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Hello All,
I have recently started my research on St. John after crossing out the other islands due to one reason or the next. My fiancée and I have fallen for St. John for a couple reasons but mainly due to the fact that it seems to be laid back and easy going as well as very beautiful.
We are looking for a place that we can relax and not be bothered at times and still be close enough to go to a nice dinner or go dancing at other times. Daily excursions and historical tours are also of interest. Would rather not go to an area that will be crowded with kiddos and prefer other newlyweds but that is not a make or break request.
We like the idea of the daily excursions and are thinking about doing the Black Sail Catamaran’s 'Sail and Snorkel Tour'.
More or less we are looking for the most ideal place to stay (area & hotel) so any tips, DOs/DON”Ts and hotel suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you all for your help and suggestions!
Dax
You only have 2 hotel options on STJ. The Westin and Caneel Bay.
For a honeymoon, I would recommend Caneel, but do plenty of research about it, it is not your typical resort and may not be your cup of tea.
The majority of visitors to STJ rent villas and jeeps and explore the island. With 2/3rds of the island being National park land, there are dozens of unspoiled beaches and miles of hiking trails.
I would recommend Gallows Point. It is usually very quiet and a very easy walk into town to eat, etc... My wife and I love relaxing by the pool after a day of beach hopping, hiking, and snorkeling.
The most ideal place to stay for honeymooners, I would say: the Gibney Beach Cottage
http://www.gibneybeachvillas.com/beach_cottage.htm
It's located on a beautiful, small and uncrowded beach due to lack of public parking. You practically have the beach all to yourself, yet you are walking distance to Hawknests and a few minutes drive to Trunk Bay. It's also about 15 min drive to town and boat docks.
A bit on the pricey side, but very well worth it.
We sent our daughter and SIL to St. John for their honeymoon years ago and they fell in love with the island as have we. I suggest renting a villa. I also suggest getting a copy of Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive to learn more about the island. What is your buget and your dates. Maybe we can help with suggestions for a villa but I'd start by looking through the vrbo.com listings on St. John for villas. Don't forget to budget in a Jeep for the duration of your stay. Remember that you drive to the beaches on St. John since they are almost all in the National Park area.
my husband and I just stayed at gallows point and loved it. Close to everything yet very private and quiet.. beautiful grounds and easy access to water for snorkeling. You can walk easily into cruz bay or choose to relax at Gallows..they can help you plan any trips you want to do and also you can rent your car through them . very accommodating ..We have also stayed at Caneel bay right on hawksnest beach and loved that too. You may find a special price for honeymooners at either place
Gallows Point will have everything you are looking for. You can walk to town, yet it is not right in town. Beautiful setting and they can help with any other excursions you may be interested in. I would suggest getting a room that is facing ocean and not Cruz Bay. Cruz Bay or harbor rooms tend to overlook the cemetary. If this out of your price range you may want to check Lavender Hill. It is directly across the street but may be a little less expensive. Grande Bay would also be an option but have not stayed there so I don't have a strong opinion on that one.
There are quite a few, with reasonable rates and close to Cruz Bay town area; Coconut Coast, Hillcrest Guest House and Garden by the Sea.
Thanks everyone for the help, we decided to stay at Gallows Point.
