Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Salt Pond Bay
As you leave Coral Bay, turn left at the junction to follow the
road along the coast. The smell of the sea is very strong here
and, although this side of the island is quite arid, there are
mangrove trees lining the road. The first settlement you'll
pass is
Calabash Brown
and then you'll see the parking
area for
Salt Pond Bay
(about 3½ miles from Coral Bay).
The trail to the beach is easy to follow and in 10 minutes
you'll find yourself on Salt Pond Bay, where you can snorkel
or swim.
Following a trail from the southern end of the beach you can
head to
Drunk Bay
, a 15-minute walk. This trail passes a
salt pond that was used in colonial times and local residents
still harvest salt there for their personal use. Drunk Bay
Beach, a rocky beach often swept by strong winds, is covered
by pieces of coral and thick vines. It is not safe to swim here,
but it certainly is interesting to see - it looks like another
planet.
Retrace your steps and follow the trail toward the sea, which
leads to
Ram Head
. This trail is lined with century plants
and unusual barrel cactus called Turk's heads. The beach
here is rocky and covered by blue stones. Beyond it is Ram
Head, the oldest rock on the island (it dates from the Lower
Cretaceous period about 90 million years ago). It stands atop
a cliff 200 ft. above the sea. Covered with cactus, it is very
steep, so keep far from the edge. The goats and burros wan-
dering here are far more sure-footed than you. The entire
walk should take 1½ hours.
H
Lock your car
and take any valu-
ables with you.
A Hike to Bordeaux Mountain
Bordeaux Mountain
, at 1,250 ft., is the highest
point on St. John. You can hike to the peak, from
which you have a great view of Coral Bay and Nor-
man Island, British Virgin Islands.
