ExploreSTJ.com

Direct Flight from Tampa Starting this Winter!

admin May 5, 2026

Flying over Water Island near the STT airport

Well folks, I’m sure you’ve all heard how Spirit Airlines shut down over the weekend. This means that St. Thomas lost direct its flights to Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, sadly. Well another airline announced a new direct route from Florida, which brightens the situation just a bit!

Breeze Airways is a low-cost carrier based out of Utah, They’ve been revving up their routes lately, and just announce that they will begin flying direct between Tampa, Florida and St. Thomas starting in December. This new route will fly on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The first Wednesday flight will begin on December 16th, and the first Friday flight will begin on December 19th. Both will be just in time for the holiday rush.

The flights down will leave Tampa at 2:39 p.m. and it will turn around and leave St. Thomas the same day at 6:39 p.m. I looked ahead at the calendar and one-way tickets start at $149. That’s for a basic fare, much like how Spirit operated. You can select add ons for $40, $85 and up to $171. The highest priced add on includes a first class seat, two checked bags, one carry on and free wifi among other things.

Hopefully other airlines will move to pick up the Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando markets. I know Spirit wasn’t everyone’s favorite, but I have always had great experiences flying them up when I’ve taken Dalton to Disney World the past couple of years. 🙂

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Email Me with Questions.

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Spend Christmas in St. John Every Year

admin May 4, 2026

Grande Bay is located across the street from Cruz Bay beach.

Want to spend Christmas week in St. John every single year? How lovely does it sound to wake up on Christmas morning to the waves hitting the shore in Cruz Bay? I think it sounds amazing, and I am sure many of you do too!

Two of my very good friends – and my very first island tour guests! – are selling their fractional timeshare at Grande Bay. This is a one-bedroom club unit for week 51, which is always Christmas week. This is a Saturday to Saturday rental.

This unit is listed for $24,500, and the annual fees are only $1,417. This is a great deal!

This year’s dates are Saturday, December 19th through Saturday, December 26th.

What you are purchasing is a lease, not a deeded week like they do over at the Westin. This lease is good through 2087, so you will have a whopping 61 years to use it. 🙂 Once you pay the initial $24,500 purchase price, you will only need to pay the annual fee each year.

Grande Bay is a fantastic complex with one of the best locations on the island. It is within walking distance of the ferry dock, which means you do not need to rent a vehicle if you do not want to. You can easily walk to the taxis, although this unit does come with a parking spot if you prefer to drive yourself. You also have the ability to buy into Grande Bay’s Jeep Club. That, however, is a separate purchase that you would make directly with the resort.

Grande Bay has a beautiful rooftop pool with expansive lounging area, a fitness center and also a 24/7 concierge on site.

If you are interested or would like to learn more, contact me at jenn@explorestj.com or 203-376-3786. I am a licensed real estate agent with 340 Real Estate, and I am happy to help you purchase a property here on St. John whether it be this fractional property, a condo, home or land.

St. John Restaurant Closes

admin April 29, 2026

Earlier this week, I told you about a new bar and grill that opened up at Maho Bay. Well today, sadly, I’m writing to share that another St. John restaurant has closed for good.

Sharky’s By the Water opened up in Spring 2024. Despite a prime location across the street from Coral Bay harbor, the spot never really took off. And now, less than two years later, it has closed for good. I drove past Sharky’s over the weekend and was surprised to see that not only was it closed, but even the signage was gone.

The restaurant listed for sale in May 2025. The asking price at the time was $315,000. It was reduced to $250,000 in November and again to $195,000 earlier this month. The listing was then withdrawn just over a week ago.

Sharky’s opened up in the former Salty Mongoose location. Salty Mongoose was a wildly popular pizza restaurant and bar. I’m certain that the space will be available for rent soon. I will keep you all posted on that.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Email Me with Questions.

Click Here for Real-Time Availability & to Instant Book.

New Bar & Food Truck Opens at Maho Bay

admin April 27, 2026

I am so excited to tell you about a brand new bar and food truck that recently opened at Maho Bay. It’s called Little Fish, and it’s owned by my Fish Bay neighbors, who I adore so much!

Little Fish is aptly named because they’re the little fish in the sea out there at Maho Bay, they told me last week. This new bar and food truck is located directly across from Maho Bay beach and right beside Maho Crossroads. It has a full bar with high-quality liquors, nice wines and frozen drinks in addition to all of the typical island favorites. Little Fish serves breakfast and lunch too. Did I mention how excited I am about this??!! Check out a few pics:

Looks amazing, right?

Little Fish has numerous shaded picnic tables and several bar stools too. It has great breezes and, of course, beautiful views of Maho Bay.

They have two frozen drinks on tap – a frozen pinot noir, which is to die for, and a frozen rose.

There are still Watersports rentals onsite courtesy of Reef2Peak.

Little Fish is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or so. If people are still out having fun, they will definitely stay open later.

So the next time you are lucky enough to be on island, please check out my neighbors over at Little Fish. I promise you will love it!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Email Me with Questions.

Click Here for Real-Time Availability & to Instant Book.

Shoulder Season is Here!

admin April 21, 2026

Well folks, we made it. We made it through another high season. We made it through another season of crazy beach parking and packed restaurants. These past several months seemed to be one of the busier winter seasons in recent memory. I gauge the crowds based on the North Shore parking, and this season was a doozy!

I am happy to say that shoulder season has arrived. Yes, we still have a large number of people on island, but it is no longer overwhelming. Beaches still have parking around 10 a.m., and you no longer have to make a dinner reservation 30 days out for the top restaurants. It’s the time of year when we all let out a collective sigh of relief.

The island will remain full, but not crazy full until mid-to-late July. That is when the majority of travelers will leave, and slow season will arrive. The island is extremely quiet in August and September, and many businesses close during that time. I will post about St. John’s seasonal closings when the time comes. You will find that list at www.explorestj.com/closings. The 2025 list is still posted, so you can check it out to get an idea as to when your favorite business may close this year.

In the meantime, it’s a great time to enjoy the island ourselves. Here are a few pictures I took earlier this week. Enjoy!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Email Me with Questions.

Click Here for Real-Time Availability & to Instant Book.

Temporary Road Work May Slow Traffic in Cruz Bay

Jenn Manes April 14, 2026

Road work began in Cruz Bay Tuesday morning.

A stretch of roadway in Cruz Bay is getting paved this week, and it may slow traffic this week.

The stretch of roadway in front of the car barge entrance is being paved this week. Work began Tuesday morning, and it is expected to be completed by Friday. During this time, the road will be down to one lane, which will undoubtedly slow traffic in the area. Work is expected to occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Give yourself extra time if you are traveling in the area.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Email Me with Questions.

Click Here for Real-Time Availability & to Instant Book.