Hey Lynne, welcome to the board. My husband and I leave tomorrow, literally, for a week and we too are staying at Concordia Ecotents. It'll be our 4th trip down, first time on the concordia side. Tune in after the 12th for my trip report. In the meantime, yes you definately need a jeep or anything with 4 wheel drive- check all the previous messages about that. Hiking is best done through the National Park Service, particularly the Reef Bay Trail which they have you reserve space for (its really hot, not ideal hiking weather, all steep hill so its not like hiking on the mainland but the NPS hike trail system is good. We'll be taking Limnos Charters to the Baths to snorkle and sightsee one day- again check this board for lots of previous opinions on the "best" charters to the BVIs. The snorkling around STJ is superb!!!!You will love this board!

We've stayed there twice, but in the studios, not the tents. It was great! What a nice quiet place - and you can't beat the view.

1) I'd go with a jeep, especially on that side of the island. If you plan on visiting Lameshur Bay (not far from Concordia) you'll need it. Even the paved roads can be slippery if it rains, and there are a couple of good hills going into Coral Bay.

2) Ram's Head trail is a nice hike. The trails begins on the far side of Salt Pond Bay (again, not far from Concordia). Take a camera and some drinking water!

3) Can't comment on day sails as we've always rented a boat and gone on our own. A trip to the BVI is a must any way you get there - IMHO.

I wouldn't NOT get a 4wd vehicle on STJ----not so much for off-roading, but the roads get very slick during and after a rain (and it doesn't take much of a rain). The driveways to some villas also pretty much require 4wd, but Concordia's roads are fine.

There's lots of good hikes on STJ. I'd suggest getting a guidebook or two---"Feet, Fins & 4WD" or "STJ Off the Beaten Track" and trying a few. Some books are listed at the top of this page. Ram Head trail will be convenient for you. A favorite of ours is the Johnny Horn Trail which runs from Leinster Bay over to Coral Bay, but you'd have to like to hike. The books list a variety or trails which range from strolls to more demanding hikes.

We never got to the BVI until the third time we went to STJ. We'd intended to get there sooner, but there's so much we wanted to see and do on STJ that we just never got around to leaving the island.

If you do go on a day sail, we highly recommend Phil Chalker's Wayward Sailor. If you're looking for a party boat, Phil won't be a good fit, but for a really good experience of the Caribbean ecosystem, he can't be topped. The guy really knows what he's talking about and likes to get in the water with you and point things out.

I'd say just use your guidebooks and explore the island. STJ is a do-it-yourself kind of place. One of it's great feature is how much good snorkeling there is right off the beaches. Take a lot of time to do very little. Put your watches away. Snorkel at different beaches, watch sunrises and sunsets. Listen to the tree frogs, the waves and the donkeys. Concordia is a good drive from Cruz Bay, but not too far from Coral Bay and there are plenty of restaurants and a couple of groceries there. We stay in the Coral Bay area and don't really have much to do with Cruz Bay.

One thing that will get us to Cruz Bay is a chance to see Inner Visions at Fred's. They're a good local reggae band that tours part of the year,then plays around the VI part of the year. It's always a highlight of a trip if we can catch them.

Agree with Nick - both "Feet, Fins & 4WD", and "St John Off the Beaten Track" are excellent.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll definitely pick up a book or two. Capt Phil sounds like the way to go for us. We purposely picked St. John because it's low key and so much of the island is in a natural state. Can't wait to explore. Thanks again.

I'm a hiker/backpacker and bought the book "off the beaten path", which is available at the top of this page. I'm leaving for STJ in a couple weeks, and look forward to doing some awesome hiking!

Hi, we just got back last night and are already planning our next trip. I would appreciate some answers about the STUDIOS at Concordia. We very stupidly didn't tour them while we were there all of last week, staying in E9, one of the tent cabins.
Here are my questions: 1) do the studios have fans- big ones, not puny little boat fans and did they help you avoid the sticky overnight heat 2) do they have decks (we didn't notice believe it or not) 3) were the toilets composting- in other words did they start to smell after a few days 4) did they have lighting other than night lights and weak overhead lights 5) did they have electrical outlets and 6) did the sink have running water or was it strictly a cold running spring loaded faucet?
We love the ecoresort concept but I wasn't thrilled with SOME aspects of the tents, hence our decision to go more upscale the next trip down. We sweated our buns off each night except for the really windy nights and didn't sleep well and I got pretty sick of stumbling around with the poor lighting. Not to crab as we love STJ and Maho but I would love to combine my newer needs for comfort with our love of the MahoBay resort (they never answer emails and hubbie and I thought it best to ask folks on this wonderful message board what they think). Thanks a bunch!

Sorry, I forgot to change the "Topics" header- please see my 11/13 entry, thanks!

Karrie,
We stayed in the Concordia studios about five years ago and really liked it. We didn't have a view - we got the last one available and it looked out on the swimming pool. But it was a nice room with a table and chairs, a tiny kitchenette and a nice bathroom with a great shower for two people (the shower was one of our favorite things). I remember the ceiling fan (and maybe another one over table) over the bed. It was all we needed to stay cool. It made a huge difference. We did have a little deck, but like I said, no view and the bugs were just bad enough that we didn't spend any time out there. I don't remember any problems with lighting or power (there were outlets because we charged camera batteries) or smell from toilet. I think it was a real sink. We thought it was a great bargain - we went off season and it was only $85/night. I know it has gone up some, but still a bargain.
When we were there this summer we rented Fishbone cottage on Fish Bay. A small cottage for a couple, and we loved it. Nothing fancy, but very cozy and cute and we had tons of banana quits and humming birds. Great view, AC in bedroom that we never used because fans were enough, and a great deck.

Thanks Iggie- we hate to not be at the Ecoresort but I just got sick of the inconveniences (no lighting, no fans) in the cabins. the view was spectacular but we sweated like pigs so we didn't sleep well. Do you remember the fans being big or small boat size?

I remember them as regular-size (not small) ceiling fans. We were there in early December, so maybe not as hot as when you were there, but it was pretty hot. I remember the fans seeming absolutely essential. We didn't feel the need for AC with them. I know there was one over the bed and I think there was also one over the table.

Thanks again- I would have contacted them directly but found that they never respond to emails and if they wouldn't connect me directly to the concordia side I could never get a straight answer on anything by phone.

Karrieb - welcome back to MA! (it's no consolation I know, but at least the weather is warm for Nov).

We stayed in the studios on two occasions a few years back; the first time (our honeymoon) in a small 1-rm/kitchenette unit, and later in a larger 1-br loft. Both were equipped with ceiling fans (the loft had them on both levels if I recall). We were there in July (both trips) and were surprised at how comfortable the fans kept it.

Both units had awesome decks! We faced Salt Pond Bay both times - incredible view! We spent many a night sitting on the deck watching the stars (and cruise ships). We weren't bothered by bugs, but I don't think they're particularly bad in July. If I were to make reservations again, I'd request a Salt Pond Bay view.

The toilets are not composting toilets; they are the regular flush (water saver) variety, I believe. They did not smell.

The lighting and electrical outlets are like what you would find in a normal house. The kitchenette in the small unit was equipped with utensils, appliances (coffeemaker, toaster, blender), mini fridge, microwave, and a stove top (two-burner, if I recall). The loft unit had a very nice fully equipped kitchen complete with utensils, appliances, micro, full fridge, regular stove/oven, and dishwasher (!!)

There was both hot and cold running water(again like a normal house). The showers were very nice, large, ceramic tiled with screened windows (louvred for privacy). The management does stress water conservation.

The bottom line - the studios are much like small apartments - we never felt as though we were roughing it during either of our stays. I would definitely stay there again and would recommend them to others. I think they may be the "upscale" accomodations you're looking for. Any other questions - feel free to ask 🙂