Which beach is closest to port? Megans Bay or Saphire?

[ginger123snaps]

We have three boys (ages 7, 7, 6)....we have been to St. Thomas before but my memory is vague. Which of these two beaches (Megan's or Saphire) would be cheapest to get to from the port? Is there any other place you would recommend? We don't mind public transportation.

 

Also my boys are decent swimmers but have never snorkeled. We are looking for calm waters with a not so rocky entrance to snorkel

 

Not interested in Coral World. Reviews are mixed and frankly it would cost us $100 in cab or rental to get to/from. Also not interested in taking the boys to Trunk Bay...incredibly beautiful and romantic when we went...but not worth the cost to take the boys there....too little to appreciate it ;)

Edited September 3, 2015 by ginger123snaps

[beautifulbill]

I don't think there is going to be to much difference in cost to get to either beach.

Sapphire would be around $10 or $12 per person each way. Magens might be a little less, but Magens also has an admittance fee.

Both are beautiful beaches. Magens is very calm water most days but not much in the way of snorkeling. Sapphire varies from calm to rough and has much better snorkeling. Be aware that the dive shop at Sapphire rents beach lounges but they are $9/day/lounge.

 

Public transportation is not reliable and I wouldn't recommend it.

[Ms411]

The cheapest beach to get to from either dock is Emerald Beach. Maximum taxi fare is $6 pp each way. Beach gets good reviews, and has a number of amenities and activities. Not known for snorkeling, though you will probably see some sea life.

[Cruise life]

Coki Beach has snorkeling directly off the beach and also out a bit if your boys want to swim- our twins swam there when they were 9. The cost to rent gear is $10, there is a dated bathroom and shower complex, and a parking lot where the vans/cabs line up. There is no fee to use the beach itself, which is small, but with very beautiful views. It is perfect for very young snorkelers as there is coral just a few feet out into the water, and the area is in a lagoon type setting with gentle currents.

[Kristalght]

Magen's Bay was ok. No, snorkeling though. Basic facilities and chairs for rent but no shade

[Budget Queen]

Coki Beach has snorkeling directly off the beach and also out a bit if your boys want to swim- our twins swam there when they were 9. The cost to rent gear is $10, there is a dated bathroom and shower complex, and a parking lot where the vans/cabs line up. There is no fee to use the beach itself, which is small, but with very beautiful views. It is perfect for very young snorkelers as there is coral just a few feet out into the water, and the area is in a lagoon type setting with gentle currents.

 

Approx what would the taxi cost be? And is it easy to get a cab back to the ship?

[HarpHarp]

Approx what would the taxi cost be? And is it easy to get a cab back to the ship?

 

The listed fare is $10 per person each way. Very easy to get a taxi back to the ship.It is also right next to Coral World so the OP will be paying $100 in cab fares for either or both places.

OP you might want to look into renting a car. You may also be able to negotiate a better price ahead of time dealing with the individual drivers through their web sites, not through the taxi association.

[Cruise life]

The snorkel rental was 10pp last July, so for a family of 5 $150 round trip with snorkel rental is a bargain for an excursion.

I would not want to drive, but you may be able to arrange a "family rate" or some kind of deal on a van transport. There are open air and closed vans with a/c that run this route to Coral World/Coki. They share the same parking lot for return; they will wait till they are near full at the end of the day so you may wait.

Food and drinks were a bit pricey at the shack by Coral World, but the wraps were huge.

[HarpHarp]

Coki really is a pretty easy 20 minute drive in St Thomas and Budget at the pier has cars for $42 per day. You do need to remember that you will be driving on the left.

The safari buses are cheap $2 per person, but they require a walk at both ends & time can become a problem.

 

I lived in St Thomas & would hesitate to suggest that people drive even as far as Magens Bay & certainly don't head up Crown Mt or over to the west end if you feel uncomfortable., but Coki is doable, especially to save over 50% of the cost.

[Cruise life]

Coki really is a pretty easy 20 minute drive in St Thomas and Budget at the pier has cars for $42 per day. You do need to remember that you will be driving on the left.

 

The safari buses are cheap $2 per person, but they require a walk at both ends & time can become a problem.

 

 

 

I lived in St Thomas & would hesitate to suggest that people drive even as far as Magens Bay & certainly don't head up Crown Mt or over to the west end if you feel uncomfortable., but Coki is doable, especially to save over 50% of the cost.

 

 

I personally would NEVER drive in a country where they drive on the left, having no experience with it. I have a near perfect driving record, but the risk of making an error and hurting someone would take the fun away for me. St. Thomas, when were there last July, was having a very bad record rash of deaths from mopeds and driving accidents.

[blue_water]

St. Thomas, when were there last July, was having a very bad record rash of deaths from mopeds and driving accidents.

 

Haven't heard of a "record rash of deaths" on STT. Mopeds rentals are common in Bermuda and there was one moped death on Bermuda when we were staying there a few years back. Watching how visitors drive them we're surprised there aren't more bad accidents.

But as Harp Harp noted STT is quite easy to drive on the East End especially, no worries there for the majority of folks.

 

Ginger Our first choice would be Sapphire and as Bill mentioned it can be very calm or rough, depending on conditions. As an alternative I would consider Secret Harbor beach where the Secret Harbour Beach Resort (condo property) is located. AA Divers rents lounges and snorkel gear and the snorkeling there is easy. It's also a very protected bay and so very calm. Similar taxi fare ($10 - 12) and they also have a beach restaurant and restrooms, a bit nicer experience than Coki.

SH is located on the East End as Sapphire and Coki are, any of these would be good snorkeling beaches whereas Magen's is not.

 

AA Divers web cam and e-mail contact if you want to secure lounges and umbrellas ahead of time -

 

http://www.aadivers.com/view_cam.php

 

http://www.aadivers.com/contact.php

 

A view of Sapphire -

http://www.sapphireinthesun.com

Edited September 15, 2015 by blue_water

[Cruise life]

Our van driver drove by a funeral going on and made a point to tell us this was "another" moped or motorcycle victim, and, in his words, they were occurring "weekly". At the time we were there in July, there had been several deaths according to our driver in a short period of time. If you want to check the obits, we were there the week of July 15th, 2014.

I did not do any research and am repeating what a local told us.

Travel guides also discourage vehicle rentals if you are not familiar with left-sided driving and, of course, the Carnival ships for years have printed the increased risk of injury and death from renting mopeds on the Funtimes.

We rented cars on two islands in Hawaii, but places like Key West are not car friendly (although we have driven there many times), and many islands in the Caribbean are best experienced with a knowledgeable guide or driver. jmho

[blue_water]

Our van driver drove by a funeral going on and made a point to tell us this was "another" moped or motorcycle victim, and, in his words, they were occurring "weekly". At the time we were there in July, there had been several deaths according to our driver in a short period of time. If you want to check the obits, we were there the week of July 15th, 2014.

I did not do any research and am repeating what a local told us.

Travel guides also discourage vehicle rentals if you are not familiar with left-sided driving and, of course, the Carnival ships for years have printed the increased risk of injury and death from renting mopeds on the Funtimes.

We rented cars on two islands in Hawaii, but places like Key West are not car friendly (although we have driven there many times), and many islands in the Caribbean are best experienced with a knowledgeable guide or driver. jmho

 

Of course the guides will discourage renting a car as it takes revenue from them. Mopeds are much more prevalent on other islands, we rarely see one when driving STT except for locals on smaller bikes. We've just never heard of this "record rash of deaths" while staying on STT but perhaps we're in the dark and a resident can chime in.

 

But Ginger use your own discretion, if you're leery of driving in a new palce certainly taxi. But the areas you're considering going to are quite easy to drive a car in if you are considering that. Many day visitors rent cars everyday!

[O2B@Cagain]

I have never heard of a "rash of deaths". Occasionally a local youth, driving too fast and passing on double lines, will meet with a bad outcome. It is no more difficult to drive on the left side of the road than the right. You just have to remember to stay on "your" side!

[blue_water]

cruise life I can understand how Key West is "not car friendly" simply because it's hard to find a parking spot. Same with Manhattan or the financial district of Boston. But that has nothing to do with driving STT or other islands. Most islands are very easy to drive and folks there are very laid back and understanding of newbies. Some islands, like Tortola, can be challenging with the Elevator and switchbacks. But STT and STJ have decent signage and good roads that are easy to drive...