It has been H-O-T for the past several days. Saharan dust has been hanging over us, and that makes for much hotter days. I actually saw 98 degrees on the Jeep’s thermostat in Coral Bay yesterday. That’s pretty unusual for May, but fortunately the forecast shows that it will cool off a bit in the upcoming days as the dust passes through the area. Phew! All of that being said, I thought I’d share some info on where you can cool off during these hot island days.
The coldest place in St. John, in my opinion, is Dolphin Market. Maybe if they used a little less AC, the prices would be cheaper??? Kidding! (Kinda haha) But seriously, Dolphin Market in Cruz Bay and near the Westin are both freezing. Just wander the aisles and cool off.
The beaches do not close, so you can always opt to check one out to cool off. The sun is blazing throughout the day, but the beaches do cool off later in the afternoon. Dalton and I visited Hawksnest yesterday around 5 p.m., and it was absolutely perfect. There was plenty of shade, the sun itself wasn’t blazing hot, and the water was perfect. We built a few sandcastles, snorkeled for a while, and left nice and refreshed. One great thing about Hawksnest is that there aren’t too many no see ums, so you can actually stay there until sunset. Maho and Francis are two beaches where the no see ums will run you off later in the afternoon.
In terms of fully air conditioned bars/restaurants where you can cool off, we have several. Here is a list of several businesses around St. John that are fully air conditioned:
- Parrot Club – Wharfside Village
- Wine Shop – Wharfside Village
- Lovango Rum Bar – Across from Cruz Bay beach
- Dave & Jerry’s Steakhouse – Below Cruz Bay Hotel & across from Lime Inn
- Cafe Roma – Above The Longboard
- The Downstairs at Upstairs Bar – Across from The Longboard
- Cap’s Place – Across from the Post Office
- Sam & Jack’s Deli – Marketplace
- Giovanni’s Gelato – Marketplace
- Ronnie’s Pizza – Near the Westin
- North Shore Deli – Mongoose Junction
- The Tap Room – Mongoose Junction
- The Gift Shop at Cinnamon Bay – This is a great place to cool down when visiting Cinnamon.
You can also cool off by taking an island tour with me! (Shameless plug lol) Take a scenic ride around the island. Learn about St. John’s rich history and get some good island gossip along the way. We can even stop at a tiki bar or two along the way if you’d like. Learn more at www.explorestj.com/tour or email me at jenn@explorestj.com. It’s never too early to reserve your day. Click here to read my reviews on TripAdvisor.
Curious where all of these restaurants are located? Click here to view Explore STJ’s searchable Restaurant Map. You can view it 24/7 at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap.
Want to learn more about the Saharan Dust, which is partially to blame for this heat? Click here to read a story I wrote earlier this year.
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