Coral Bay is the eastern section and much quieter side to Virgin Islands National Park on the beautiful island of St. John. Unlike Cruz Bay where all the tourists arrive from after taking the ferry from St. Thomas.....this Coral Bay area is for the people truly looking to immerse themselves in a quiet paradise getaway.
For me...my main goal was to visit Virgin Islands National Park...checking another NP off my list. Coral Bay was just a nice added addition upon my 2 day itinerary of St. John.
Although I didn't do much here other than drive around and take in the sights....what I enjoyed most about Coral Bay was the road path that I took to get here.
That's what I'd like to talk about. Upon driving to make it to Coral Bay.....I had to trek up and down, twist in and out of very windy and hilly roads safely and slowly.
Although my memories are certainly of how I had to use the lowest gear on my car and drive extremely carefully on the left handed side of the road (without any real shoulder area to pull over)....
what made the journey memorable was finding and stopping at a couple of overlooks that offered stunning panoramic views of St. John from high above the mountainous terrain of St. John!!!
Yes. That's what I appreciated most. I never thought St. John would be so difficult to trek along. But I was wrong.
Not just getting to Coral Bay....but even in my review of North Shore Road (the scenic tourist road stopping at all of St. John's famous beaches) the limited but absolutely worthwhile little roadside pitstops were moments to uncover the turquoise blue island waters from some of the best views in the US Virgin Islands.
Ultimately, wherever you are and traversing when in St. John....if you notice a roadside pullover....make sure to stop as the sights and scenery are probably worth it!
Now getting to Coral Bay....
Near the end of North Shore Drive where refreshing Colombo's Smoothies resides, (definitely stop for a midday frozen drink here!)
I took the St. John's southern (main) road called Centerline Road just 2 kilometers to connect to Bordeaux Mountain Road.
Then traversing Bordeaux Mountain Road was a real adventure. Here it's only a 5.5 kilometer drive to arrive at Coral Bay, but the journey was like a rollercoaster. The roads were so twisty and unpredictable, yet....I stumbled upon 2 fantastic areas where I was able to pull my rental car over, get out and appreciate the wondrous views looking down upon not just Coral Bay, but the entire eastern section of St. John!!
Since cell phone reception worked fine on the island, I used Google Maps to steer me in the correct direction.
But...the 2 unforgettable overlooks were...
1. Near the PICTURE POINT area
2. At the end of Bordeaux Mountain Road - as I rode my car's brakes all the way down the mountain, there was a feasible driveway section where again I stopped my car, got out and grabbed a bunch of terrific photos.
These spots don't have names to them. You just have to drive cautiously and you'll know when to stop on instinct.
Looking around Coral Bay....it was surrounded by picturesque harbor waters.
Although I was only passing by and never discovered any well known landmarks to relay in this review, I did recognize plenty of secluded and private villas to rest and relax feeling far away from reality.
Some names included - Moon Swept Villa, Giovanna's, Bon Bini Cottages, Sweet Wind Villa and Estate Zootenvaal.
There were restaurants that looked appealing - Aqua Bistro Seafood Restaurant, Skinny Legs, The Salty Mongoose, Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis, Pizza and Rum Bar, and Ekaete Pink Corner.
While exploring around...there were some random goats strutting along the road. They were quite friendly and approachable and didn't mind introducing themselves to me. Yeah I may have had a few potato chips to give them, lol.
Finally, as I was leaving and heading 13 kilometers west on Centerline Road back to Cruz Bay, about 1 kilometer into my departure from Coral Bay....there was 1 more roadside pullover that was 100% unforgettable. Again, you'll know it when you see it.
And here, I stopped and gazed back at Coral Bay from a distance and truly had a beautiful moment witnessing a wonderful setting peering out onto the gorgeous St. John landscape. Make sure to be aware about this stop!
In all, Coral Bay was a pleasant hidden gem and final conclusion to my exploration of St. John and Virgin Islands National Park. read more