #1 kid's tuition future and other trips we want to take to look at real estate in the South to permanently get away from this d--- cold in Boston. Hey, email me your address if you like so we can keep in touch here and there. Happy Holidays to you and hubbie too!

We went to Haulover in mid November. We snorkeled nearly every place on St. John's - including all the remote areas.

Haulover was the best hands down. There was a local and a new local (guy who moved down the week before) snorkeling at Haulover as well. The local pointed to a fin hanging out under a rock. My wife and I would never have noticed the fin (probably about 20 feet down). The local grabbed a stick and went down and poked the shark and it came swimming out under our feet. It seemed under our feet but was probably 8-10 feet below our feet. Totally awesome. It was a nurse shark. We were about 3/4 mile or so from the beach and my wife decided the shark thing was enough for her and she went back. I kept going.

We swam to the left (standing on the beach looking out). We didn't explore to the right. However, I heard that was good too.