I just posted an update on the Sargassum Weekly Update page. See it here: www.explorestj.com/sargassum
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
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Last month I told you how Pirate’s Cove opened out in Coral Bay. Pirate’s Cove is a new retail shop that also sells beach items, including snorkel gear, Neso tents and more. Well today I’d like to let you all know that their grand opening celebration starts tomorrow, and you’re all invited to attend!
Pirate’s Cove Grand Opening celebration coincides with the 25th anniversary of Flyaway Charters. Both Flyaway and Pirate’s Cove are owned by Colin and Leah Hanson. The celebration starts tomorrow and continues through April 30th.
You can drop by the store all week to enter to win a $100 gift certificate that can be used either at Pirate’s Cove or toward a US or BVI charter on Flyaway Charters. Author Margie Smith Holt will be stopping by the shop tomorrow at 3 p.m. to sign her latest book, “Not on Any Map”. Author Valeries Sims will be in the shop on April 30th at 3 p.m. to sign her latest book, “Vintage Norman Island.” Ten percent of book sales this week will be donated to the KATS program. KATS stands for kids and the sea. The program teaches children basic water skills. It offers a sailing program for children as well.
As part of their Grand Opening celebration, Leah and Colin will also be raffling off a half-day US charter to benefit the KATS program.
Pirate’s Cove is located on Centerline Road in Coral Bay, just before Skinny Legs if you’re traveling from Cruz Bay. Centerline Road is Route 10 on the map. Click here to learn more about Pirate’s Cove.
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Follow Explore STJ on Social Media
–> www.facebook.com/explorestj
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Hello everyone, and happy Friday. Today I’d like to tell you about two friends of mine who launched an amazing new villa rental and travel concierge business. From romantic getaways to family vacations, they’ve got you covered. They will also assist you with all of your travel arrangements from the moment you land on St. Thomas through your stay here on St. John, including boat charters, private chefs, restaurant reservations and more.
Bonvi Hospitality Group is the latest venture of Dan Boudreau and Megan Perrault. You may recognize Dan’s name, as he was the owner of Castaway’s, which sold back in 2015. He’s also a managing partner at Tropical Properties. Dan and Megan are the parents to three-year-old Hudson.
Dan and Megan launched Bonvi in January, although they swear that Hudson truly runs the show. 🙂 The pair has been managing villas since 2013, so launching their own business simply made sense. Bonvi is short for Bon Vivant, Dan told me, which means a sociable person who has cultivated and refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink. Bonvi manages and/or books more than 10 luxury properties, including:
Isla Vista
Click here to learn more about Isla Vista.
Cruz On Inn
Click here to learn more about Cruz On Inn.
Caribbean Palm Villa
Click here to learn more about Caribbean Palm Villa.
Angel’s Envy
Click here to learn more about Angel’s Envy.
And as I previously mentioned, Bonvi offers full travel concierge services for all of their guests. They will help you with transportation from the airport to your villa, with private chef services if you prefer to eat in, and they can even book boat trips for you or even an island tour with me! (Shameless plug, I know lol)
Ready to start searching for your next vacation rental? You can learn more about these vacation rentals and see what other villas are available at www.BonviHopsitalityGroup.com.
Do you own a vacation rental on St. John? Would you like information regarding the management of your villa? Feel free to email Dan and Megan at info@bonvihospitalitygroup.com for more information.
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St. John has more than 20 miles of hiking trails throughout the Virgin Islands National Park. You can hike a short tenth of a mile trail to a windmill at Peace Hill, or you can hike more than two miles down a steep hill (and then back up again!) to visit the island’s petroglyphs at Reef Bay. Our hiking trails lead to beautiful beaches, historical sites and other interesting places. Some are short. Some are long. Some are easy. And some are a bit more difficult.
I’ve hiked almost every trail on this island, and I enjoy sharing details, including pics and directions, with all of you. The following are links to information on some of my favorite hikes here on St. John.
The Hike to Honeymoon Beach – Click here to read our post about the hike to Honeymoon Beach via the Lind Point trail.
The Hike to Ram Head – Click here to read our post about the hike to Ram Head.
The Hike to Murphy House – Click here to our post about the hike to Murphy Great House.
The Hike to America Hill – Click here to read out post about the hike to America Hill.
If there is a hike that you would like to know more about, please email me at jenn@explorestj.com. I’ll go out and hike it, and will post information for all of you.
If you’d like to bookmark this information, you can do so at www.explorestj.com/hiking
For those of you who are interested in hiking Reef Bay, the Virgin Islands National Park offers a guided hike every Monday and Tuesday. That’s the place where you can see the petroglyphs. There are also remains of a sugar plantation at the base of Reef Bay, and they are in very good condition. The guided hike costs $75. Click here for more information and to purchase a ticket for this guided hike.
And lastly, if you would like to see more of St. John, please consider taking an island tour with me. You can learn more at www.explorestj.com/tour. Explore STJ is rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. Click here to read my reviews. And feel free to email me at jenn@explorestj.com for more information.
Thank you so much for reading Explore STJ!
I’ve received so many emails lately regarding sargassum on St. John. It seems to be a pretty hot topic in the mainstream media lately, which has prompted numerous people to ask how it is currently affecting St. John. I’ve decided to create a page here on ExploreSTJ.com where I will post weekly updates about where the sargassum is currently located. I drive around the island nearly every day during my island tours, so I can tell you exactly where it is pretty much at any time.
If you’d like to know which beaches are currently being affected by the sargassum, please visit www.explorestj.com/sargassum. If you’d like to know more about this type of seaweed that’s been making a lot of headlines lately, please click here to check out an article I wrote in March 2023.
You can bookmark my weekly sargassum update page at www.explorestj.com/sargassum. You will also find it in the menu under the Info tab.
Explore STJ would like to introduce & thank our newest advertiser Caribbean Villas of St. John. Caribbean Villas is a premier vacation property rental company on St. John. Their rental portfolio includes one to seven bedroom homes and condos that range from economical to high-end luxury. They have waterfront homes too.
Please click here to learn more about their vacation rentals & to see their current specials.
There’s a new and rather inexpensive place to buy breakfast and lunch in Cruz Bay.
Dolphin Grab & Go opened a few weeks earlier in a new space located beside Dolphin Market at the roundabout in Cruz Bay. It is owned by Neil, who owns the Dolphin Market beside it, as well as the one near the Westin and the third one out in Coral Bay. It’s a grab and go spot, just like the name implies, so there is not seating inside or outside.
Dolphin Grab & Go is currently serving breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily. The portions are large, and the prices are pretty affordable for St. John standards. Check out the menu:
It is currently serving fried chicken and sides for lunch. They plan to add pizzas starting tomorrow, and other lunch items later this week, according to Ribelto De Leon, who is heading up the kitchen. Ribelto is no stranger to St. John’s food scene. He worked as the head chef at the now-closed Ocean Grille for years. He’s also worked at La Tapa and the former Vista Mare restaurant. Take a peek at their working lunch menu:
They offer freshly made salads too. I stopped by later in the day Monday, so they were close to sold out. I was able to try some fried chicken though, and it was delish!
Dolphin Grab & Go is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can call to order either in advance at 340-473-5054.
Not sure where this is located? Please check out our Restaurant Map at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
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