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Review of Sapphire Beach

aimathy

By aimathy,
in St. Thomas/St. John

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aimathy

aimathy

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We took a taxi from our cruise port to Sapphire Beach ($6 pp) and we're so glad we did! The beach is beautiful and the views of St. John from the shore are stunning. The weather wasn't really on our side and we had some clouds, some sun and lots and lots of wind. Because of the wind, the water was quite rough and a bit chillier than we had hoped for. Other than that, it was the perfect place to go. It was not crowded, there's a place to rent chairs and umbrellas. You can rent snorkel gear by the hour or the day, along with kayaks. (We rented snorkel gear but had to give up since it was so rough.) There are beautiful Seagrape trees lining the beach, so if it were sunnier out, there would have been plenty of shade and it was quiet scenic overall. We set up under the trees and had a very nice day. We did eat there, though we were told the hotel had a snack bar (which looked liked burgers and dogs) and they said we could order pizza from a local pizza place that would be delivered. We got a few beers from them ($3 each! Can't complain about that!) and had a very nice time. We didn't stay as long as we'd hoped due to the weather, but we would go back in a heartbeat again when in St. Thomas.

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blue_water

blue_water

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Thanks for your report. We were staying at Sapphire last week and there were a couple days with more wind and clouds. Temps were low 80's so it was confortable all week and usually sunny. But the water temp was a bit cool and as you said a bit too rough on a couple days for great snorkeling. A couple we met there snorkeled everyday to the right of the pool in front of bldg E and they said it was very good.

We love Sapphire and agree with you that it is the beach of choice when on STT. For others considering a day at Sapphire the dive center has the best prices for beer and rum punch, and the Banana Cabana beach grill has great mahi mahi sandwiches and burgers and good drinks. There are runners taking orders on the beach from there and from the Sapphire Grill behind the marina.

But absolutely a great spot to spend the day, and I hope you have perfect weather next visit!

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Nole0202

Nole0202

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We went in Decemeber based on recommendations from Blue Water and thought it was the best day we have had in St. Thomas. Absolutly beautiful. Got great panoramic photos.

Going back again in March. Can;t wait......

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aimathy

aimathy

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cruisin0504: Yes, you can just tell the taxi driver Sapphire beach and he will know where to take you. They seem to load you up with people going to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St. John. So they usually drop them off first (quick) and then go up the road to Sapphire. It is quick and easy. Our driver came back for us later in the day. We told him what time we were looking to leave and he was there waiting for us. I guess it depends on their plan for the day, but I saw others who just walked out and got a taxi that was dropping off others. I'm sure they're in and out all day. And yes, there are bathrooms. They're small and not the greatest..but they served their purpose and were nice to have!

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blue_water

blue_water

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Sapphire Beach sounds perfect! I'm hoping that someone can tell me whether or not there are any fresh-water showers/foot wash stations in the area.

 

No showers, just restrooms, and there are foot sprays at the rear entrance of each condo bldg but they're for condo guests only.

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blue_water

blue_water

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Hey blue water, do you know about St Lucia, St Kitts, or St Martin?

 

Thanks Shane

 

We've only cruised to St Lucia and St Kitts. We plan to stay there soon and from our research I would choose the land and sea excursion that takes you on an island tour, toma beach, and and back to Castries on a cat. Sounds like a great day. For St Kitts we like the day sail to Nevis and lunch on the beach there.

 

We've cruised to St Marteen and stayed on St Martin and there I would recommend a little time in Philipsburg then the Golden Eagle daysail, one of our favorites. Check out sailingsxm dot com. We did their 1/2 daysail on a cruise and eir full-day while staying there. They are docked between you and town.

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cemor66

cemor66

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Thanks for the great info! Where do you tell the taxi driver to bring you, or just saying Sapphire beach covers it? Is getting a taxi for the return trip easy? Are there bathrooms available?

 

 

I know, it may seem weird I have pics of the mens room at Sapphire, but a few years ago there were lots of negative posts on the condition of the bathrooms there and the next time I went I took a few photos and posted to clear things up. Have a look. Palace's compaired to some of the bathrooms you'll find on Orient Bay.

 

DSCN3484.jpg

 

DSCN3483.jpg

 

DSCN3481.jpg

 

DSCN3479.jpg

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blue_water

blue_water

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Posted (edited)
Thanks for the great info! Where do you tell the taxi driver to bring you, or just saying Sapphire beach covers it? Is getting a taxi for the return trip easy? Are there bathrooms available?

 

Yes just grab the first taxi you can at the dock heading for Sapphire and Red Hook, there is a taxi coordinator at the dock who will direct you to a taxi. nd there are taxis dropping off and picking up throughout the day. Bathrooms are fine but as with any place can get a bit nasty after a busy day of visitors who don't tend to leave them clean.

Edited by blue_water
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sunshinecruiser62

sunshinecruiser62

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we plan to taxi to the beach and hang for the day, hoping for great weather - with 4 ships in port Magens will be too crowded and wanted to see something different. thanks for the reviews.

 

Hi sccoast,

I was wondering how I might find out how many ships are in port while we're there? Is there a website for that somewhere? We'd appreciate any info you can share. Thank You!

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tug99boat

tug99boat

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We've only cruised to St Lucia and St Kitts. We plan to stay there soon and from our research I would choose the land and sea excursion that takes you on an island tour, toma beach, and and back to Castries on a cat. Sounds like a great day. For St Kitts we like the day sail to Nevis and lunch on the beach there.

 

We've cruised to St Marteen and stayed on St Martin and there I would recommend a little time in Philipsburg then the Golden Eagle daysail, one of our favorites. Check out sailingsxm dot com. We did their 1/2 daysail on a cruise and eir full-day while staying there. They are docked between you and town.

 

Thanks for your help. Really appreciate your time.

Shane

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