Sunrise
Haulover
Sunset
Solomon, Honeymoon, Cinnamon, Mako & Francis
Secluded
Solomon & Honeymoon as they are accessible by hike or boat only.
Cinnamon (far eastern end, over the rock outcropping)
Lameshur Bays & Europa if you want to try (requires 4WD)
Reef Bay (end of Reef Bay trail)

Bear in mind that you are there during the low season so many of the beaches will be less populated with exception of Trunk, Hawksnest and Cinnamon (in that order due to cruise traffic).

Excuse the fat fingers.

Maho not Mako 😉

Gees Chris, don't give the secrets away!!! Only kidding, sort of. I vote for Francis and Haulover but be aware that there are no services at either beach and Haulover is all rocks and you have to hike in on a short path to get to it so have the sandels handy. Maho may have the campers there so I wouldn't vote for that one as secluded at all. Big Maho, next door isn't secluded but we've never seen anyone there when we've gone. It seems to me that if you just avoid Trunk Bay when the ships are around you can't go wrong!

Chris,

How far is it from the end of the road to Europa? Can you snorkle there from Little Lameshure?

Is it worth it to go there? I'm really just looking for the best places to snorkle, so I could care less if the beach is rocky.

Thanks for your reply,

John

John
Didn't try by foot. I snorkeled from Lameshur to Europa. You need a bit of time getting from Lameshur and snorkeling Europa. It really depends on conditions at the mouth of Lameshur. There are grassy areas on the west side and turtles like that. The west side out to White Point is best. I liked it since it was truly deserted and therefore fairly pristine. Lots of conch shell and you see larger fish as you approach White Point.The beach is nice and there is never anyone there.
To be honest, if you are not into the 'pristine' angle, you can see just as much off Francis Bay across Fungi Passage to Whistling Cay and it is easier to get there.

karrieb

Don't worry...best kept secrets stay that way 😉

My vote is for Honeymoon. I thought that it was the most beautiful beach on STJ. Not very crowded because you have to walk there. Not too bad of a walk if you are comming from Caneel. Snorkeling is good to if you want to do that.

Chris,

I guess I am into pristine. That's one of things I like about St. John is that it seems untouched. Of course, that comes from somebody that lives south of Seattle near the Puget Sound. In my area there is nothing like the remoteness of St. John.

Secluded? Uh, I'm going with my 13 & 17 year old in August. Seclusion will be wasted on us, I'm just looking for AWESOME places to snorkle with my kids. My poor kids have had to listen to Dad and Mom come back from the Caribbean and rave about the snorkling, so this trip is for the kids.

Would you please clarify your statement about Whistling Cay. People don't snorkle from St. John all the way over there do they? Or did you mean that you take kayak or inflatable?

Thanks so much for your help and insider information.

John

Whistling Cay is ~ 1/8 mile from shore of Francis Bay. You cross Fungi Passage to get there. Depending on conditions, it is a fairly easy snorkel. Best condition on Whistling Cay is south and west end.
If this is not to be a regular event, I would seriously consider a day sail on one of the local charters. We have used Wayward Sailor out of Cruz Bay and have heard nothing but good about White Wing out of Coral Bay. Both seem to know the local areas off island for snorkeling. We went to Lovongo Cay just north of STJ and were blown away.

http://www.waywardsailor.net/about/index.htm

http://stjohnlinks.com/Charters/White_Wing/

How about renting a dinghy for beach hopping? Is it pretty easy to get around that way and can a few middle aged women and a 13 year old girl manage this feat? Also, how far down the north shore can you get? I would think all the way to Waterlemon would be quite adventurous.

Hello Deb,

Renting a dinghy is lots of fun. Yes you ladies could handle it. 🙂 They (the folks that rent them) give a little lesson before you head out, answer questions etc.

--Islander

Thanks for the vote of confidience! Is the water usually pretty calm this time of year?

There are so many great beaches to snorkel on st. john it's hard to narrow it down. I am scuba certified but definitely enjoy snorkeling much better. I guage my yearly trip on the following. When I go I want to see turtles, rays, octopus, sharks, morays in addition to all of the other beautiful sea life.

Waterlemon is great and your teenagers should enjoy that. Also Hawksnest provided many great snorkels last year for us. Remember don't go too fast or you'll miss things.

Have fun