John -
If you have a extra few bucks, I'd highly suggest purchasing the book "St. John: Feet, Fins and 4-Wheel Drive" by Pam Gaffin. I think it cost under $15. It is very detailed about what you are passing and when, as well as lots of good info on hikes and what each beach is really good for. We used it extensively when we vacationed on St John in 2002, and friends have borrowed it for their trips as well. I'm sure someone will share a good routing to take - like going along North Shore Road, seeing Annaberg, then hop over to Coral Bay, and back to Cruz Bay along Centerline Road. The book has several routings and is very detailed.

We had a trip planned back this summer, but had to change it... so we booked a cruise like your's that will be in St Thomas 8A-11P (ms Zuiderdam) provided they don't flip-flop St Thomas and Tortola like has been happening recently (when they flip-flopped these ports, both ports became 7A-6P... so we hope our itinerary stays "as is" so we get the extra long time for St John - which is why we booked that specific itinerary.)

As far as beaches to stop at, we will definitely be returning to our wedding beach (Hawksnest). I'm hoping to get another smaller version of our wedding cake - but it's hard planning independent things like this knowing the recent history of our ship flip-flopping ports. Salt Pond is not really a "beach" but was great for snorkeling and seeing hawksbill turtles. We stayed at Concordia ecotents overlooking that area, and there is Ram's Head hike out that way where you hike past Salt Pond Bay to catch the trailhead. And there's also Drunk Bay out from there as well with the figurines made of washed-up coral on the coastline.

~ Mandy in Dallas

I just looked up the Gaffin book on Amazon.com (from a search on Google) and it is showing....

List Price: $10.50
Price: $10.50 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details.
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours
Edition: Paperback

But I think I might have purchased mine from StJohnSpice or somewhere in the USVI. Can't recall.

~ Mandy

my 2 cents
I was there a few weeks ago and I had the time of my life , my first morning i rented a jeep from cool breezes , good chioce. nice guys. drove all around st john the whole day
take north shore high way to hawksnest beach ,excellent for a.m. swim , then on to maho beach and took a tour of the camp . then up the mountain to see the view and on down to coral bay and on around to concordia to a awesome view, there are no bad views on st john. unless your in a room with no windows !!! Iam so in love with st john
I will be back very soon, even if i have to sell my last born, my advise is just drive and forget about any schedule and you will be surprised but something new and not on the map. See ya

Thanks for the replies.

Mandy - thanks for the book suggestion - I will check it out.

John

John,

I've been to St. John twice. The first-time as a cruise ship passenger, the second time we rented a Villa and stayed for a week.

From the cruise ship, we rented a Jeep from Budget Rent A Car in Havensight (maybe and 1/8 of mile from the cruise ship dock). I set this up through the internet before we left on the cruise.

I drove through Charlotte Amalie and over the hill towards Magen's Bay. When you get to the top of the hill, your jaw will drop from the view. From there you can head east to Redhook. If you like, you can stop at Coki Beach for a snorkle, but you'll be a tight time limit. Also, I highly recommend the local fruitstands on the highway near the Coki Beach turnoff.

When you arrive at the ferry, you're in for CULTURE SHOCK! The islands run on Island Time. There is a schedule, but don't be surprised if they are way behind schedule. (Also, remember to return early so that you can meet your ship.) My recommendation - just relax and get used to the very slow pace.

On St. John, take the North Road. It's absolutely fantastic. Stop at any of the beaches, they're all great and most have great snorkling. Drive at least as far as Maho (which I think is the prettiest).

Don't expect to have time to drive the entire island, snorkle, and stop at all the beaches. It probably takes at least 1 hour of driving to get from the ferry dock to Little Lameshur on the South. No worry tho man, the prettiest views and beaches are on the North Road.

e-mail me if you have questions,

John

I took my car over to St. John on Saturday for some exploring with a friend who was visiting. After snorkeling at Trunk Bay and Francis Bay (which was crowded with fish, but not people!) we drove down to Coral Bay. Our map showed that both Route 20, and Bordeaux Mountain Road, connnect back to Centerline Road (20 is the road leading to Coral Bay Garden Center; the Mountain Road is just south of it, marked route 107 or 108 I think... steep incline from the main road).

Looking for an adventure we tried both routes, only to find them both deteriorate into rocky dirt roads that weren't passable in my car (a Nissan Altima). The Bordeaux Mountain Road in particular is very steep coming up from Coral Bay, and it's a tough turnaround once you realize you aren't going to make it.

So, Johnians, do those two roads indeed connect back to Centerline if you have a rugged enough vehicle to continue on them? I do wish these mapmakers would learn the difference between paved and dirt roads and indicate it on our maps!!!

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