We needed a Plan C – worth a visit

Our go to destination in St Thomas when in port is Coki Point Beach. We love it there. So relaxing, natural shade, blue water, amazing snorkelling, etc so imagine how we felt when they told us it was closed due to some recent stormy weather…Plan B, we then asked about Magen’s Bay having been there once before only to learn it was closed as well.

Plan C then! The taxi dispatcher suggested Secret Harbour and off we went.

It cost us $20 per person return, same price for adults and children in a shared taxi-van. We arranged for our pick up with the driver but one nice thing here is that you don’t have to decide as a group. You can all return at different times. You can even get away without pre-arranging anything if you want the extra flexibility when you are at a beach that has people coming and going throughout the day. We’ve done this at both Coki Point and Magen’s Bay.

The beach isn’t very big but is pretty nice and provides a little bit of natural shade. You can rent umbrellas and chairs at the store next to the Cruzan Beach Club (the only bar on the beach). Although we were there by 10, they had already run out of umbrellas but luckily we found a spot under some trees and close to the bar. We rented two chairs for $10 each plus a $5 deposit.

The water was pretty calm while we were there and we did do a little bit of snorkelling but there wasn’t too much to see there. Apparently you can sometimes see small octopi but no such luck for us that day.

Clean, public restrooms are available behind the bar, but there are only three and are shared by both men and women. As the day progressed, so did the lines.

Food and beverages are available at the Cruzan Beach Club and they do have tables and chairs but you can take your food and drinks to the beach as well. Friendly staff and pretty quick bar service too. There were a couple of waitresses taking orders on the beach but we found it faster to go directly to the bar. Nothing against the waitresses themselves, there were just a lot of people on the beach that day!

All in all, it was a nice visit and if I were staying on the island, I would definitely include this on my list of beaches to visit. On the other hand, if coming to the island for the day, my first choice would still be Coki Point Beach.

Beautiful Beach – Worth the drive from the cruise port!

Originally we felt Half Moon Bay was too far from the cruise port so had planned on visiting one of the closer beaches to St John’s. However, on the day we arrived, beaches on the west side of the island were either closed or not recommended due to some recent stormy weather. Instead of heading with the crowds to one of the alternatives suggested by the tourism office, we took the advice from one of the taxi dispatchers and came here instead.

It took a good 45 minutes to get here in a shared taxi and a little less time to get back at a cost of $20 per person return (same price for children and adults). Because the driver stayed at the beach, we had to agree as a group when we wanted to return. If you want more flexibility, you will need to arrange this before leaving St John’s and will cost you more. From Heritage Quay, walk straight from the entrance for a minute or two and you will spot the dispatchers with their bright, orange shirts. Just tell them what you want to do / where you want to go to and they will arrange it for you, including how much you’ll need to pay.

The crescent shaped beach is absolutely beautiful and was crowd free despite the closures and the presence of 5 cruise ships in port! However, there is a lack of natural shade here, really only available at both ends of the beach but which places you a little far from the one and only beach bar (Beach Bum Bar and Grill). They have a limited number of chairs and umbrellas available for rent and were all out when we arrived at 10 so I can’t tell you how much they charge. However, soon after finding our shaded spot (we turned left when we hit the sand:)), a local NOT affiliated with the bar came by asking if anyone wanted to rent lounge chairs. Turns out he had his own, small supply on this side of the beach and was only charging $5 per chair plus tip. Jackpot! Just keep in mind though that most people visiting the beach will have to sit/lie on their towels.

The water near the beach had that calm, blue/green look to it and was good for children to swim in. We also did a little bit of snorkelling but there wasn’t a lot to see, just a few fish here and there. I’m really not sure how good the snorkelling is on the island to be honest and nothing really stood out as being a snorkelling hot spot when we were planning this port of call.

We had a nice view of the beach by heading up the rocky hill near our spot, but I suggest that you have some form of footwear on, even flip flops will do, to make it more comfortable. It’s a great spot for taking pictures!

As for buying food and drinks, the service can get pretty slow at the beach bar around lunchtime and you may find yourself waiting in line even just for one drink. After 10 minutes with not one of the 4 or 5 people in front of me being served, I bailed on getting a second beer. I’m assuming they were busy with the customers who had already ordered and were waiting for their food at the tables. There is a second bar between 100 to 200 meters away up the road (you pass by it on your way here) but you will want to have your shoes or flip flops on to get there. I didn’t have them with me and I guess I didn’t want another beer badly enough to either go back and get them or walk barefoot along the dirt and gravel lol!

In any case, we’re really happy we ended up here due to the closures as without them we never would have come thinking it was too far away. If you’re in port for at least 8 hours, then this beach is definitely doable and worth the travel time. We would definitely come back!