Cruz bay. Cruz Bay is the small, colorful West Indian village where the ferry from St. Thomas arrives and departs. It’s a totally charming and very casual mix of restaurants and bars, boutiques, shops, art galleries, dive shops, friendly people, and even a few offices, including our own. Everyone likes this captivating little village and sometimes our guests prefer to stay within walking distance of town. Although our Cruz Bay villas and condos are located an easy walk from town, they were all built in the quieter and most scenic areas, and all have delightful harbor and ocean views and capture the cooling breezes that reliably blow in off the Caribbean.
Contant Point. The point of land between Cruz Bay and Great Cruz Bay is called Contant Point (actually it’s a peninsula). Although only a mile from Cruz Bay, the road to Contant loops off the main road, so this low density neighborhood gets little traffic and remains surprisingly quiet and tranquil – so peaceful that Contant seems a world removed from Cruz Bay. The few homes here are pricey and private, face south or southwest, get lots of sun and have superb water, sunset and island views.
Great Cruz Bay (hillside). This appealing location is ultra convenient, being just a mile from town and a 2 minute drive (or moderate walk) from the beach and restaurants at the Westin Resort. Yet this location also offers the countryside setting and peacefulness of some of our more remote homes. These villas face south-southwest and receive lots of sun, cooling breezes and picturesque sunset and harbor views. These are also some of our best dollar values in the “small but irresistibly charming” category.
Great Cruz Bay (harbor). Lovely views of sailboats floating on turquoise seas, soft breezes and inviting swimming, snorkeling and boating in calm waters are some of the appealing features of this snug harbor. This is one of St. John’s best established neighborhoods with a mix of pricey rental and residential homes. You’re only a 5 minute drive from Cruz Bay and 2 minutes from the palm tree lined beach and restaurants available at the Westin Resort, yet Great Cruz Bay retains a quiet sense of beauty and relaxed refinement.
Maria Bluff. The tip of the peninsula between Great Cruz Bay Harbor and Chocolate Hole Harbor is called Maria Bluff. This is one of St. John’s finer residential neighborhoods with a mix of expensive rental and residential homes. All villas in this serene and gracious residential area have splendid water views and most have excellent sunset views, as well as easy access to the beach and restaurants at the Westin Resort. Cruz Bay is a 5-10 minute drive on paved roads.
Chocolate Hole (hillside). This is another well established and desirable neighborhood with a mix of moderate to expensive rental and residential homes. All our villas in Chocolate Hole face south – southwest with excellent day and evening views and some include romantic sunset panoramas. Chocolate Hole is also convenient to the restaurants and boutiques of Cruz Bay, being just a 7 – 10 minute drive on paved roads.
Chocolate Hole Harbor. Only a few high-priced homes line the quiet shores of Chocolate Hole Harbor, and all have a path that leads down to swimming and some excellent snorkeling in the turquoise waters at the mouth of the harbor. There’s also a small sand beach at the head of this harbor that’s suitable for swimming. The peaceful views of the harbor include sailboats at rest on their moorings and the lovely open sea. It’s an easy 5-10 minute drive to Cruz Bay on paved roads and a short hop over to the restaurants at the Westin Resort.
Devers Bay. Devers Bay is a small and charming cove on the south shore of St. John. With only a handful of homes, 4 of which are located on the sand and (mostly) pebble beach, Devers retains a peaceful and serene atmosphere. This cozy little cove faces south – southwest, affording lovely ocean and sunset views. Secluded and tranquil and yet very convenient, Devers is a 5 – 10 minute drive from town on paved roads and a 5 minute walk to villas in nearby Hart Bay and Chocolate Hole Harbor.
Hart Bay. This quiet and very picturesque cove is actually a part of Rendezvous Bay on St. John’s south shore. Hart has a small white sand/pebble beach. About a dozen mostly higher priced and attractive homes share this semi secluded cove, most face east – southeast and all have striking views and romantic locations where you can hear the breaking surf and watch the sun rise (and a few can also watch it set). Hart is a 5-10 minute drive to town and a popular and idyllic waterfront setting.
Rendezvous Bay. Rendezvous is the large turquoise colored bay between Chocolate Hole Harbor and Fish Bay. The hill above the bay faces south with scenic views that stretch from the East End of St. John to St. Croix, 40 miles across the blue Caribbean. Although in the past 10 years about a dozen upscale homes have been built in Rendezvous; our Rendezvous homes have retained their quiet and peaceful ambiance. It’s a 7-10 minute drive on paved roads to the delightful restaurants and boutiques of Cruz Bay.
Klein Bay. This beautiful little cove is also a part of Rendezvous Bay on the south shore. Klein Bay has a pebble beach that you can easily walk to, while a white sand beach is a 10-15 minute nature walk or a 10 minute swim. You’ll like the swimming and snorkeling here. About 15 homes (as of 2004) occupy this tranquil and peaceful neighborhood and almost all are expensive, recently built, luxury villas. All homes have delightful views and get lots of sun and soft breezes. Klein Bay is a 10-15 drive from Cruz Bay.
Fish Bay. Fish Bay. Located between Rendezvous and Reef Bays, Fish Bay formerly was mostly residential homes but now is a mix of rental and residential homes. The pleasant and sunny views to the south are of Fish Bay and the Caribbean Sea. It is a 10 – 15 minute drive to Cruz Bay.
Skytop (Fish Bay). The peaceful and quiet neighborhood on the top of the hill that towers over Fish Bay is called Skytop. Because Skytop enjoys the highest elevations the views are quite impressive. Getting to Skytop was always a challenge, but the road to the top is now paved and Skytop has become an accessible and very desirable rental location
Reef Bay. Except for the strip of land where our villas are located, the Reef Bay area is all beautiful and unspoiled National Park lands, including the white sand beach (Reef Bay Beach) just below you. For those who love perfect and peaceful natural beauty, this is one of the Caribbean’s finest rental locations. These moderate to expensive homes all enjoy spectacular views, lots of cooling tradewinds, and abundant peace and quiet, and all (except maybe Cocolobo) are within hiking distance to Reef Bay Beach. This beach is a sea turtle habitat and the Park maintains it in a natural and underutilized condition. There is no parking and a 50 foot section of the trail to the beach is steep. It’s a 4 mile drive into Cruz Bay, part of which is on dirt roads that discourage tourists from discovering this wonderful and still secret location.
Virgin Grand Estates. The VG Estates consists of 70 plus acres of hillside land above and behind the Westin Resort. Within these 70 acres, a well designed neighborhood of expensive and attractive villas is taking shape. The villas all face south-southwest and are bathed in sun all day. They also offer continually changing, marvelous views that include St. Thomas, Lovango and numerous smaller islands. Some days you can see El Yunque Mountain more than 80 miles to the west on Puerto Rico. The evening and (especially) the sunset views are some of St. John’s most memorable and colorful. The entrance to the VG estates is off of the Gift Hill road, about a 10 minute drive from Cruz Bay on paved roads. The Westin Hotel can be accessed (foot traffic only) by a private road within the VG Estates. As of 2003 there were about 10 homes completed or being built in the VG Estates, but many more are planned so ask your villa consultant if there’s any construction activity near your rental villa.
Gift Hill. The villas on Gift Hill are 800 feet above sea level and offer some of the most majestic day, evening and (especially) sunset views on St. John. With the exception of Wind Chime these villas all face south-southwest. They are bathed in sunshine and cooling breezes the entire day and are a great place to just lay back and relax. It’s a 10-minute drive from Cruz Bay on either of two scenic paved roads. In addition to breath-taking views, this location also offers a good amount of privacy and serenity.
Peter Bay. On St. John, the name “Peter Bay” is now synonymous with elegant and stately, luxury villas. This exclusive neighborhood is home to some of the grandest (and certainly most expensive) private villas in the Virgin Islands, if not the entire Caribbean. Peter Bay is located between Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay, along the exceptionally picturesque, very serene and beautiful north shore of St. John. The tranquil neighborhood is totally surrounded by the National Park and offers gorgeous views of Cinnamon, Maho and Francis Bays, Little Thatch Island and Tortola. Lower Peter Bay consists of about 11 acres and upper Peter Bay is about 14 acres. As of 2003, there were about 13 homes in Peter Bay, all built since 1994. More homes are being planned, so ask your villa consultant if there’s any construction activity near your villa. The restaurants of Caneel Bay Plantation (a 5 star resort) are a 5-minute drive and Cruz Bay is a 10-minute drive on the incredibly scenic North Shore drive.
Cinnamon Bay. Set in the middle of the National Park, above Cinnamon and Peter Bays, this lush North Shore location offers magnificent views, superb privacy and wonderful tranquility in one of St. John’s most exclusive neighborhoods. As with Peter Bay, Cinnamon Bay homes include some of St. John’s most impressive and expensive real estate. Although these homes are alike in some ways, each villa has its own distinct design and personality and your villa consultant can be quite helpful in selecting the ideal home. It’s a 10-15 minute drive from Cruz Bay and the last 1/2 mile is a bumpy dirt road intended to discourage tourists from wandering into this choice neighborhood. The views of Cinnamon Bay, the North Shore, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and the British Virgins are absolutely fabulous; take a look.
Francis Bay. Francis Bay is located between Maho and Leinster Bays, almost midway along the fabled north shore of St. John. From Cruz Bay it’s a 15 – 25 minute drive that many consider one of the most scenic and beautiful Oceanside drives in the United States. Because the National Park owns all of the seashore and almost all of the land in Francis Bay, this area maintains a splendid sense of pristine natural beauty and tranquility.
Bordeaux Mtn. This is St. John’s tallest mountain and the road that runs along the ridge line is now paved and the access is much easier. This ruggedly beautiful terrain has some of St. John’s most spectacular scenery, lots of privacy and some of the best natural splendor available on the island. If you have a sense of adventure and a desire to get away from it all, and if you long to rent a charming, well equipped villa that is off the beaten path, you’ll love this one of a kind pristine location.
Coral Bay (northern hillside). These villas are located in a friendly neighborhood of mixed rental and residential homes on the edge of the National Park. They sit high above Coral Bay on the mountains that overlook the Bay. The down island (east-southeast) views are sensational and the privacy and seclusion are also very highly rated. It’s a 20-minute drive on paved roads to Cruz Bay. It’s an easy 5 minute drive down the mountain to the south to Coral Bay or to the north and the gorgeous National Park beaches at Maho and Leinster Bays.
Coral Bay (western hillside). These villas are nestled in the hills that form the western border of Coral Bay. The exquisite down island ocean views include the East End of St. John, the British Virgin Islands and spectacular ocean sunrises. This is the heart of the Coral Bay region and Cruz Bay is a 25-30 minute drive on paved roads but the unique restaurants and shops of Coral Bay are a 5 minute drive.
Coral Bay (beachfront). We offer two beachfront villas in this intimate little hideaway in Coral Bay. Both are located on a quiet and private cul de sac in picturesque Johnson Bay, a pretty little cove on the east facing shore of Coral Bay. These neighboring villas share a small, reef protected, white sand beach with good swimming, snorkeling and boating from your front yard. The scenic views of the beach, Coral Bay and the Caribbean create a very tranquil and romantic setting. It’s a 20-30 minute drive into town, but some guests become so relaxed and detached from “the other world” that they rarely venture into Cruz Bay.
Coral Bay (Cliffside). The spectacular oceanfront location of this villa sets it apart, both literally and figuratively, from all other rental villas on St. John. This is definitely one of the most private, quiet and unspoiled villa locations on St. John, with beautiful views that stretch for miles and neither house nor human to be seen anywhere. This location is secluded but not remote, for there are 5 restaurants, 2 small grocery stores, a gas station and 2 National Park beaches within a 5-15 minute drive. If you wish to go in to Cruz Bay, it is an additional 25-30 minute drive.
Hawksnest Bay. The beautiful beaches at Hawksnest Bay on St. John’s north shore are the first beaches that you drive past if you are leaving Cruz Bay. Hawksnest has two superb white sand beaches. The second beach (Gibney Beach) has parking for only 4-6 jeeps, so Gibney Beach has fewer people and is more private. The lush green hills that surround Hawksnest Bay are part of the National Park, but there are a handful of small homes sprinkled throughout these park lands. A few homes (including Terrahawk) are within easy walking distance to Gibney Beach. From Hawksnest Bay it is a 5-minute drive into Cruz Bay and a 2-minute drive to Caneel Bay.
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