You’re going to LOVE St. John
Here are a few things to help you plan your trip
Places Nearby – Links – Getting Here
Places Nearby
We think our spot on the island is the best! It’s quiet and close to the most secluded beaches on the island, but less than 10 minutes to Coral Bay and only about 20 minutes to the North shore beaches. And we’re right on the steps of the National Park, with great hiking trails.
Only a half-mile drive (or a 3/4 mile walk along a beautiful trail) is Salt Pond Beach. Salt Pond Beach is a great, sandy beach for snorkeling or swimming. Plenty of sunshine so keep the sunblock nearby! This is also the starting point to the Ram Head (awesome sunsets) and Drunk Bay trails.
A short drive further brings you into the National Park to Great Lameshur and Little Lameshur bays. Yawzi point (the photo at the top of the page) separates the two bays. These are great bays for snorkeling and are almost never crowded. Great Lameshur is a cobble beach, Little Lameshur is sandy. The road into the National Park is a bit bouncy, so a jeep is recommended.
At the end of road, just past Little Lameshur, are ruins and trails that lead deeper into the National Park. You can connect all the way to the Reef Bay trail if you have the energy! Here’s a map of the area.
Links
Guide Books and Maps
Looking for the perfect St. John companion/guidebook? Look no further – St. John Off the Beaten Path has you covered.
And go to Trail Bandit for a great, free, printable map (including hiking trails). Or pay a small fee for a water and tear resistant map.
Car Rentals
C & C or call (340) 693-8164
Cool Breeze Jeep & Car Rental or call (340) 776-6588
Courtesy or call (340) 776-6650
Denzil Clyne Car Rental, call (340) 776-6715
L&L Jeep Rental or call (340) 776-1120
Mr Pipers Jeeps or call (340) 693-7580
O’Connor or call (340) 776-6343
St John Car Rental or call (340) 776-6103
Sunshine’s Jeep Rental or call (340) 690-1786
Most close around 5 pm so take this into consideration when making travel plans.
Transportation by Sea
Ferry listings between all the USVI and BVI and to Puerto Rico are here
Island-hopping information may be found here
Activities and Excursions
PADI Scuba diving and other sea adventures are available through Low Key Watersports
Interested in sea-kayaking? Visit Arawak Expeditions
Want to rent your own powerboat – Nauti Nymph offers you the freedom to go as you please aboard your own pleasure craft.
There’s even Snuba on St. John, a step between scuba and snorkeling.
Like to hike? Find info and maps of all the beautiful St. John hikes here.
Restaurants Near the Cottages
Closest to cottages are listed first:
Miss Lucy’s – Caribbean. (340) 693-5244
Pizzabar in Paradise – Pizza! (340) 201-1183
Aqua Bistro – American and Italian. (340) 776-5336
Salty Mongoose – Pizza. (340)-643-8486
Love City Cafe – Specialty coffee and baked goods. (340) 642-4786
Rhumb Lines – Asian Fusion. (340) 776-0303
Skinny Legs – Burgers, sandwiches, salads. (340) 779-4982
Lime Out – A floating taco bar….
Sites and Shopping
Mongoose Junction is the largest shopping complex on St. John. It features artisanal shops, restaurants, professional services, watersports and more.
The Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins give insight into what brought settlers to St. John in the first place.
The Virgin Islands National Park at St. John keeps visitors coming back.
Souvenirs? Check out the St. John Spice Company right off the ferry.
More shopping options? Click here.
Other USVI Links and Information
Visitstjohn.com – St. John, smallest and most idyllic of the three United States Virgin Islands, is best known for its dozens of postcard-perfect white sand beaches, turquoise bays abounding in colorful corals and rainbows of tropical fish and endless vistas of green velvet hills.
Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of the Virgin Islands National Park.
Getting Here
After you’ve arrived at the St. Thomas airport (STT), you can hire a taxi to take you to the passenger ferry dock at Red Hook. From there you will take the ferry over to St. John.
Remember, we drive on the LEFT side of the road. The roads are very steep, narrow, windy with very little signage to alert you of upcoming sharp curves (and sometimes donkeys) in the road.
From Cruz Bay, take Route 10 (Centerline Road) to Coral Bay.
Turn right onto Route 107 when you see the “Welcome to Coral Bay” signs, where the road levels out. If you go over speed bumps, you missed the turn, but found your way to Skinny Legs restaurant! You’ll want to make a stop there sometime during your visit, but for now you’ll need to turn around….
Follow Route 107 south through Coral Bay and along the coast. You’ll pass Calabash Market, then 1 mile later, Miss Lucy’s Restaurant. We’re about another mile from there on the left.
You’ll see a group of mailboxes and a road named “Sugar Bird Hill”. Turn left and bear left going up the concrete road.
Continue straight up and over the hill (don’t turn onto Crab Curve or Donkey Trail).
Horizons Cottage is the blue roof on your left. You’ll find the name of the cottage on the house. There are two parking spaces in front of the cottage.
Sugar Bird Cottage is a little beyond Horizons, also on the left, almost at the end of the road. You’ll see an area to parallel park on the left and a set of stairs going down to the cottage. There’s room for a three-point (or sometimes four-point) turn where you park.
Contact info is below. Hope you choose to stay at our cottages, and enjoy beautiful St. John!
HorizonsUSVI@gmail.com and SugarbirdUSVI@gmail.com
Horizons Cottage and Sugar Bird Cottage
Coral Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands
(661) 373-1983
