None of the mentioned places USUALLY have cruise ship visitors. If your major draw is snorkeling, then the best of the 3 is Secret Harbour - hands down. Bolongo bay can be rough, with little to see - Cowpet...there is nice snorkeling but it is a good swim, and it can also be rough.

you can't go wrong with the choices entered. Away from the maddening crowd (cruise ships), but close enough to enjoy the isleand. My choice would be Cowpet then Sapphire, then Bolongo. But hey that is my choice and I have stayed at two out of three.

Secret Harbour fits your desires. Is there a reason you aren't considering it?

Sapphire: excellent snorkeling but crowds come with Cruise ships (although, they tend to stay just in front of the bar area and not spread out all over the beach).

Cowpet: can't offer help here since I am going down to check out this area in the near future. Never stayed here before, but I have visited during the day and it seems convenient to Red Hook. But, I don't think the beach is a good snorkeling beach. This is surely your least crowded of the 3 options you've presented - and "The Anchorage" (condo community at Cowpet Bay) is more upscale than Sapphire, Secret Harbour and Bolongo.

Bolongo: I don't see what the draw is tot his beach. I have read some decent review on this beach, but I always disagree. I am going to spend time there on an upcoming visit, and will view this beach with fresh eyes to see if I missed some area of it. I don't know if the ships come here. I doubt it. This is the least luxurious of all of your considered options. A good value, though. Rooms are clean and cheery and the decor is fresh (I think white and sunny yellow).

and probably a lesser extent Sapphire - weddings. I have seen as many as 3 or more weddings on property of Bolongo during the busy part of cruise ship season. This doesn't necessarily make the beach 'off limits' but can bring an interesting mix to what is already there

thanks for all this help!

i didn't realize Secret Harbour was a separate beach -- i thought it was just a developement?

with secret harbour, do you have to book directly through the management company? or can you book through the owners?

Here is the web site for Secret Harbour.
http://www.secretharbourvi.com/
You can call them or book online. If you prefer to use a travel agent Secret Harbour was listed in the Apple Vacation book for the Caribbean. They are also listed on Expedia.

For Secret Harbour, you must go through SHBR, the management company.

i own a rental villa in the secret harbor/ cowpet area and can tell you that its cheaper to go through owners directly if you can.

I have seen raves on this board about Point Pleasant. Is it on any of these beaches?

nope... not to far from sapphire though

It's on Sapphire Beach, which everyone has been recommending, but it's so much cheaper than other places, I'm a little worried. Is anyone familiar with it?

But lip, as I said, you cannot go through the owners for Secret Harbour...

annelizabeth, what are you referencing?

I'd seen something called "Sapphire Beach Village," presumably on Sapphire Beach, which has been recommended, but it seemed cheaper than other options, so i was wondering if anyone was familiar with it.

Ok, I see.

The Village is cheaper because it is not directly on the sand, as the Resort is. The Village sits up on the hillside over the Resort. There are two pools at the Village, aside form the pool at the resort. I prefer the village pools because they are more quiet and the ducks don't swim in them.

The Village has studio and 1BR units - some are privately owned condos. What I have discovered through extensive research on the options at Sapphire is that, in my opinion, the best option is a PRIVATELY owned condo in the Village.

You can walk down easily form the Village to the beach.

Personally, I don't think the Sapphire RESORT units are very well maintained. On my last visit, the round lock mechanism was missing from my patio sliders to the beach and I had to listen to a deep whistling noise each time the wind blew. Really, their location is the best....but the upkeep is lacking and the decor is basic hotel stuff.

That being said, I believe the best option at Sapphire, is to go with a private condo and they're even cheaper than the resort rates!!! Look at them and see for yourself.

Amethyst (only $200/nt year round)
http://www.mclaughlinanderson.com/caribbean-villas/AMETHYST/

Larimar (only $171 nt)
http://www.mclaughlinanderson.com/caribbean-villas/LARIMAR/

Sapphire (only $171 nt)
http://www.mclaughlinanderson.com/caribbean-villas/SAPPHIRE/

Annelizabeth:

Point Pleasant has 2 beaches, Pineapple Beach & Sugar Beach.

Pineapple Beach is front of a closed resort adjacent to Point Pleasant...it's nice but not great....however Coki Beach is just accross and up the street from Pineapple Beach...Coki is great!

Sugar Beach is a very secluded and very small beach in front of Point Pleasant...nice for privacy & snorkling.

F.I.

Back to the original question...the obvious choice is Secret Harbor. Very quiet, great cove for snorkeling, not many visitors since they do keep track of who is not a guest and they are not permitted to use the beach chairs. You will see the visitors sitting on beach towels on the sand.

And in answer to just why people like Bolongo. The snorkeling is not good, the water is not as clear as one would hope, but the actual beach is quite pleasant and the staff at this resort is SOOO friendly. Iggie's is also a very fun place to just "hang" sometimes with a great drink or brewski - not to mention more than pretty decent food.

Sapphire looks pretty in web pictures - and it IS OK, but the area is not so great outside of the resort. Same with Bolongo, but hey, just be careful as you would where you live in the States!

I recently moved to St. Thomas in August because I had been coming here on vacation since I was an infant. For many years family owned in Cowpet, it is nice because there are two restuarant you can walk to, the beach in nice although if you have children you do have to walk down a quite a few stairs to get there, condo vacationers usually cannot use the pool now, and snorkling is just okay, but the view is great. Sapphire Beach Resort is the nice, well kept, the beach is nice, free snorkle rent and towels, the snorkling is good, but the beach does get crowded and cruise ships do recommend to their passengers to stop there, but they have a nice pool and beach bar. Secret Harbour is pretty quiet and has a nice beach, it is a little more expensive than the other, snorkling is good, and they have a beach side restuarants also. I agree with what everyone has said about Bolongo. Now we just moved to Pineapple Village which is 3 miles east of Red Hook, Currently the hotel next to the village complex is closed so it is very quite here, the beach is private right now, with only a few people on it every day, and Coki beach is right across the street which many say has the best snorkling on St. Thomas. There are three restuarants in walking distance and it is easy to catch a safari or cab to Red Hook (which has 11 bars and restuarants, shops, and ferries to St. John and BVI) We have a villa for rent it can accomadate 2-8 people. Rates depend upon season and choice of accomadations. If you are interested you can email me and I can send you some pictures. Good luck with your vacation planning.

Annelies and Gary,
[email protected]