Hello everyone! So I have to admit, I am a social media lurker. I like to know what everyone is chatting about when it comes to their St. John vacation. And one topic that I see coming up time and time again is the Caneel Bay Beach Club. It seems that many of you are curious just how much of Honeymoon Beach is affected by it. Well rather than tell you, I think it’s better to actually show you.
I grabbed the GoPro this morning, and hiked down the Lind Point Trail to Honeymoon Beach. I took the following video around 11:30 a.m. As you will see, it was pretty quiet down there. Check it out:
Hello everyone, and happy Monday! There are lots of great events that happen here on St. John every week. Here is a quick rundown of some things you may want to check out the next time you visit the island.
Sundays – Bingo at The Windmill Bar
The Windmill Bar has some of the best views on island!
Bingo with an amazing view? Yes, please! Our friends over at The Windmill Bar hold Bingo every Sunday starting at 4 p.m. This fun event is open to people of all ages, so feel free to bring the kids! Cards cost $1 most rounds, and $5 for the blackout round. Winners receive the cash collected from each round.
Mondays
I could be wrong, but I do not think there are any weekly events that happen on Mondays. If I am wrong folks, please send me an email at jenn@explorestj.com.
Tuesdays – Karaoke at Upstairs Bar & Grille
Be sure to check out St. John’s newest bar & grill!
Karaoke starts this week at the Upstairs Bar & Grille, so grab a friend and head on over to Cruz Bay’s newest bar & grill. Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and continues until midnight. Beginning this week, karaoke will happen every Tuesday. Not familiar with the new Upstairs bar and restaurant? Click here to read an article we posted on it a few weeks back.
Wednesdays – Bingo, Trivia & Karaoke
Trivia happens at the Johnny Lime every Wednesday night.
There are a lot of fun things that happen here on Wednesdays!
Missed Bingo on Sunday at The Windmill Bar? Well you’re in luck! They’re holding Bingo at their sister restaurant in Cruz Bay, the Upstairs Bar & Grille (the same spot that hosts karaoke on Tuesday nights.) Bingo runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Upstairs every Wednesday.
The wildly popular trivia night happens every Wednesday at Johnny Lime in Coral Bay. It starts around 6:30 p.m. or so, and the event usually attracts upwards of 100 people. This is a charity event, so the turnout is absolutely incredible. There is a $1 per person minimum for teams of up to six people, and $20 for teams of seven or eight. Cookies are also available for $3 each, and they are baked by the amazing Leslie McKibben. Her husband Steve hosts the event. The money raised is donated to a different St. John nonprofit every month, so it’s a fun night for a great cause.
And rounding out our Wednesday night fun is more karaoke! This time it’s happening at Flavours Nightclub, which is located on Centerline Road around mile 2. (It’s two doors down from Shambles.) Karaoke happens here weekly from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and they typically have a deejay afterwards.
Thursdays – Open Mic Night at Miss Lucy’s
Miss Lucy’s hosts open mic night every Thursday.
Now this is an event that’s been happening for years, and it continues to draw quite the crowd! Open mic night happens every Thursday at Miss Lucy’s in Coral Bay. It starts at 5:30 p.m. and continues until 9 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend, even if you do not plan on grabbing a microphone or instrument. There are weekly food specials and the bar is always open.
Fridays– Trivia at Skinny Legs
You never know who will show up for trivia!
And finishing out the week is trivia at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay. Trivia its not happening this Friday, but it will return next week. It starts at 6 p.m., and from what I’ve heard, it gets quite the crowd. So arrive early to get a seat. The restaurant and bar are open until 8 p.m.
Isola Shoppes is located across from the water in Coral Bay.
Attention investors, this one is for you! A very impressive piece of real estate just listed for sale in Coral Bay!
The Isola Shoppes complex is looking for a new owner. This is a unique and rare opportunity to own a fully occupied, turnkey commercial building on St. John. Isola Shoppes is home to Salty Mongoose, Surf Club Cantina, Jolly Dog, Zemi, Antarest Property & Hospitality, and Coral Bay Fresh Market on the first floor. The second floor has two apartments, each with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One is being used as a short term vacation rental, and the other is the current home of 340 Real Estate Co.
This beautiful complex has impressive water breezes and cool breezes all day. There is an adjacent, flat parcel included in the sale which provides ample parking for the complex.
(Side note: Surf Club Cantina is currently listed for sale on Biz Buy Sell. None of the other businesses located in this complex are for sale. This particular listing is for the building only.)
The Isola Shoppes building is currently listed for $10.5 million by 340 Real Estate Co. For more information, please contact Tammy Donnelly at 340realestateco@gmail.com or by phone at (340) 643-6068.
Seagrapes at Saltwell Botton on the island’s East End
Hello everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week! Today, I want to share a little inside scoop with you. Some of the island’s most prolific trees are currently fruiting, and they’re providing an abundance of a delicious little treat!
For those of you who have been to St. John, you have probably noticed quite a few seagrape trees lining our beautiful beaches. The seagrape, whose botanical name is coccoloba uvifera, has broad, leathery round leaves with prominent red veins. These evergreen shrubs or small trees are an important species as they protect the island’s coastal areas from erosion and storm damage. The seagrape produces spikes of white flowers and then clusters of grape-like fruits. (Only the female trees produce fruit.)
I was out at Saltwell Bottom last week with island tour guests when Yola, one of the owners of the property, pointed out the fruiting trees beside the beach. “Get them now because they will be gone soon,” she told me. So I immediately did.
When the seagrape fruit is ripe, it turns reddish in color. And while it is not a true grape, people say it tastes similar to a muscadine grape. You can snack on this tasty little fruit, or use it to make jelly or wine. I don’t think it tastes like a supermarket grape per se, but it was an interesting little snack.
A closeup of a seagrape at Saltwell BottomMy guests took a handful of serapes home.
I also noticed a seagrape tree fruiting at Cinnamon Bay the other day. Specifically it was the tree outside of the main bathroom along the walkway to the beach.
If you’ve been on island following the 2017 storms, you likely have noticed small trees in little cages planted along the beaches inside of the National Park. A lot of these plants are serapes, and they are planted to restore some of the shoreline that was affected during Irma.
A seagrape planted at Maho Bay. (This is a pic I took back in 2020.)
Pretty interesting stuff, right?
I was pretty excited to see these trees fruiting, and I hope you enjoyed this little story today. As always, if there is anything you are interested in learning more about, please feel free to send me an email at jenn@explorestj.com.
Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday! Who is looking for something new and fun to do when vacationing in St. John or over on St. Thomas? Well you’re in luck, because I have just the place!
So as I mentioned yesterday, I enjoyed a bit of a staycation last week. And I have to say, my absolute favorite day was the one I spent with my family at the Lovango Resort & Beach Club. It was the third time we spent the day at the Beach Club, and it certainly will not be the last.
Let’s start with logistics. The Lovango Resort & Beach Club is located on Lovango Cay, which is a quick 10-15 minute boat ride from Cruz Bay. It is open to the public, so you do not have to stay at the resort to enjoy the Beach Club or its waterfront restaurant. In today’s post, I am going to focus on the Beach Club. (Truthfully, I had so much fun that I never made it over to the waterfront restaurant to sample the food and take some pics. So it looks like I will have to go back. Twist my arm!)
There are three options for guests who want to spend the day at Lovango’s Beach Club. You can rent a lounge chair on the beach, a two-person lounger which is tucked away and surrounded by beautiful landscaping, or a poolside cabana that seats up to six guests. Each option comes with a roundtrip ferry ticket. You can choose to take one of the following ferries heading to Lovango – the 10:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m. or 12:45 p.m. You then then choose to return to Cruz Bay at either 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. (I took the 10:45 a.m,. ferry over and was scheduled to return at 4 p.m. I was having such a great time that we changed our return time to 5:30 p.m.)
The Lovango Resort & Beach Club provides roundtrip ferry service for its guests. The ferry picks up and drops off in Cruz Bay at the bulkhead area.Lovango is located about 10 minutes from Cruz Bay by boat. (St. John is pictured in the distance to the right.)
You can choose from the following three options when visiting the Beach Club:
Beach Lounge
Beach lounge
This is the most affordable way to spend the day at the Beach Club. There are only two rows of lounge chairs, so each has a beautiful water view. The beach lounges are located on the sand and come with an umbrella and side table. The cost to rent a beach lounge is $135 per person for the day. USVI residents can rent a chair for a discounted rate of $120 a person. Guests renting a beach lounge have full access of the beach club, including pool access, snorkeling, games and more.
The beach lounge chairs are located right beside the water.Games areaA comfy place to lounge beside the games area
Beach Hideaway
Beach hideaway
For those of you who are looking for a bit more privacy, you can opt for the beach hideaway option. Nestled between beautiful tropical foliage is a private daybed with unobstructed views. Guests who choose the beach hideaway also have two chairs on the sand where they can enjoy a bite to eat, a drink or two, or simply put their toes in the sand. The cost of the beach hideaway option is $235 per person with a two person minimum/maximum. A bottle of Prosecco is included as well.
These private daybeds are located directly below the pool.Beach hideaway and beach lounge area
Poolside Cabana
Poolside cabana
Looking for a day of luxury? Then this is for you! The poolside cabanas are located exactly where you’d expect them to be – poolside! 🙂 There are five cabanas in total, and each comes with a very comfortable living room-type set up inside and private daybeds outside on the pool deck. The cabanas each come with a bottle of Prosecco, sparkling water and still water. The cost of a poolside cabana is $245 per person with a four-person minimum. The cabanas can accommodate up to six guests.
The daybeds at the poolside cabanasPoolside Prosecco… yes, please!Dalton LOVED the pool!Being at Lovango truly felt like being on vacation…
Regardless of which option you choose, you are welcome to relax poolside or on the beach. The beach area, however, does not have direct water access. Guests who looking to snorkel – there are a couple of great snorkeling spots around Lovango Cay – can opt to enter the water near the western edge of the property or on the north side of the property. Guests who choose to snorkel on the north side of the property (in the channel between Lovango and Congo cays) have to hike up to the ridge and then back down to the other side. Transportation is not provided. Most guests opt to snorkel on the western edge of the property near the beach club and waterfront restaurant. That’s just a quick walk down the boardwalk to the property’s third dock.
There is great snorkeling in front of Lovango Cay.
And speaking of the other side of the resort, that is where the luxury treehouses and glamping tents are located. I took a quick ride over there, and I have to say, they look pretty incredible.
The accommodations look north toward Congo Cay.I would absolutely love to spend a few nights over here.
Back at the Beach Club, there are a few options when it comes to food and beverage. The Sandpit – a new addition this season – is described as being fresh, fast and casual. It is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Sandpit offers an array of bites, bowls and flatbreads. Take a peek:
And as I mentioned, there is also a waterfront restaurant on property in addition to a cute little bar. The waterfront restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.
What a great spot for a meal!
Now I know what some of you might be thinking… Why would I spend that amount of money when I could visit one of St. John’s beautiful beaches? Well I can tell you firsthand, that Lovango is different. There is something magical about that little island. There isn’t a rush to find a parking space or a spot in the shade. It’s never too crowded or too loud. It’s very calm, very laidback. The service is impeccable, and the food was delicious. Every time I have visited Lovango, I have felt like I’ve been transported to some exotic faraway place. I never felt that I was 10 minutes from home. If I could go to Lovango once a week to recharge, I would do so in an absolute heartbeat. If I can provide one tip for your next vacation, it would be to check this place out. I promise you will not regret it.
For more information on the Lovango Resort & Beach Club, please visit their website at www.LovangoVi.com.
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