Maho Bay Archives | Rum Therapy

March 2, 2014March 2, 2014

Francis Bay, St. John

Have you heard of Francis Bay, St. John? It may not be as well know as some of it’s other beach neighbors, but if you’re looking for a long beautiful beach that is usually not as crowded, it’s worth the drive.

Overlook of Maho Bay (to the right) and Francis Bay (to the left)

Francis Bay is just around a point from Maho Bay on St. John’s beautiful north shore. Park along the dirt road leading up to the beach.

The beach at Francis Bay is a long stretch of light colored soft sand. It’s a gentle access into the water, and can be a bit pebbly in places where the water breaks on the shore.

There are portable restrooms close to the parking lot, some bbq pits and a few picnic tables, but no other services, so be sure to pack in some food and drinks to enjoy during your stay there.

The snorkeling can be very good at Francis – especially on the northernmost edge close to the rocks.

Great swimming, great snorkeling, beautiful sunsets and a long, beautiful, quiet beach. We thought it was well worth the drive.

Find Francis Bay on our St. John Map

To see more posts on St. John and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013, 2014
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

June 3, 2013June 5, 2019

Rum Therapy On St. John

Although the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands, St. John has a tremendous amount of things to do and see, or plenty of space to stretch out and do nothing at all, if that’s what you’re looking for!

During a recent visit, we took an early morning car ferry from Red Hook, St. Thomas to St. John. The car ferry is a good option if you’ve rented a car on St. Thomas and have plenty of time – just check with your car rental company to make sure they allow it.

Car Ferry from Red Hook, St. Thomas to St. John

Lovely Cruz Bay, St. John. Cruz Bay is where the ferries arrive and depart.

Right off of the passenger ferry dock you’ll find a number of great beach bars and fun stores. During this trip, we made a stop at St. John Spice (upper level) and Bones Rum (1st level).

Take a hike down the beach and stop for a drink at:

High Tide

Joe’s Rum Hut, or

The Beach Bar.

Cruz Bay has a lot of other great restaurant, bar and shopping options – there’s literally something for everyone. We headed up the hill on 20 toward the north side beaches and stopped at the Cruz Bay overlook for a pic.

Then took a hike down through the forest to check out Salomon (Solomon) Bay and Honeymoon Beach.

Salomon (Solomon) Bay

Honeymoon Beach

We continued on 20 past Caneel Bay

And stopped at Hawksnest Bay Beach to lounge in the water for a while

Climbed Peace Hill to check out the ruins and the gorgeous views…

Then lingered for a while at the popular Trunk Bay Overlook for a picture of the spectacular bay.

Trunk Bay

And snorkeled at the Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail

Stopped at Cinnamon Bay to put our toes in the sand

Checked out beautiful Maho Bay for the first time

And peaceful Francis Bay.

We took our time looking around Coral Bay.

Enjoying a very tasty Jazz Brunch at Miss Lucy’s

and later an extremely tasty hamburger and rum drinks at Skinny Legs.

We hiked the Salt Pond Trail to Drunk Bay

to check out some interesting coral sculptures that other visitors have created…

And took one last chance to wade in the clear, blue water of Salt Pond Bay. Reluctantly, we headed back to the ferry, a bit more tan and a lot more relaxed…

There you have it. A few of our favorite experiences from our last (much too short) visit to St. John. We’ll most certainly be going back, so, what have we missed? What are your favorite things to see and do on St. John?

To see other posts on St. John and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

May 22, 2013June 5, 2019

Guy’s Driftwood Boat Bar, St. Maarten

Many of you have already visited, or at least heard of Sunset Bar and Grill on Maho Beach in St. Maarten, but did you know there’s another fun bar at the other end of Maho? It’s called Guy’s Driftwood Boat Bar, and yes, as the name implies, the bar is a boat.

A little quieter than its neighbor down the beach, Guy’s Driftwood Boat Bar is a great place to relax, enjoy some reasonably priced beverages and stare out at the gorgeous blue water of Maho Bay.

Order a $2 beer or a rum concoction and sit at the boat bar, or grab a seat at one of the picnic tables.

Or lounge in a beach chair overlooking the water.

Wherever you sit, you’ll be treated to a great view of Maho Beach and airplanes landing at the airport just behind the boat bar full of lucky vacationers getting ready to start their next tropical adventure!

Find Guy’s Driftwood Boat Bar on our St. Maarten/St. Martin Map

To see more posts on St. Maarten and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

April 4, 2013June 5, 2019

Maho Bay, St. John

When it comes to beautiful beaches, St. John, USVI sure has its share. The island is dotted with phenomenal white sand beaches with beautiful clear, turquoise water. Just past some of the most popular and sometimes quite crowded beaches, Trunk and Cinnamon, you come to the overlook of another St. John beauty – Maho Bay.

Overlook of Maho Bay

Access: Limited parking in parking spaces right on the road, close to the beach.

Beach: a nice stretch of soft sand with lined with palm trees and Maho trees. Gentle sandy access, great for swimming. Usually calm surf. Popular with the locals on weekends.

Amenities: A beach pavilion that can be reserved by permit through the Virgin Islands National Park Service.

Recommended for: swimming, some snorkeling, families, photography, anyone wanting a quiet beach with few amenities.

Tip: stop at Trunk Bay for snorkeling or Cinnamon Bay for full amenities, but continue to Maho if you want to escape the crowds and don’t need a lot of amenities.

Find Maho Bay on our St. John Map

To see more posts on St. John and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013, 2014
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC