Author: Jenn Manes

Today’s story is short and sweet. The guided Reef Bay hike is finally coming back! The announcement was made earlier today, and the hikes begin next week.

This guided hike will take place every Monday and Tuesday through May. The cost is $110 per person. The hike begins at the National Park Visitor Center where you will hop in a taxi that will take you to the Reef Bay trailhead. From there, a ranger will lead guests down the more than two-mike hike. The history of the area will be discussed, as well as plants and animals that are located in the area. Hikers will have the opportunity to check out the remnants of a sugar plantation, as well as the famed petroglyphs. A boat will be waiting at the bottom of the trail to transport hikers back to Cruz Bay.

You must reserve your space in advance. The boat is only available to those who are doing the guided hike with the National Park. Book early because spaces fill up quickly. Click here to purchase a space. 

Here is the official description from the Virgin Islands National Park: 

The Reef Bay Guided Hike is a challenging Virgin Islands National Park interpretive program led by a park ranger and assistant guide. This excursion includes a boat pickup at Reef Bay beach for 11:30AM departure back to Cruz Bay. This 3-mile guided hike includes a 1,000-foot elevation change, areas of uneven terrain, high steps, steep declines, and can be slippery in any weather. It takes about three hours, hiking at a brisk pace, for the group to get from the trailhead to the beach under the best conditions, ending with an additional 40-minute boat ride back to the Cruz Bay Visitor Center.  

Together, the interpretive guides will lead the group on a journey under some of the oldest and tallest trees on the island and explore the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean including a stop at the sacred site of the Taino petroglyphs. The trail itself is also an old Dutch road where visitors will see dry-layed stone walls, and the remains of multiple sugar plantation structures and the Reef Bay Sugar Factory. The interpreters will facilitate a group discussion about these subjects as they proceed and stop at 4 key points along the trail. 

Arrive at the Visitors Center at 7:30am. The group will depart the Visitor Center promptly at 8am and needs to meet the boat at Reef Bay Beach promptly by 11:30pm to arrive back in Cruz Bay by 1pm. There is NO PARKING at the Visitor Center so please allow time to find parking in town somewhere. Participants catching a ferry from St. Thomas must catch the 6:30am boat. The Visitor Center is just a 5-minute walk from the ferry. 

IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO HIKE THE ROUND TRIP, approximately 5 miles and over 1,000-foot elevation gain, you should NOT attempt this hike. Ocean conditions, weather, medical emergency, or other factors may prevent the boat from picking up hikers, requiring a STRENUOUS trek back up the mountain to the trailhead. If the group is not able to make the 11:30am rendezvous at Reef Bay Beach there may not be a boat pickup, but instead a shuttle will collect visitors at the top of L’Esperance Trail after they group hikes out. The park rangers and guides will keep the group together at all times from start to finish. 

You must wear your sturdy walking shoes and bring at least two liters of water; we will check. Snacks, mineral-based sunscreen, and a hat are also highly recommended.  

We are lucky enough to have bees and wasps in the park pollinating–they tend to leave humans alone but if you are allergic and need an EpiPen, please have one with you just in case. 

CANCELLATION POLICY
Customers who have paid for an event, seminar or hike will receive a 50% refund or credit with 48 hours notice of cancellation. They will receive a full refund or credit in case of cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. No-shows or cancellations within 48 hours will not be refunded.

Thank you for your support of Virgin Islands National Park.

If you have ever wanted to own your own home here on St. John, but the higher listing prices have previously scared you off, today’s post is for you! There are two, super cute homes for sale on the island that are actually affordable (by St. John standards, of course). Both of them are move-in ready, and the owners are motivated to sell. Check them out!

The Carsel House

The Carsel House is nestled in the hillside above Johnson’s Bay, which is just a few miles from Coral Bay. This two bedroom, one bathroom cottage has beautiful water views toward Fortsberg and over into Coral Bay harbor. The property features an additional pod, which can be used as a third bedroom, an office, artist’s studio or gym.

You can walk across the street and over to Johnson Bay. Calabash Market, Johnny Lime, Skinny Legs, Jolly Dog and a variety of other shops and restaurants are a short drive away. This wood-framed cottage with masonry cistern is an unfinished canvas that’s ready for you to complete to your liking! This home has a certificate of occupancy and insurance is available, so it should qualify for a conventional mortgage.

The Carsel House is listed for $$603,500 with Tammy Donnelly at 340 Real Estate Co. If you would like to know more, please contact Tammy Donnelly, owner of 340 Real Estate Co. at 340realestateco@gmail.com.

Bonny’s Abode

Bonny’s Abode is a fun, eclectic and cozy cottage that has panoramic views of Hurricane Hole, Coral Bay, Fortsberg, the East End, British Virgin Islands and beyond. There is plenty of room to expand this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. You can even build a second home at the top of the parcel, which would have even better views!

The main area of Bonny’s Abode is where the kitchen and living area are located, and just outside of that is a covered porch that leads to a bedroom, bathroom, upper deck and primary bedroom. There is a studio apartment on the lower level too. This property features beautiful rock formations and fruit trees, including mango, genip and lime.

Bonny’s Abode is listed for $646,000 with Tammy Donnelly at 340 Real Estate Co. If you would like to know more, please contact Tammy Donnelly, owner of 340 Real Estate Co. at 340realestateco@gmail.com.

Again, the sellers of both of these properties are motivated! All offers will be considered. 🙂

Chances are, if you are reading this website, that you have dreamed of either owning a property here on St. John or moving to St. John. I had that dream, too, at one point in my life, so I can completely relate! Well if you are not ready to make the move full time or purchase a property outright, there are still lots of options for you.

I currently have 12 one-week properties available for sale. These properties are located at Grande Bay, which is one of my favorite places to stay in St. John, and at the Westin Resort, which is a beautiful beachfront property. Here is a some information about each:

Grande Bay

Grande Bay is a resort located directly across the street from Cruz Bay harbor. The resort has a rooftop pool, hot tub, gym, and onsite concierge. There is parking available for most units too. The best part of Grande Bay, other than its incredible views, is the fact that you can walk to so many great places, including bars, restaurants and shops. You can walk to the ferry dock and easily hop in a taxi to the beach. You can walk to hiking trails too! It’s really a fantastic location.

Grande Bay is separated into two halves. A portion of the resort is owned outright, and a portion is fractional meaning that you can own a week, rather than owning a condo outright. I have three properties available at Grande Bay.

1. I have a studio available, which has a kitchenette, washer and dryer, and private balcony. This is a flex unit, so you can choose any week from week 17 through week 23. Week 17 is already booked for this year. This is listed for $9,950. The annual dues are $988 a year.
2. I have a one bedroom, one bathroom condo available. It is equipped with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and private balcony with beautiful views of the harbor. This unit comes with a parking space, too, should you choose to rent a Jeep for your stay. This is a flex unit, which means that you can reserve any week from weeks 17 through 23. The actual unit will be assigned at checkin. May 10th through May 17th is reserved for this year, although you can change that if you’d like. This week is listed for $25,000. The annual dues are only $1,288 a year.
3. I have a one-bedroom penthouse unit – best views on property – available, as well. This is located in Building 7, which is located in the upper portion of the resort. The views from this unit are incredible! This penthouse unit has a large living space, in addition to an expansive outdoor deck. It has a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, and it comes with a parking spot. This penthouse unit is available for week 44, or any week between weeks 15 and 50. It is listed for $27,900. The annual dues were only $1,100 for the year in 2024.

Westin Resort 

The Westin is a beautiful beachfront resort located directly on Great Cruz Bay. It is about a five-minute ride to Cruz Bay. Although it is close to town, it is not walkable. There is a large hill and not too many sidewalks, so I advise driving to town from the resort.

The Westin is beachfront, has a large pool, plus two more smaller pools, a hot tub and tennis courts onsite. There is a full-service watersports company on property, which even offers private ferry services. It is very hard to find availability at the Westin, as it is almost always booked. The only way to guarantee a yearly vacation at the Westin is to purchase a deeded week. I have nine deeded-week properties available at the Westin. Each has full use of the resort and all of its amenities. The annual fees listed per unit are less than if you booked a week’s vacation in each particular room – fyi.

1. Spend an entire month on St. John! I have a one bedroom, two bathroom loft unit available from August 21st to September 21st every year. This unit is located beside one of the smaller, quieter pools. It is listed for $4,000. What a steal! The annual dues are $13,528.
2. I have a three bedroom, three bathroom pool villa available for week 41 every even year. This is a townhouse unit with its own pool. Week 41 usually falls over Columbus/Indigenous People Day. This is listed for $1,000. What a price! The annuals dues are $2,387 per year.
3. I have a three bedroom, three bathroom Bay Vista unit for sale for Platinum Season, which is weeks 19 through 33. This is an every odd year unit. May 5th through May 11th is already reserved for this year. This unit is listed for $5,500. The annual dues are $2,130 per year.
4. I have a two bedroom, three bathroom hillside unit for week 10. This is an every year unit. March 8th through March 15th is already booked for this year. This unit has a smaller, quieter pool beside it. It is listed for $8,000. The annual dues are $3,290.
5. I have a three bedroom three bathroom Bay Vista unit for week 35, which is Labor Day this year. This unit is listed for $8,000. The annual dues are $2,988.
6. I have a three bedroom, three bathroom Bay Vista unit available for the first week of June. This is an every year unit for week 22. This unit is listed for $11,000. The annual dues are $2,988.
7. I have a two bedroom, three bathroom hillside unit available for sale for week 9. This is the first week of March this year. This unit is listed for $12,000. The annual dies are $3,489.
8. I have another three bedroom, three bathroom pool villa available for week 18 and also for week 19. This is a townhouse unit with its own pool. Each week is listed separately for $15,000. The annual dues per week is $4,775. The two weeks can be purchased together. Make an offer for the two as a pair.

Interested in one of these units? Perhaps you are looking to buy or sell something else? I am happy to help you with any and all real estate needs. Just give me a call or send a text to 203-376-3786. You can also email me at jenn@explores.com.

*St. John real estate*