Excerpted from St. John Beach Guide © 2006 Gerald Singer

Why Caneel?
Caneel Bay Beach is a good choice if you would like to combine a day at the beach with lunch at the Caneel Bay Resort. Take a swim, a snorkel or just relax. When you get hungry, you can enjoy a well-prepared meal at one of the hotel's seaside restaurants, the Caneel Beach Terrace or the more informal, Beach Terrace Bar.

Getting There
Starting from Mongoose Junction, go east 1.2 miles on Route 20. Turn left on the road leading into the Caneel Bay Resort. Park in the parking lot and take a leisurely walk down the exquisitely landscaped path to the beach.

Be sure to take a stroll through the historic ruins of the estate's old sugar works, which have been tastefully planted and partially restored.

The Caneel Bay resort provides public access to Caneel and Honeymoon Beaches only. Access to the other beaches on the Caneel Bay property, Scott Beach, Turtle Bay and Caneel Hawksnest, is permitted by those arriving by sea. Use of the beach chairs, kayaks, sunfish and paddle boats are reserved for registered guests of the hotel.

Facilites
Facilities for day guests include restaurants, public rest rooms and a gift shop.

Snorkeling Caneel Bay
Snorkel around the rocks on either side of the bay or explore the sand and grassy center of the bay just off the beach, where you can often find starfish, sea turtles and stingrays. For a more interesting snorkel, take a walk over to Honeymoon and snorkel the reef on the west side of the bay between Honeymoon and Salomon Bays

History of Caneel Bay

more beaches?