Cinnamon Bay Beach Virgin Islands

Cinnamon Bay Virgin Islands

Our cruise ship, the Celebrity Eclipse, stopped at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  We had been given a tip that St. John had better beaches,and decided to give Cinnamon Bay a try.  The beach at Cinnamon Bay was amazing.  However, getting to Cinnamon Bay all the way from Charlotte Amalie may not have been worth all the hassle for only a couple hours of beach-time.  


Getting to Cinnamon Bay
After stepping off of the Eclipse in St. Thomas at Charlotte Amalie, we boarded a taxi van to take us across the island to Red Hook at a cost of $10 per person (a rate set by the government).  From there, were boarded a ferry for $6 to St. John, Cruz Bay.  There is a possibility of taking a ferry for only $12 directly from Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook, but the ferry did not run at times to fit our schedule.  From Red Hook, we took another Taxi for $7 per person to Cinnamon Bay.  Of course, we had to repeat all of those steps on the return trip.  All told, it took us three hours and $43 a person to get to Cinnamon Bay. 

Finally, Cinnamon Bay

Cinnamon Bay Virgin Islands

Cinnamon Bay was rugged and beautiful with a white sand beach, strong surf, and (best of all) FEW TOURISTS!  This is not a beach for those who want a tiki bar, steel drums, and hoards of merchants peddling crap to tourists.  There was a small campground, one cafe, a tiny shop for necessities, and a place to rent kayaks and sailboards. 
If you have the means to take a trip to St. John where you aren't at the mercy of the few hours that Cruise Line excursions offers, I would highly suggest Cinnamon Bay.  For more reasons, just look at the pictures.  Otherwise, your time and money are better spent staying on St. Thomas's beaches, such as Magens Bay. 
Website: http://www.cinnamonbay.com/home.html