St. John's Different Classes of Beaches

Select a Beach by Location: Snorkeling ------ North Shore Beaches ------ Salomon Bay Honeymoon Bay Caneel Bay Scott Bay Turtle Bay Caneel Hawksnest Hawksnest Bay Little Hawksnest Bay Gibney Beach Very Little Hawksnest Denis Bay Jumbie Beach Trunk Bay Cinnamon Bay Little Cinnamon Bay Maho Bay Little Maho Bay Francis Bay Leinster Bay / Waterlemon ------ East End Beaches ------ Brown Bay Haulover (North) Hansen Bay/Vie's Haulover (South) ------ South Shore Beaches ------ Salt Pond Kiddel Bay Grootpan Great Lameshur Bay Lameshur Bay Europa Bay Reef Bay Genti Bay Little Reef Bay Parrot Bay ------ Cruz Bay Area Beaches ------ Ditleff Point Klein Bay Monte Bay Hart Bay Chocolate Hole Great Cruz Bay Frank Bay Cruz Bay

There are three general classifications of beaches on St. John, sand, cobblestone and coral rubble.

Turtle Bay

The most beautiful and most popular beaches are the soft white coral sand beaches typically found within the National Park on St. John's north shore. Sand beaches like these are found in areas where the water offshore is relatively shallow, the depth drops off gradually and the coral reefs and headlands are strategically located.

Cobblestones

Another type of beach is the cobblestone beach. These are also found where there is deeper reef and higher wave action, but, due to the dynamics of the placement of the coral reefs and direction of the incoming waves, coral rubble is not washed ashore. These beaches are covered by rocks that originally came from land and have been broken down, rounded and polished by the continual action of waves. These beautiful and colorful cobblestones often make a hypnotic and musical sound as they roll about in the waves. Examples of cobblestone beaches are Great Lameshur Bay, Klein Bay and the beautiful Blue Cobblestone Beach, which you pass through if you walk the Ram Head Trail.

Turtle Bay

The third type of beach is the coral rubble beach. These beaches are formed on shorelines where the reefs are deeper, the bottom drops off more rapidly, and wave energy is higher and more constant. Broken up pieces of coral are washed ashore instead of sand.