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*My partner Jesse and I are planning a last minute economic trip to the St John and we are looking for a very affordable hotel or guesthouse, room rental for our stay March 9-14. We are a gay couple and want to spend the majority of our stay hiking and swimming in the National Parks. Any recommendations for Housing, restaurants or your favorite hiking trails and beaches on St John would be greatly appreciated.
If you have not already booked something, your optins may be very limited. Can't offer information on hotels as we use villas.
The sight below offers a map indicating several of the trails on STJ. I strongly suggest the Reef Bay hike and recommend you use the Parks Department program. They take you from Cruz Bay to the trail head on Centerline Road, escort you down hill to Reef Bay, stopping at the Petrolyphs and Sugar Mill ruins. You can swim/snorkel in Reef Bay, then take their ferry back to Cruz Bay. You can check with the department across the street from Mongoose Junction for details.
The Leinster Bay and Johnny Horn trails are also very nice.
http://www.varlack-ventures.com/vvfiles/vi-beaches-hiking.htm
The subject line of your post mentions camping. Check out the Cinnamon Bay campground at cinnamonbay.com. You can rent a fully-equipped campsite for less than $100 per night. A bare campsite (bring your own gear) is $20 per night.
Don't know about availabiliy...you'd have to give them a call.
Another place to check out is the Concordia Eco-Tents. I think the cost for those is in the $120-$150 per night range. They are a "step up" (both literally and figuratively) from the tents at Cinnamon Bay. By that I mean they appear to be much nicer, more substantial lodgings, and they are also up on a hillside that requires climbing lots of stairs to get to your tent.
A good way to do research is to use the search function on this message board. Search on words like "camping" or "Cinnamon Bay" or "concordia" and you'll see lots of prior posts on these subjects that contain good advice.
Hello James,
You can give these guesthouses/inns a try and see if they have openings.
http://www.hillcreststjohn.com
http://www.sweetplantains-stjohn.com
http://www.samuelcottages.com/index
Camping:
Smaller Villas:
http://www.calabashcottages.com/
I like Reef Bay trail as well. If you are in shape you can hike down and up and not be totally wiped out. If you go with the National Park rangers you will get a guided hike down and for a fee there is a pick up by boat at the bottom of the trail/at the beach taking you back to Cruz Bay.
Visiting Cinnamon Bay plantation ruins and trail is nice. Salt Pond Bay has a couple nearby hikes so you can make a day of beach, hiking, picnic lunch.
Beach stops: Hawksnest, Honeymoon, Caneel Bay, Maho Bay, Salt Pond, Lameshur Bay, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay... Go to Water Lemon Cay for snorkeling - also nice beach, short hike, picnic lunch - again you could make a half day or full day of hanging out there.
Have a great time.
--Islander
