Hey Beer!! Thinking and planning about going back already? I knew you would :o)

I can't answer that question, but we sure liked staying on the cliff at our Villa. The views were really beautiful and it really wasn't much of a hassle to drive to any of the beaches. We stayed out all day anyway, but getting back to the villa was also nice and you get some really good breezes up there.

Getting others to go back with you?

Beer Hunter:

Try Sapphire Beach....they're "condos", but right on the beach.

F.I.

I believe Gibney Cottage on STJ is right on the beach.

Beer Hunter, I don't have a place right on the beach but our home is right on the water. On a windy point , surrounded on 3 sides by the Caribbean, westerly view for great sunsets. Now that you've seen STT and STJ, may be time to explore Water Island? I dunno....just an idea. www.flamingopointusvi.com

Our home is listed under Water Island/Accomodations on VINOW.

Hey BH. Yes, there are villas on the beach. They are going to cost you, though.

I can think of a few...

There's Peter Bay Beach House - on STJ. http://www.peterbay.net/

One Beach Road - on STT http://www.mclaughlinanderson.com/caribbean-villas/ONEBEACHRO/

As mentioned above, Gibney Beach Cottage

Sand Dollar on STT - http://www.mclaughlinanderson.com/villawebpage.cfm?curunitid=93

Secret Gardens and Coral Gardens on STT - http://www.mclaughlinanderson.com/villawebpage.cfm?curunitid=181

Good Job Blu!
Blue Serenity in not directly on the beach, but has a trail going down to Secret Harbor!!! Not far and a very nice house! That way you could still frequent Blue Moon, a short walk away! Also, Cote Sud is not directly on the beach, but also has a trail going down to a secluded bay with a dock, can't remember, but I think it is a bit Rocky tho. Both are also with McLaughlin Anderson!
Happy Searching!

When my family first visited St John we too wanted to be right on the beach. The disadvantage of this is that there was less breeze, more bugs and less view. Next time we rented up on the hillside. It was wonderful. Expansive view, great breezes and no bugs. You do of course have to take a trip to the beach. On St John or St Thomas this can sometimes mean expensive cabs and getting stuck in traffic.

Consider Water Island. It is just off the coast of St Thomas. You can stay up on the hill and be only a short golf cart drive to several beaches. Golf cart comes with the house. There are no hotels or condos. No crowds. It is a quite place with beautiful beaches. There is a public ferry to St Thomas that runs from Crown Bay Marina.. Water Island is for people looking for privacy not partying--although there are things to do.

Check out www.slowmocean.com for 2 houses we offer for rent on Water Island. It is a beautiful place. We love it and ended up buying property on Water Island after staying on St John and St Thomas.

Beer Hunter,

Two other possibilities on STJ. Siempre Azul is on a rocky beach, Sea Spirit is not on a beach but is set on a rocky point above the water. However, both are basically for only two people (which in my mind is just the right number). Check the website if interested www.stjohnusvi.com/cottages.html

Beer Hunter: As a longtime STT resident, you're best bet is really to avoid total beachfront properties. I know it's a romantic thing to be able to step right off your patio and onto the sand and then walk along the beach, wade in there and either swim a bit or do you' ting BUT those no seeums can really damp ardor at that time of day when dusk and dark converge very fast.
Cheers!

Hey BH, also look into the Elysian Beach Resort, great bars/resturants/beach (with beer) on the property, close to Red Hook.

www.elysianbeachresort.net

If I am reading BH's question right, he is thinkin' about renting a villa! He has already experianced a beach stay at Secret Harbor, so he has an idea of what staying on the beach was like!

I just like being on the beach. I didn't mind the bugs at SH, I like the fact that I can snorkel and then walk up to my room and have lunch and then back to the beach. I like to pack like when on the beach and if I have to drive there then I am going to have to make sure that I have everything I need. I can't just make a trip to my room and get what I forgot. Also I like to night snorkel and I don't really want to drive to a beach at night to do this.

That is the nice thing about Water Island. All the beaches are just a short golf cart ride away. The ride it self is very scenic. No traffic. It is very easy to go back and forth from house to beach.

Then when the sun goes down there are the beautiful views of St Thomas lights and cool breezes.

Beer Hunter - Not on the beach...but surrounded on 3 sides by the Caribbean - www.flamingopointusvi.com

As you know, most beaches on STJ are within the national park, but there are a few villas on STJ that are on the beach. Most of these were built a while ago, so they tend to be West Indian-style cottages rather than the sort of "villas" that are getting built today. I've never been a "villa"-style guy, so I'm happier in a cottage. They also seem to me to fit into the Caribbean hills better than these increasingly mammoth Mediterranean-style homes.

Anyway, there's the Gibney Cottages, which cost a bit. There are a few others, also---one is Calypso by the Sea, on Coral Bay (technically Johnson Bay, perhaps):

http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/calypso/calypso.html

There's another one on Coral Bay, but I can't remember the name. Sort of past Skinny's around Zooteval. And one of the Zooteval cottages is beachfront, more or less.These Coral Bay "beaches" aren't going to be the lovely white sand beach that most of us dream of, but the cottages are "beachfront".

And if you're up for roughing it, Cinnamon Bay camps are right on the beach.

BH - Here's my new dream shack:

http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/pink_house/index.html

As soon as I can figure out how to fit a couple of a/c units in in a duffel bag (and know for sure that I won't blow fuses each time I try to crank them up) - then we are there. Oh, but I forgot - - DH will most likely be appalled by the lack of electronics so we would have to schlep a TV - and come to think of it, probably a dish so he could get the NBA playoffs...now we've really ruined paradise! Forget it, this is getting too complicated. I really need the a/c (bad lungs) so I will work on that but then all I really need is a couple of paperbacks and an iPod so maybe I could just leave DH at home with his cable remote...or at the Westin, maybe????

Oh well, it's a dream... seriously, there is a house in Klein Bay called Opar which is up from the beach but has a path and a platform down to a rocky entry beach where there is good snorkeling. Stayed just above it at Villa Morningside and the view is gorgeous. There is also a villa on on the other side of Klein Bay called Rendezvous by the Sea - again, up from the water, but a stone path down to the Rendezvous Bay beach. No first-hand experience on either one but it always seemed to me that this kind of arrangement was the best of both worlds - up high enough for a view and some breeze but snorkeling right down a path. I think there's a house called Dream Come True over on Devers that is up a bit but has its own stretch of beachfront, too.

Good luck - let us know what you find out.

- Margy

So sorry to tell you that Opar is no longer on the rental market. Returned from Oleander Villa just above it last week. The side yard of Oleander and the rear area of Morningside adjoin each other. Morningside has also been sold but think they will keep it as a rental villa.
Belle Mer is directly on the beach at Rendevous Bay, as is Carnival Beach House.There is a new house being constructed right on Rendevous down at the end next to On The Rocks. It is really a nice area and much to my surprise I saw people actually swimming down there.

Thanks, Mary B! Did you enjoy Oleander?? We really loved Morningside - haven't seen any new pix so it maybe could use a little updating - we wanted to return but when the owner changed mgt companies it was kind of priced beyond us for 2 taking into consideration the amenities (IMHO). I do love the layout, tho, the open house feel with that V-shaped floor plan. It's a great house for 2 and a good house for 4 but for 3-4 couples I don't know that there is room in the shared living spaces for that many people. Loved having the pool so close by - didn't need the walkies to talk to DH at the pool - lol.