Saint John was everything we heard and read about and more. Picturesque, magical, tropical, relaxing, beautiful…the list goes on. Delete ALOT of your old pics because your arm will get tired here. The contrasts from water to sky to sand to trees is unlike any other island we’ve been to. There’s always someplace fun to eat and drink (expensive). You can shop at one of the few supermarkets (very expensive.) and make your own. There’s really only one shopping area (mongoose junction) so you won’t be distracted with that for very long. We stayed in a villa on Mamey Peak Road near Coral Bay. (Note: if you’re going to advertise that you have a hot tub, it should actually be working) Please note that Mamey Peak Road is not really a road because it’s an unpaved, pothole filled, hilly, rutted track. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The roads on St. John are an exciting adventure to drive up and down with some hairpin turns, lots of switchbacks, rocks, donkeys, deer, roosters, etc. Get a Jeep! Rental cars are abusively expensive. We would go back tomorrow.

This was my favorite beach on St. John. We parked at the NP Visitor Center in Cruz Bay around 10:30 AM - there were a few spots left. It took about 30 minutes for us to hike the Lind Point Trail to Honeymoon Beach. The trail was well-maintained and had good signage, and if you take the lower trail there isn't much elevation change (but also no views). At the beach we snorkeled at the western end and saw a ton of fish and beautiful coral. The snorkeling was the best we saw during this trip. After snorkeling we got refreshing drinks from the bar and used the shower facilities, which were nicely kept. Then we hiked back to Cruz Bay. To get to Honeymoon Beach, you can also park at what used to be Caneel Bay Resort and take a shuttle for $6 per person. It's operated by the Caneel Bay Beach Club, and you can also rent a chair from them. We like hiking so we opted for that instead.

Given the other beaches on the island can get pretty crowded, we were intrigued by the idea of a more secluded beach. The hike was pretty easy, and we were amazed by the beach’s beauty. It’s small but there’s plenty of space to set up or walk around. We had some delicious drinks at the bar truck which made the day even more perfect. We did get lost on the way back and ended up in a completely different place than where we started (not sure how that happened). So be sure to pay attention to the trail markings!