Though the atmosphere on the southern end of Friars Bay is usually pretty lively, families will still find plenty of space to relax, while the water offshore is safe and warm year-round. Surfers and those looking for a more windswept beach experience will want to visit the north end of Friars Bay where the rockier shore meets the majestic Atlantic Ocean. The turn off to Friars Bay is found on the left, 2km north of Marigot on the road heading towards Grand Case. The bay is sheltered with a pleasant beach. Sunshine’s has good food, reasonable prices and a festive but relaxed atmosphere which attracts a mix of cruisers, locals and tourists. We met some interesting folks, including the owner and crew of a newly launched “First Rule Twelve” boat (design circa 1909) named Kate.
Snorkel a coral-fringed mangrove nursery with easy beach entry snorkel in the clear protected waters. Guides offer snorkeling instruction, point out the marine life and interpret the diverse mangrove ecosystem. Virgin Islands sailing offers the option of exploring the many uninhabited small islands with lovely secluded beaches. Charter boats also stop at Buck Island’s sandy beach on the west end. It wasn’t too bad a trip (location wise it was about 20 minutes from the cruise dock and like the description says, just up from Orient beach). Enjoy beautiful sunsets, quiet beaches and crystal blue seas teeming with sea life.
Welcome to our pages on the US Virgin Islands. It would take a lifetime to complete everything here, but we feel we’ve touched on the major beaches and pastimes so you can relax and sight-see and not feel that you’ve gone to the Islands and didn’t get to see some of the better things they have to offer. It would take many trips to see it all, and granted, people move here and spend a lifetime and never see the half of the beauty bestowed on the USVI.
We can thank one of the Rockefellers for keeping St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands beautiful. It was Laurance Rockefeller back in 1956 who purchased and turned a large portion of the island into a national park.
What this means to you is that as other Caribbean islands over build and over develop, St. John remains untouched. It’s the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, but at 28 square miles, almost two-thirds are a U.S. National Park. Naturally this means more people want to see what “pristine” really means.
