So today Michelle has time to drive me to the other end of the island, Coral Bay. Coral Bay is the less populated end of the island some locals call the hippie/artsy/ even MORE laid back part of St. John. Even though it’s only 8 miles away, it takes about 45 minutes to get there from Cruz Bay because of all the winding and steep roads and watching out for the island critters who may be blocking the road😳
We will be taking Centerline Road (Rt. 10) because, even though it’s not the most scenic route, it is the more direct route. We have to gas up in Cruz Bay because it is the only place that has a gas station (those living in Coral Bay really need to plan ahead and have extra gas cans!!!) As you can see by this old map above, there used to be a gas station in Coral Bay but after Hurricane Marilyn (1995) there was a population decline for awhile which impacted the island economically so they closed.
As we start approaching Coral Bay, we start seeing a lot more donkeys, goats and lambs in the road or on the side of the road. They are so stinking cute!
There’s also a great overlook of Coral Bay so we stopped to take a picture
When we get into Coral Bay we decide to stop at a very popular eating / souvenir destination, Skinny Legs for their famous hamburgers and local IPA from St. John Brewery.
After a scrumptious lunch, we head over to Salt Pond Bay. We park at the top of the hill and it’s a bit on a steep hike going down to the water. This bay faces south so it’s a lot warmer here. We duck our belongings under a tree and jump into the 💦
After our swim, Michelle tells me of a 15 minute easy trail that goes to the actual salt pond and then over to Drunk Bay on the north side. When it is very dry on the island during the summer months, you can actually collect the salt from salt pond!!
Drunk Bay is a very windy spot with crashing waves and completely covered with coral that has washed up from the ocean. People go there and make little coral sculptures and cairns. Cool!
When we head back to the beach side of Salt Pond, it’s really getting hot so it’s another swim ,snack, swim before we climb up that steep hill to the car 🥵. When we get there, we find a visitor….
And some of his friends stop in for a visit before we leave! 🥰
What a great day! See you next Tuesday for more adventures!!!😎
Traveling Rose in St. John 