It’s Travel Tuesday, y’all! Thanks for stopping by to read about my St. John adventures!
Have you ever been to a place where you’re just like, I can’t believe God created something so beautiful, and I am so lucky to enjoy it? Well St. John was one of those places for me! It was an amazing trip and gorgeous island. I think because it still feels so untouched and not commercialized, I was even more in awe of the place. This trip was the first time I’ve stayed on an island in the Caribbean for a week, so I really got to appreciate and take a lot of it in. I enjoyed exploring all the incredible beaches, different restaurants and some hiking!
A few things I love about St. John…
The beaches! are incredible. I now know why a few of them are on lists for best beaches in the world. There are so many that you can visit and all have sort of a different feel and experience. On one side of the island all or most of the beaches are part of the National Park, so they are very well kept. On the other side, you have to basically go off-roading to get them. We went to Maho Bay (rated one of the best beaches in the world), Trunk Bay (rated one of the best beaches), Caneel Bay (part of a resort), Cinnamon Bay and Lameshure Beach which was on the other side of the island. After thinking back on it, I think Maho was my favorite. I saw a sea turtle there while I was snorkeling, the water was so calm and I loved the rocks that were along one side of the water. 🙂
The hiking trails! St. John is mostly a National Park, so everything is very well kept and uninhabited. The trails are really neat. We only did one hike, but there are so many options! We took a trail down to a secluded beach that you can only get to by hiking. The views along the hike were so pretty and the vegetation changed as we went down which was really interesting. I love being active on vacation at least some of the time, so this was a nice break! We hiked about 3 miles down and three miles back up. Afterward, we were ready for a painkiller on the beach!
Snorkeling! I haven’t done much snorkeling before this trip. I went snorkeling at Maho Bay and Trunk Bay. Unfortunately a lot of the coral at Trunk Bay is dying, but there are still some pretty fish. My brother said the best snorkeling they did was at Lameshure beach. They saw multiple octopus, really cool fish and sea turtles there.
Relaxing! Everyone needs a little R&R. This island is so relaxed and was definitely less commercialized than St. Thomas or some of the other islands in the Caribbean. You truly feel like everything moves so much slower, and you can truly be on island time!
Driving! I was so nervous to drive when I first got there, but I had to be the designated driver one night for my family (hah!), so I got over that fear quickly. It was fun to drive on the other side of the road and through the windy mountainous roads. You probably think I’m strange for liking it! haha Also everyone has Jeeps, so that’s fun!
Wedding! The beach wedding for my brother and his wife (whoa, weird!) was at Trunk Bay at sunset. It was breathtaking and so sweet. If you’re an island child like they are, this is such an intimate and beautiful location for a week long celebration! I’m so thankful they had their wedding here, and I was able to experience St. John!
TRUNK BAY
MAHO BAY
HIKE DOWN L’ESPERANCE TRAIL TO A SECLUDED BEACH ON REEF BAY
Disclaimer: I only wear chacos in very specific situations like this one & kayaking! Please know I do not wear these out to the store or during non-adventures. Needed to clarify! lol 😉 Also if you’re going to get Chacos, get a cute pattern!
WEDDING AT TRUNK BAY
This was my family after the ceremony as the sun was going down!
Here’s the link to this amazing Lilly Pulitzer dress again! It comes in Navy, too! Shop HERE or HERE!
My wonderful date & BFF, Ashley!
I had to include Ashley’s solo shot, because her jumpsuit was AMAZING! It’s from Anthropologie.
High Tide is where the reception took place. It was a beachfront bar on Cruz Bay! They had the most quintessential island band that played Bob Marley among many other island tunes.
Beautiful Views & Everything Else
Sunset view from Great Expectations.
View from the Blue Papaya House.
Pool Days at Great Expectations.
This is Lameshure Beach. We had to go off-roading to get here. It was a rock beach as you can see. Not the best for laying out but cool to see nonetheless. Also great snorkeling! You can see how desolate the area is in this picture. We were the only people on the beach!
Cinnamon Bay beach with views of the British Virgin Islands.
And… a picture of food! We mostly ate at the houses, but this Wahoo bowl was too pretty & colorful to not take a picture of and show!
Finally, I want to say congratulations to my Big Brother & his new wife! It fills my heart with so much joy that you have found a partner in life! I love both of you!
Hope you enjoyed seeing my adventures. Let me know in the comments section what you’d like to see more of in my travel posts (or any other posts)!
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
Hans Christian Andersen
xoxo,
Cortney
P.S. Shout out to one of my besties, Ashley, for taking so many pictures of me and dealing with my #bloglife. You’re the goat. <3