You’re driving your rented Jeep out of Cruz Bay and jumping on North Shore Rd. This is not an easy drive. It’s nearly impossible to concentrate. You’re trying your best to stay on the left side of the road, but you also are being assaulted by scenic overlooks that take your breath away. Then you have goats and tourist to look out for. Like I said, it’s not an easy drive.

If you manage to stay on the road you’ll be treated to some of the best beaches in all the Caribbean. I’ve written about them many times and have done Island Lime Videos on a few of them. I thought it would be a fun attempt at sensory overload and put all the St. John beach videos in one post. If you’re heart can take, I dare you to watch them all in a row. If by the end you aren’t booking your next USVI vacation, then you’re a stronger person than I. Now let’s take a drive down the North Shore Road.

Trunk Bay

Cinnamon Bay

Maho Bay

Francis Bay

Hard not to be inspired by those salty pieces of land. And that’s only four St. John beaches. You still have the likes of Salomon Bay, Hawksnest Bay, Jumbie, Waterlemon, Caneel, Salt Pond and many more. The goal is to get back to dear St. John and film the rest of these beauties. I won’t stop until all the work is done, you have my word. That is, if I can keep the Jeep firmly placed on those dangerously distracting roads. A problem that I’d put up with any day.

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Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Trunk Bay, she’s like the pretty girl in class, always getting all the attention. She’s the most photographed, the most photogenic, the most popular. Just because she’s the prettiest, doesn’t mean she’s the best, but you do have to give credit when credit is due, Trunk Bay is a beautiful girl.

Cruisers from St. Thomas line up for a chance to day trip it over to St. John and Trunk Bay. They ferry over, pile into cabs, enter the National Park and glide past the beautiful Hawksnest Bay. They stop for photos at the Trunk Bay scenic overlook and unload at their destination, the most famous beach in the USVI. It’s popular for many reasons; underwater snorkeling trail, concessions, life-guards, crystal clear water and soft white sand. I think that scenic overlook sells it though. That view is one of the best in all the Caribbean.

My morning at Trunk Bay was quiet. It was early and the normally crowded beach was still hiding in the shadows of the morning sun. The tourist have not yet arrived, so I set up my camera and filmed the pretty girl in action.

 Trunk Bay, St. John – Island Lime Videos

As with the other Island Lime Videos I shot on St. John, time was of the essence.  No time to roll out a beach towel and soak in the Caribbean sun. No time to snorkel the underwater trail. No time to lime. The noon ferry back to St. Thomas was staring me down like an unapproving girlfriend.

Have you been to Trunk Bay? What is your favorite thing about it?

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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What can I say about Maho Bay on St. John? Nothing that words can adequately describe. I’ll give it a shot though, then I’ll let the video take over.

Maho Bay is lush green hillsides towering behind you, free of homes that if there, would command million dollar views. It is gentle waves massaging your ankles as you’re feet sink into the soft white sand. It is sea, sky and land coming together complete perfection. It is heaven.

For a long time Maho Bay Beach has been my favorite beach of all the North shore beaches on St. John. During my last visit, I stepped on to the sands of Francis Bay for the first time. After pinching myself, I thought that I had just found the most beautiful spot on St. John. You honestly can’t go wrong with any beach on St. John, but Maho and Francis are tops on this pirate’s list.

Watch this video and you let me know if this is heaven. Don’t mind the jackass running in front of my shot at the 2:35 mark. Who wears black jeans on the beach in the Caribbean anyways?

Maho Bay, St. John USVI – Island Lime Videos

Here is some information about Maho Bay from StJohnBeachGuide.com.

About Maho
Maho Bay was named after the Hibiscus Tilaceus orBeach Maho, a tree commonly found on the St. John shoreline and throughout the tropics. The beach Maho has a distinctive heart-shaped leaf and produces attractive yellow flowers that later turn purple. The small green fruit of the maho is not edible, but a bush tea can be made from the leaf.

Interestingly, Maho Bay, now a relatively narrow beach, was once one of the widest beaches in St. John. The “horse kids” of St. John took advantage of this characteristic, as well as the great length of the beach, to have horse races on the sand. The narrowing of the beach came as a result of the removal of sand by the government to construct Cruz Bay roads and the Julius Sprauve School. This was done at a time when the dynamics of sand production and sand loss were not yet understood.

Getting There
Maho Bay is located about 1.25 miles past Cinnamon Bay or 5.2 miles past Mongoose Junction going east on Route 20. Park off the side of the road.

Facilities
There is a National Park pavilion on the extreme western portion of the beach. A permit must be obtained from the park in order to use this facility. This permit will also entitle you to use the bathrooms to the west of the pavilion, which are otherwise locked and not available to the general public. The park will explain the rules and conditions pertaining to the use of the pavilion. (Call the National Park at 776-6201.)

At the eastern part of the beach there is a trail, called the Goat Trail, which leads to the Maho Bay Campground at Little Maho Bay.

It’s a special place. If you find yourself on St. John, I highly recommend you spend some time at Maho Bay.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Seeing a lost love, if only for 30 minutes, is magnitudes better than not seeing that love at all. Parting may be bitter sweet, but the time spent will last you until the next encounter.

It may sound like I’m gushing about an old flame or quoting a sappy love novel but no. That’s they way I felt when walking the shore of Cinnamon Bay on St. John’s north shore. I only got to spend a precious few minutes at Cinnamon, just enough to breathe in the salt air, shoot some video and watch a couple string-rays glide through the shallows…and over my toes.

Cinnamon Bay is a long stretch of sand located on St. John’s famed north shore and just to the east of popular Trunk Bay. The bay is located in the Virgin Islands National Park and has good parking and plenty of facilities. While I was there it looked like they were doing a small archaeological dig near the beach just off the side walk from the parking lot. St. John has amazing history that dates way back to the Arawak and Carib Indians, then to the turbulent slavery and sugar era. I’m curious to know what they are digging for in the sands of Cinnamon Bay.

As promised, here is the Island Lime Video shot at Cinnamon Bay. Watch as the waves crash ashore, listen to the trade winds blow in from the sea and most importantly, imagine yourself there.

Cinnamon Bay, St. John USVI – Island Lime Video

Mind-boggling beautiful isn’t it? Have you been to Cinnamon Bay? Leave a comment below, the other Castaways and myself would love to hear your island story.

Cheers to a little island limin’,

RumShopRyan

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Toes sinking deep into the soft sand and my jaw hanging agape, Francis Bay on St. John might have made my heart skip a beat. The clock was ticking though and I had Caribbean blogger work to do. If only one could freeze time, this would be the place to do it.

I only had five short hours to spend on St. John before having to catch the noon ferry back over to St. Thomas and jump on a flight. Is five hours long enough to spend on this Caribbean gem? Not by a long shot, but it was long enough for this island beauty to sink her hooks into me all over again.

It was my first time to Francis Bay. The first visit to St. John was five years ago, way to long for this castaway. During that past visit we hung a right at the T-junction where you have the choice to go to Francis Bay on the left, or Annaberg and Waterlemon on the right. Franics Bay was the choice this time, and a good one it was.

Soak in the Island Lime Video below and see if Francis Bay tugs at your island soul as it did mine.

Francis Bay, St. John – USVI

Francis Bay faces West, which gives it a calm shore line and stunning sunset views. The bay is home to great hiking, snorkeling and areas to set up a picnic. I’m a big fan of Francis Bay because it take a little bit longer to get to. Most the cruise ship passenger from St. Thomas and trucked over to Hawksnest, Trunk and Cinnamon Bays. All beautiful beaches, but paradise is best enjoyed in peace, and that’s exactly what Francis Bay delivers.

Francis Bay, St. John USVI

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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The exclusive Blue Flag eco-label is awarded to beaches and marinas worldwide that meet the program’s 32 criteria, which mandate standards for water quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management. As a result, guests of these four newly-flagged public beaches can rest assured that they will have easy access to information and services including: updated details on water quality, trash receptacles, guidelines on beach code-of-conduct, safety guidelines, signage displaying educational information about the beaches’ eco-systems, regularly cleaned bathroom facilities, lifesaving equipment, wheelchair access and facilities for the disabled.

“It’s no secret that St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are home to some of the most pristine beaches in the world,” said Commissioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “Today, we wave these Blue Flags as testaments to the outstanding quality of our beaches and the sanctuary they provide travelers around the world in search of an inimitable island escape.”

The Blue Flag certification is just one more reason why St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are appealing to the growing segment of eco-conscious travelers. Not only is the Territory home to the Virgin Islands National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, but it also offers award-winning eco-resort accommodations – most notably Maho Bay Camps and Estate Concordia Preserve – and a plethora of sustainable outdoor activities like snorkeling, diving, hiking, paddle-boarding, kite-surfing and kayaking.

About the Blue Flag Program

The Blue Flag is an International highly recognized eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a nongovernmental environmental organization promoting sustainable development through environmental education. FEE is represented by national organizations in each of the participating countries in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, New Zealand, North and South Africa. To learn more about the Blue Flag program in the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit www.blueflagusvi.org.

About the U.S. Virgin Islands

When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel—including on-line check-in—making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever.  As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Here, U.S. residents receive a $1600 duty-free allowance – the highest in the Caribbean. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/USVITourism) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/VisitUSVI).

Which beach do you choose to spend the day? That’s nearly an impossible question, but a damn good problem to have. Let’s toss on our flip flops, throw on a Castaway Hat, and load up the Jeep because we are going to take a tour of the famous north shore beaches of St. John.

Salomon Bay, St. John

Salomon Bay, St. John - Photo by Jenniranee via Flickr

Salomon Bay, St. John - Photo by Bobby Padavick via Flickr

Salomon Beach is a beautiful secluded hideaway that is accessed by boat or a short hike starting behind the new National Park Visitor Center. The snorkeling is beautiful along the rocky points of this beach.

Hawksnest Bay, St. John

Hawksnest Bay, St. John - Photo by Skellig2008

Hawksnest Bay, St. John - Photo by Joe Jackson 201 via Flickr

Hawksnest Beach is the first National Park Beach that you will encounter driving along the North Shore Road from Cruz Bay. There are also many places to snorkel with abundant coral formations and rock outcrops to explore. My good friends JR and Angela got married on the sand of Hawksnest Bay, beautiful location for weddings.

Trunk Bay, St. John

Trunk Bay, St. John - Photo by RumShopRyan

Trunk Bay Beach, St. John - Photo by George Oze via Flickr

Trunk Bay is easily one of the most photographed beaches in all the Caribbean.  Trunk bay provides clean restrooms, showers, snack bar, gift shop, snorkel equipment rental, lifeguard protection and the island’s only under-water snorkel trail.

Cinnamon Bay, St. John

Cinnamon Bay, St. John - Photo by wayne31r via Flickr

Cinnamon Bay, St. John - Photo by granPOParazzi via Flickr

Cinnamon Bay has a beautiful long white sand beach with wonderful swimming and snorkeling and of course is featured in one of our favorite Kenny Chesney songs, Old Blue Chair.  As you enter the Cinnamon Bay complex, on your left you pass the Snack Bar, General Store, and offices. It is a common site to see donkeys roaming freely on the grounds.

Maho Bay, St. John

Maho Bay, St. John - Photo by Giggard via Flickr

Maho Bay, St. John - Who's that good looking Castaway! Photo by RumShopRyan

Maho might be my favorite beach on St. John. I mean just look at the first photo of it above. Lined with Coconut Palms and crystal clear water that gently kiss your feet. I only spent 15 minutes here wandering around the sand, but in that short time, for whatever reason, this beach left its mark on me.

Francis Bay, St. John

Francis Bay, St. John - Photo by Vicki_H via Flickr

Francis Bay, St. John - Photo by atpcz via Flickr

At Francis Bay, you will find one of St. John’s longest and most beautiful beaches.  There are picnic tables, BBQ pits and outhouses for amenities.  Breathtaking scenery awaits you as you gaze upon the shoreline and surrounding islands.  This is the perfect beach to unwind and relax the day away.

Waterlemon Bay, St. John

Waterlemon Bay, St. John - Photo by SunCat via Flickr

Waterlemon Bay, St. John - Photo by JennyHud

From the small and tranquil sand beach at the east end of Leinster Bay, you can access Waterlemon Cay and Waterlemon Beach, for what most visitors describe as the “best snorkeling on St. John.” This beach also makes an excellent cooling-off stop after a hike on the Leinster Bay, Johnny Horn or Brown Bay Trails.

There you have it, some of the best beaches on St. John and the Caribbean. Now that you’ve seen a couple photos of each one, which one are you going to choose? If you only had one day to spend on St. John and could only visit one beach, which one are you going to sink your toes into?

Cheers Castaways!
RumShopRyan

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As I was picking out the sunset photos to include in this post a fitting song started playing on No Shoes Radio, Soulshine by Gov’t Mule. How perfect I thought, the last rays of the sun that set the sky ablaze should be called “Soulshine”. They inspire, cause people to stop and take notice, and even dig out the sensitive side of the hardest of souls.

Here are 5 Soulshine photos that will stir your island heart.

A Bonaire Sunset

Caribbean Sunsets, Bonaire - By Capt Kim via Flickr

A Negril Jamaica Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, Negril Jamaica - By dsykes100 via Flickr

A St. Kitts Sunset

Caribbean Sunsets, St. Kitts - by size4figgerboots via Flickr

A St. John Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, St. John USVI - by nvphotouk via Flickr

A St. Martin Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, St. Martin - by JDsPhotography

I hope you guys like the photos and they give you a little joy and inspiration on this Caribbean Photo Friday.

(Top photo from Castaway Matt Jackson)

Have a great weekend and may a little Soulshine come your way!

Cheers to “THE LIFE“,
RumShopRyan

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With all the attention going to the north side of St. John, many forget about the tranquil calm of the south side. I’d like to put the south side in the spotlight today.

This week’s Caribbean Webcam features a view to the east over Rendezvous Bay and the south shore of St John. It’s a great webcam that puts lush tropical plants in the foreground and St. John’s rolling green mountains framed in the distance.

The webcam comes from our friends at the Great Expectations villa. The Great Room of Great Expectations looks east over Hart Bay and Rendezvous Bay to Ditleff Point and then to the south shore of St. John including Reef Bay in the distance. The villa webcam will update every 10 seconds.

St. John South Shore Webcam – Great Expectations Villa

The St. John villa Great Expectations is located in Chocolate Hole about 100 feet above the Caribbean Sea and has 4 equal Master bedrooms, 3 guest bedrooms, 2-1/2 swimming pools, 2 hot tubs and 1 basketball/tennis court.

As I was writing this post and watching the webcam, I saw a large island dragonfly captured by the refreshing camera. Frozen in flight for 10 seconds. Oh how I wish I could trade places with that dragonfly. Travel to St. John, hit the pause button, and freeze life in a place this beautiful. Lucky dragonfly, lucky.

Cheers Castaways, enjoy the view!

RumShopRyan

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It may sound like a fairytale but it’s not. This could be you.  A Castaway living the dream. How?

Shipwreck Landing, a popular waterfront restaurant in Coral Bay on St. John is for sale. The price tag is a cool $1.5 million. Small change for a working waterfront restaurant in the Caribbean, especially on St. John.  The listing broker is Islandia Real Estate.

Shipwreck Landing Beach Bar & Restaurant - Photo by Matt House via Flickr

Shipwreck Landing is a great stop for people traveling out to Salt Pond and is a popular place for mooring yachties in Coral Bay. There is live music most weekends and I hear it’s the place to be on Wednesday nights for locals. During season Shipwreck Landing brings in some of the best stateside live music and you never know who will stop by to sit in with their own talented local musicians. Hmmm, maybe a hillbilly rockstar?

Shipwreck Landing - Photo by mmahaffie via Flickr

Yes, you could take this over. You could be the one booking the musicians, making jokes with the tourists and telling locals how you made the dream of  jumping from office jockey to Caribbean bar owner come true.

Shopwreck Landing Coral Bay - Photo by Eric yeager via Flickr

The real estate includes several retail spaces across from the restaurant building, suitable (and currently leased by) gift shops.

The listing also offers hope: “Plenty of room to expand or possibly add dock.” A reasonable person would assume from this description that the property includes rights to the waterfront across the road from the restaurant – just imagine the traffic issues that could create with wait persons and customers moving back and forth. (From News of St. John)

Shipwreck Landing - Photo by mmahaffie via Flickr

Shipwreck is a wonderful and casual place. Open to the trade winds and views of Coral Bay, it will keep seducing people to it’s tables for a long time. One could really feel comfortable here and fall into a way of life that most only fantasize about. Is the future new owner of Shipwreck reading this story? Is he or she a Castaway?  I really hope so, because then I’ll know where I can go to grab a cold beer on the house, hear a funny joke or two, and listen to a story about making dreams come true.

Update: The landlord is selling the land and buildings, with the restaurant and gift shops having leases in place.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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