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I am trying to plan my trip which is in a couple of weeks. I rented a car and now I just need to decide what to do! We are only there 5 days and the first day we'll be arriving in the afternoon. I can't decide which beaches we should visit. It is me, my boyfriend, and my daughter who is only 10 months old. Which would you recommend? Coki, Secret Harbour, Smith Bay, or Sapphire beach? I would prefer a beach with shade for my daughter. We also plan to take the ferry over to St. John and possibly visit either Trunk or Cinnamon. Any suggestions? Also where do you recommend grocery shopping on East End. Thank you in advance!
All of those beaches will suit you just fine although bear in mind that, on a heavy cruise ship day, Coki does get very crowded for a few hours. For grocery shopping I recommend Plaza Extra which is in the Tutu Park Mall and CostULess which is further down the road in Market Square East. There is Food Center and Marina Market in the other direction in Red Hook but both are much higher-priced generally and have less selections than Plaza or CUL.
You will be fighting for shade at trunk unless you are there early
Two years ago, we did not feel very safe or secure visiting Coki Beach. (And we grew up in Detroit) I hope they have improved security around Coki. (tu) It is a beautiful beach but there are safer feeling spots on STT that are just as beautiful.
Coki has undergone quite an extensive renovation and there is ample security there.
Blaze,
Was shocked to see the changes at Coki and was very pleased. I've only gotten positive reports lately! See you soon! (tu)
Great to hear about the improvements at Coki beach. It was our first STT beach experience during our original trip about 10 years ago when we spent four nights at Point Pleasant. I didn't want to give up on it. Glad to see we don't have to. Sherri, I haven't seen you here in a long while. Seems like Facebook is taking up a lot of your time. 😛
Yes, Cokki has new rest rooms. But, the "vibe" remains the same. I would not condiser this beach "family friendly". Personally, the "barkers" in the parking lot make me uneasy. I also do not like the agressive vendors and beach patrons in various stages of intoxiation. This does not bother some people. Some folks like the "party atmosphere". To each his own. Just not my cup of tea.
Corral World, on the other hand, is well managed with secure parking. Despite sharing an acess road, Coral World is much more "family friendly".
I agree completely with blu4u about the "barkers" in the parking lot. After driving in on the access road, and then pulling into that parking lot, I felt like a new arrival at a state prison....well, let's just say unconfortable to the point where my wife and I decided to turn around and go back Linquist. FYI, I don't scare easily (Army Ranger) but we travel to the islands for relaxation, and Coki didn't look very relaxing.
Glad we decided to skip coki
