St. Thomas Beaches?

[WDW Princess 71]

Help! Cruising in less than 1 month and I still haven't decided on a beach in St. Thomas- the 2 that sound the most popular are Magen's Bay and Sapphire...I asked this question before but my computer crashed a couple months ago so I lost my bookmarked answers to the question! If anyone has been to St. Thomas beaches can give advice, it would be greatly appreciated! Not looking for super snorkeling or anything, just a nice beach with clear blue water, and it would be really great if there is a restaurant or at least a bar right there or walking distance ; )

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Help! Cruising in less than 1 month and I still haven't decided on a beach in St. Thomas- the 2 that sound the most popular are Magen's Bay and Sapphire...I asked this question before but my computer crashed a couple months ago so I lost my bookmarked answers to the question! If anyone has been to St. Thomas beaches can give advice, it would be greatly appreciated! Not looking for super snorkeling or anything, just a nice beach with clear blue water, and it would be really great if there is a restaurant or at least a bar right there or walking distance ; )

To me Magens bay is nice but over rated head over to cokki beach for clearer water,fish to swim with and less crowds

Rob

 

[kcashner]

Another vote for Coki beach. Free! you can visit Coral World (the beach is right across the parking lot)...if you do, you'll get a wrist band allowing you to go in and out to use the facilities, snack bar, etc. There are sometimes Coral World discount coupons available on line and in the tourist info magazine at the port. Taxi was about $4 per person each way...very easy to get taxi on the way back.

Magen's Bay is nice, but ever since it won a "best beach" award it has been hideously crowded and they raised all their prices for stuff!

 

[mmackeymouse]

Hey girly! We too are still a bit stuck on St. Thomas. We have it narrowed down to Coki or Magen's. I've heard positives and negatives on each.

Now, onto Sapphire. This was initially my first choice. However, I also read that somewhat recently, it has gone downhill, gotten dirty, etc etc. The Godfrey Tours used to have Sapphire as an option, and he posted on his website that due to the troubles going on there, he would not take his customers to Sapphire till everything gets taken care of.

Who knows, maybe it is doing better by now? You may want to look into it just in case. After all, the water may be wonderful, but if you are surrounded by trash and cannot even use the bathroom, is it really worth it? Haha

 

[havaneselover]

We went to Magen's Bay in the beginning of September. It was amazing. So beautiful and peaceful. The day we were there it wasn't very crowded. We have a 4 year old and a 6 year old and just wanted to get in the water and play in the sand and it was perfect. A lot of my favorite pictures from our cruise are from Magen's Bay. My DH loved it too, but said he prefers more action.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

We went to Magen's Bay in the beginning of September. It was amazing. So beautiful and peaceful. The day we were there it wasn't very crowded. We have a 4 year old and a 6 year old and just wanted to get in the water and play in the sand and it was perfect. A lot of my favorite pictures from our cruise are from Magen's Bay. My DH loved it too, but said he prefers more action.

Does Magen's Bay have a bar and/or restaurant right there (or walking distance)? That was one of the reasons why I was leaning toward Sapphire- I love laying on the beach all day but I definitely need a cocktail to go with it! If someone who's been to Magen's can tell me what they have there, that would be so helpful!

 

[mmackeymouse]

Hey! Sapphire's restaurant, last I read, was boarded up and out of business. Perhaps it has reopened by now.

From my research on Magen's and Coki for our own adventure, I have read that both have dining options. The difference, so far as I can tell is Magen's, because there IS a entrance charge, has a much more exclusive structured bar and grill atmosphere. Whereas at Coki, I did read you can run into a lot of peddlers and rather than having one main restaurant, a lot of little food shacks. However, I do believe (someone correct me if I am wrong) that there is a little restaurant at Coral World outside the park gates.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Hey! Sapphire's restaurant, last I read, was boarded up and out of business. Perhaps it has reopened by now.

From my research on Magen's and Coki for our own adventure, I have read that both have dining options. The difference, so far as I can tell is Magen's, because there IS a entrance charge, has a much more exclusive structured bar and grill atmosphere. Whereas at Coki, I did read you can run into a lot of peddlers and rather than having one main restaurant, a lot of little food shacks. However, I do believe (someone correct me if I am wrong) that there is a little restaurant at Coral World outside the park gates.

We were at Coki beach in July and then again in November 2009 and NEVER had one peddler come up to us infact never even saw one There is 1-2 places that sell food and drink. Do not know about food service outside of coral world.

 

[NJTraveler]

Stayed at Sapphire for a week this past September. There is no beach side restaurant. There is a runner who can get you food and drinks from the restaurant on the marina side. There is also a lady with a small grill off to one side of the beach and another women that just sells drinks (painkiller, rum punch, beer). There is a shop to rent snorkel gear, floaters, etc. I don't have a price list as I had my own equipment. The bathroom was not the best. The best time to be on the beach was before or after the cruise ships. I could not believe how people just left their garbage right on the beach when there are garbage cans available on the way out to catch a cab back to the ship. I did not travel to Magens Bay or Coki. But was told Coki has a lot of peddlers.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Another vote for Coki beach. Free! you can visit Coral World (the beach is right across the parking lot)...if you do, you'll get a wrist band allowing you to go in and out to use the facilities, snack bar, etc. There are sometimes Coral World discount coupons available on line and in the tourist info magazine at the port. Taxi was about $4 per person each way...very easy to get taxi on the way back.

Magen's Bay is nice, but ever since it won a "best beach" award it has been hideously crowded and they raised all their prices for stuff!

Taxi was 9 p/p each way both times that we went in 2009( July and Nov)

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Ah, seems like so many different opinions on the two beaches...I've done so much research and I've read really good and really bad reviews of both Sapphire and Magen's, so I guess it is really a personal thing. I'll probably stick with Sapphire because its closer to Duffy's Love Shack which is a great bar that I definitely want to stop at on the way back to the ship- i've been to the one in St. John and it was a really cool place.

I'm sure either beach, even if some of the negative comments are true and there is some trash and not-so-nice bathrooms, I'm sure compared to the disgusting beaches we have here in NJ they will be more than beautiful for us!

 

[IWannaBeAMousketeer]

We did Coki in Nov (the taxi was $9 pp each way). We chose it over Magen's for a few reasons. 1) we wanted to see fish and you can do that at Coki without even snorkeling. 2) I read that getting beach chairs at Magens is sort of high maintenance. You have to put down a deposit, haul them to your spot (which could be a long way if the beach is busy with several ships in port), haul the chair back when you are done and then wait in line to get your deposit back. We didn't eat at Coki (we returned to the ship for a late lunch), but we were assigned a server who would take care of getting our food and drinks.

 

[Husky]

My last visit with Disney to Eastern was in 2001 and we went to Sapphire Beach. Beautiful resort and coastline. Just be sure to get surf mocs or sandals (flip-flops) so you don't step on any coral as there is snorkaling but coral close to shore.

 

[NJTraveler]

I'm sure either beach, even if some of the negative comments are true and there is some trash and not-so-nice bathrooms, I'm sure compared to the disgusting beaches we have here in NJ they will be more than beautiful for us!

My DH would take any beach in St Thomas then going down the shore in NJ since he has been to the Caribbean.

 

[Cruise]

We were at Coki beach in July and then again in November 2009 and NEVER had one peddler come up to us infact never even saw one There is 1-2 places that sell food and drink. Do not know about food service outside of coral world.

We were on Coki this past Wednesday and did have a few peddlers approach us, but a simple and quiet "no, thank you" with a smile was enough to send them on their way and they didn't return. So, while there are a few there, they weren't pushy at all.