Favorite St Thomas Beach and Why

[LuCruise]

Of the two Magens is the more protected and sure to be calm and has a gradual entry.

 

Yes I've heard that about Magens. But is Coki the same? I remember as a kid going in the Florida ocean and as I walked out, there was a sudden drop in the sand. I lost my footing at first and it scared me.

[blue_water]

IMHO Magens is unique in how calm and gradual the entry is all of the time, ergo the popularity for families, especially those who aren't interested in snorkeling or island views. For those wanting the dead calm water but also the snorkeling and better food SH would be their choice.

 

Coki is less affected than Sapphire but can still be affected by storms and shifting of sand. So it's hard to give you a black and white answer to all of your questions...But most folks are happy with Coki!

[LuCruise]

IMHO Magens is unique in how calm and gradual the entry is all of the time, ergo the popularity for families, especially those who aren't interested in snorkeling or island views. For those wanting the dead calm water but also the snorkeling and better food SH would be their choice.

 

Coki is less affected than Sapphire but can still be affected by storms and shifting of sand. So it's hard to give you a black and white answer to all of your questions...But most folks are happy with Coki!

 

Thanks again for your helpful and quick response. :)

 

That's the thing for us...we don't want straight calm water....small waves (but not rough) at the shoreline are more ideal. For the same reason, we dismissed Le Gallion in St Maarten, which everyone recommends for little ones.

[Ms411]

These are ocean waters - not lake waters. There is always some action at the shoreline - some rougher than others. Even a protected bay is going to have some small waves. It's not going to be dead calm.

 

Go to Coki and if you don't like it, you can always have the cab driver take you to another beach (though you'll have to pay, probably).

[LuCruise]

Thank you. All very helpful info.

Have taken notes and will go over our options of the two beaches with DH and our kids and then we'll decide. I suppose there are worse decisions we could have to make :D

[blue_water]

Thanks again for your helpful and quick response. :)

 

That's the thing for us...we don't want straight calm water....small waves (but not rough) at the shoreline are more ideal. For the same reason, we dismissed Le Gallion in St Maarten, which everyone recommends for little ones.

 

"Dead Calm" is not an accurate description, sorry, I see others using that term for Magens and SH. You will see small waves there but rarely anything more. Other beaches can be just as calm or much rougher depending on the day as MS411 said.

Good luck!

[LuCruise]

"Dead Calm" is not an accurate description, sorry, I see others using that term for Magens and SH. You will see small waves there but rarely anything more. Other beaches can be just as calm or much rougher depending on the day as MS411 said.

Good luck!

 

Got it...thanks.

 

Will go over these two and let you know what we decide .

[GotMINI]

I'm debating between Coki, Sapphire and Secret Harbor. Magen's was in the mix too, but we have 2 girls (12 and 11) and they really want snorkeling.

 

Coki seems to be best snorkeling. I'm guessing it's because it's so close to Coral World, so maybe good location on the island based on topography and such, but I think also because tourists feed the fish (which I'm not thrilled about perpetuating this bad habit). It does also seem lively and to have choice of amenities because it does attract a lot of people...which unfortunately means it will most likely be crowded (4 cruise ships in day of our visit). I'm not excited about being wall to wall people on the beach or having vendors bugging me to buy their stuff. Not sure how bad that gets. Looking more for the overall experience at beach for the girls, not me.

 

Sapphire seems to have snorkeling sometimes. Can be windy and read beach sand can be rocky. Maybe depends on time of year. Don't have good sense of what kind of amenities are at this beach - can we rent chairs/umbrellas, are there food/beverage options, are there real bathrooms (not outhouses) will there be cabs there to take us back to ship, etc.

 

Secret Harbor is probably my personal choice, more remote, seems to have decent dive shop for rentals of equipment (may be interested in paddle boarding), snorkeling supposedly decent although not sure about it (from pics Coki seems much much better), etc. And then have similar questions to Sapphire with cab accessibility, food/beverage options and bathrooms accessibility.

 

Any words of wisdom to share? --thanks!

[blue_water]

Sapphire has all the drink/food and amenities you want including restrooms, and Dive In rents lounges, floats, snorkel gear, kayaks, and I believe SUP.

SH has a nicer beach restaurant along with a dive center and rentals.

Coki has several vendors looking for your business.

Coki and SH are smaller bays, Sapphire has a bit more room. Taxis stop in at Sapphire and Coki regularly and you wouldn't have a problem getting a taxi at SH.

All are great snorkel beaches, you need to experience each to find your favorite...

[Ms411]

There are possibly people feeding the fish no matter where you go. It's more prevalent at Coki because they sell dog biscuits, but people also bring food from the ship to feed to the fish. One pet accessory store near the cruise dock has a sign in the window saying they have dog biscuits for snorkelers to feed to the fish.

 

Secret Harbor has limited chairs for rent. In another thread somebody mentioned reserving ahead of time to ensure they got a chair and sun protection.

 

Sapphire has fewer food/drink options.

 

The vendors at Coki mostly sell snorkel equipment and or food and drink. The security and the vendors that have stalls keep unauthorized vending to a minimum.

 

You will have a good time no matter which beach you go to.

[blue_water]

Yes if you're going to SH but night first thing you may want to reserve chairs and umbrellas from AA Divers, the supply is limited as is the space.

http://www.aadivers.com

 

The restaurant is closed at Sapphire bot there are a couple food and drink options with runners taking orders on the beach, we still love that mahi mahi sandwich from the beach grill (Banana Cabana).

 

Our personal opinion on these beaches -

 

Coki is a small beach and has a lively vibe (read loud and busy on bigger ship days) with several vendors vying for your business. Beautiful little bay with snorkeling and nice water colors.

 

Sapphire is a longer bay and much more laid-back with a few condo properties and zero vendors. The dive center and restaurant and grill cater to your requests. Gorgeous island views and water colors with snorkeling on the reef or in the seagrass.

 

Secret Harbor is small and home to one condo property and a dive center as well as a nicer restaurant. The calmest water and good snorkeling as well.

[sarahkslp]

So, would you do Secret harbor or Lindquist with a 6 year old and 3 yr old twins?

[Ms411]

I would do Secret Harbor with toddlers because of the facilities. I always see lots of families with small children at Secret Harbor in the summer.

[blue_water]

I would do Secret Harbor with toddlers because of the facilities. I always see lots of families with small children at Secret Harbor in the summer.

 

Agree with SH with toddlers for the facilities and also a very calm bay.