Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When you're finished milling around, hop on the
LeinsterBayTrail
that starts near the
picnic area and ends at, yep, Leinster Bay (
Click here
). It's a 1.6-mile round trip.
Estate Catherineburg Sugar Mill
HISTORICAL SITE
(CenterlineRd; sunrise-sunset)
In 1986 the National Park Service restored this atmo-
spheric old windmill. It dates from the mid-18th century and is an excellent example of
barrel-vaulting construction techniques. Just imagine the talent of the slave masons who
built the tower and the lust for money that drove their masters. It's a quiet place with no
restricted visiting hours, guards or tours.
Cinnamon Bay Archaeological Dig
HISTORICAL SITE
(
www.friendsvinparch.blogspot.com
;
9am-4pm)
The beach at Cinnamon Bay Camp-
ground holds an excavation site where scientists have unearthed a Taíno presence that dates
back 1000 years. The Taíno were a peaceful group of farmers and fishers, and the site is
thought to be a chief's ceremonial temple. Workers also have dug up remnants of a plant-
ation slave village that stood on the site a couple of centuries after the Taíno mysteriously
disappeared. The plantation burned down during St John's 1733 slave revolt.
A small
museum (admission free)
displays some of the artifacts found. It's at the end
of the road that leads to the beach, on the east side (the building's other half is the Beach
Shop). The excavation site itself is a short distance beyond. You can ask at either place
about volunteering at the dig. Time is of the essence, as erosion is eating away at the site,
and artifacts are at risk of being washed away.
Beaches
The North Shore holds St John's most popular patches of sand. Trunk and Cinnamon Bays
are the amenity-laden tourist favorites. We've listed the following beaches starting from
Cruz Bay and moving eastward. Expect to pay between $6 and $13 per person for a taxi
to reach them. Vendors (on the beaches that have them) usually open around 8:30am and
close around 4pm.
