Whitesand Beach
Are there hidden beaches or secret beaches on St John? Yes. While the popular North Shore beaches and top snorkeling spots garner all the attention – there are some wonderful pocket beaches and tiny sandy spots where one can feel like they have St John all to themselves.
Getting There
Whitesand Bay, and the two tiny beaches that make up its norther shore, is located just beyond Coral Bay, inside of Hurricane Hole. To get to Whitesand Bay you can kayak from Coral Bay, around Fortsberg, following the shoreline then cutting across to Mardenboro Point to Whitesand Bay. Or you can kayak or SUP from East End Road where it skirts Princess Bay and the mangroves. Head out and to the west ( right as you face the water). You’ll round a small point and the beach is about 100 yards away.
Whitesand Bay Beach
While not on traditional maps of St John, this tiny strip of sand is a wonderful spot to spend a few hours soaking up sun, snorkeling and swimming before snorkeling the mangroves of Hurricane Hole. The beach is mostly soft white sand transitioning to pebbles on the western end. The beach itself is narrow and can be too narrow if waves and wind are from the south / southeast.
Snorkeling
Directly off the beach is a large seagrass bed that’s home to lots of juvenile Queen conch and star fish. Explore the few shallow rocky outcroppings that run along the shoreline towards Princess Bay. You’ll find a wide range of juvenile fish, eels, hard and soft corals. Then pack up and head across Hurricane Hole to Otter Creek and / or Water Creek for some terrific mangrove snorkeling.
