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Win a Beachfront Stay in STJ – Raffle Ends Today!

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Enter to win a seven-night stay at Beach Villa, which is located directly on Great Cruz Bay.

There is another great raffle happening, but you need to purchase tickets fast! This raffle ends tonight, May 11th, at 11:55 p.m. EST. This raffle will support Island Green Living, a St. John nonprofit. Here are the details…

Enter to Win a $16K+ 7-night St John Grand Prize Vacation for Up to 10 and Other Prizes!

Celebrate Earth Month by supporting nonprofit Island Green Living and enter for a chance to win an unforgettable Caribbean getaway. USVI was recognized among the top 14 island destinations to visit in the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards.

Why Enter the Raffle?

  • Win a 7-night beachfront villa stay in St. John, valued at more than $16K
  • Multiple chances to win across multiple prize levels
  • Support Island Green Living’s vital sustainability initiatives including greening education, food security, recycling and other programs that preserve our islands

Raffle Tickets

1 Ticket — $50
3 Tickets — $125
6 Tickets — $250

Every ticket includes entry into the Grand Prize Luxury Vacation. Supporters who purchase $125 or more in tickets are automatically entered into the Second Prize drawing as well.

Grand Prize – $16,200 Value!

Luxury St. John Vacation Package

Beachfront Villa Stay:

  • 7-night stay at The Beach Villa by Artistic Villas. Five-bedroom beachfront villa with private pool and garden. Sleeps up to 10 guests
  • Airfare Credit: Up to $2,000 toward airfare sponsored by the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
  • Jeep Rental: One-week rental of a 4-door Jeep Wrangler by Seashell Vacations

Island Experiences

  • Private boat charter by Seashell Vacations
  • 60-minute Swedish massage at Crandall Massage

Dining Package

  • Private dinner for 6 with Chef Vincent Alterio
  • $150 Oceans 362 gift certificate
  • $100 Longboard gift certificate
  • $100 Bamboula gift certificate
  • $100 Morgan’s Mango gift certificate
  • Voluntourism opportunity & private tour at Island Green Living’s ReSource Depot.

Second Prize

St. John Adventure and Shopping Package

Exclusively available to those who purchase 3 or more tickets. Value: $1,335

Includes:

  • Kekoa $250 Gift Certificate
  • Zipline adventure for four with Tree Limin’ Extreme
  • La Tapa $200 Gift Certificate
  • Salt + Strand $100 gift certificate
  • Handcrafted sailcloth bag from St. John Sailsack Co.

Click here to learn more and to purchase tickets. 

Terms and Conditions

The “Love City Grand Prize Vacation” package is valid from May – December 13, 2026 and May – December 13, 2027 and subject to space availability and certain blackout periods (weeks of Carnival & Thanksgiving). No Sunday arrivals. A form will be provided for requested available dates. Once returned, signed & the confirmation email is sent, there are no changes.

All prize components are subject to space availability; winners are responsible for confirming reservations. Some businesses/restaurants may be closed during hurricane season and other periods; it is the winner’s responsibility to verify hours of operations for gift certificate redemption. The winner must adhere to the individual property/business rules and restrictions including the provision of a credit card number for holds/damage deposits, etc. In the event that a property/business closes or becomes uninhabitable due to a storm, fire, or Act of God, the winner agrees to forfeit the prize. We strongly encourage the winner purchase travel insurance. None of the prizes are transferable without the business owner’s consent and are not redeemable for cash. As required by the IRS, a 1099 will be issued for the value of the prize package.

Kekoa: Sails are subject to availability and credit cannot be used during holiday periods. The dollar amount awarded can only be applied to the cost of the sail and cannot be used toward crew gratuity or Kekoa merchandise. Kekoa is dry-docked for the peak of hurricane season and will not be available August 15 – Oct 31.

Car Rental: Renter must provide proof of insurance and a visa/mc/discover on the rental contract. No CDW/LDW is available. Drivers must be 25 years or older. The winner must comply with all terms and conditions. Tax is not included. No cash back for any unused portion of the rental.

The Army Corps Issues Permits for Potential Coral Bay Marina

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Coral Bay Harbor – May 8, 2026

After more than a decade after the initial Coral Bay marina plans were announced, the Army Corps of Engineers finally issued a permit for the Summers End megayacht marina in Coral Bay. This has been a major hurdle for the developers, who have zero experience building a marina. Despite receiving this federal permit, Summers End will still have obtain territorial approvals, according to David Silverman of Save Coral Bay.

The permit will allow Summers End to construct a 67,833 square-foot dock that will consist of 115 slips. It will accommodate boats ranging from 30 to more than 160 feet in length. There would be 12 additional moorings, allowing the marina to accommodate 127 vessels in total. The marina plan includes a boardwalk along the shoreline and upland amenities, according to a press release issued by the US Corp of Engineers in Jacksonville. 

Summers End installed this sign in Coral Bay back in 2024.

Summers End will have to conduct mitigation measures, including relocating four Solenastrea bournoni corals near the dock, ands outplant 3,000 coral specimens. They will be required to install seven informational buoys, information signs at the marina, provide pump out or waste disposal facilities, plant 300 red mangrove seedlings along the shoreline, and maintain fifty stormwater features in the uplands. Summers End will also have to implement actions that result in the avoidance of impacts to a historic shipwreck located in Coral Bay harbor.

The project would result in impacts to 2.39 acres of seagrasses, according to the release. Summers End will be required “to provide compensatory mitigation to offset the unavoidable impacts of the marina by restoring, enhancing, and establishing 4.596 acres of a complex of mangrove islands and 0.975 acre of seagrass habitat, conducting annual clean-up events in Coral Harbor, and complying with monitoring requirements and ecologically based performance standards.”

As I mentioned, this has been going on for more than a decade, so I do not expect to see any construction happening anytime soon. I will keep you posted, as always.

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. 

Direct Flight from Tampa Starting this Winter!

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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.

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

Spend Christmas in St. John Every Year

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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.

The living space with balcony
Living & kitchen area
Bedroom with balcony

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.

Rooftop pool
Gym

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

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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

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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.

So good!!!

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.