My husband, children (9 & 12), and I spent 6 days at Cameron Cove. STJ is just what we needed after a COVID winter on the east coast. We arrived after sunset & were greeted with an awesome view of boats in the bay all lit up. When we woke up the next morning, we couldn’t believe the view. It’s stunning.
Our favorite part of every day was enjoying breakfast on the deck, watching the boats, and also the wild donkeys and goats frolicking on the shoreline and the properties below. The house faces west, making the sunsets over the hills of Coral Bay the second favorite part of our days.
The house is tucked in the East End of the island at the very end to Rt. 10. It is a little bit of a hike. You will 100% need a 4WD vehicle, and I highly recommend a Jeep Wrangler if you can . That said, the drive is worth it. That end of the island is really a gem.
The shoreline is accessible via a path from the side of the house. Its steep and a little overgrown. I recommend wearing water shoes if you use it. The shoreline is beautiful and made up of rocks and coral which are very fun to climb and to snorkel from. Many snorkel charters anchor out to snorkel Pelican Rock, which you can easily swim to from the shoreline (just beware of the urchin).
If you want sandy beach, Hansen Bay Beach is 3-minutes drive. For a donation, you can enjoy the beach and all of their toys, including paddle boards and kayaks. It was a perfect place for our family - very relaxed and fun and no need for spending lots of money on renting those items. It’s a special place and just as nice as the other hot spots on STJ.
We visited in April and the weather was perfect. No need to use the air conditioning. The fans and open sliders kept us comfortable. Thalia, the housekeeper, was very helpful and kind, and always very responsive. We didn’t need to call her much, but she picked up immediately when we did.
The house is 100% what you expect of a beach rental in this price range and in this location. It is remote island living, so you need to adjust your expectations. It could use some updating, but it's clean, safe and comfortable. Overall, we loved staying here and would go back!
Some advice:
- Book a late afternoon/evening return flight, or plan to stay on STT the night before.
- Stop at CostULess on STT for water &food, and Starfish Market in Cruz Bay for groceries before coming out to the east end.
- Highly recommend pre-booking ferry with LoveCity Ferries in advance of your trip.