Last updated: April 12th, 2023
Just to the west of the popular Hawksnest Beach lies a much smaller and far less visited stretch of soft coral sand known as Little Hawksnest. I revisited this little beach yesterday and realized that it had been some time since I had been there.
The tide was high, and the surf was up as our St. John winter season is just about upon us. There wasn’t much beach to speak of, with waves washing up almost to the vegetation line. It isn’t always this way, and on more normal days, one can find a quiet little beach just to the west of the public beach.
How To Get To Little Hawksnest
To get to Little Hawksnest, you’ll need to walk to the far western end of Hawksnest Beach and take the trail through the woods that parallels the shore until you get to the rocky coastline separating the two beaches. A relativity easy scramble will bring you to the beach.
Thinking back all the way to 1972, I remember attending the wedding of Charlie Deyalsingh (Trinidad Charlie) and Cathy Hartford on this very beach, where among other festivities we had a pig roast.
Remember, I said relatively easy scramble, but thinking about it, setting up a pig roast on that beach must have been fairly challenging. I guess we all were a lot tougher in those days.
Snorkeling
When it comes to Little Hawksnest Beach, it isn’t particularly known for its snorkeling. You’ll have much better luck doing that in other parts of St John. Even the more popular Hawksnest Beach is a better option for it. Similarly, water can be choppy at times, so with that and the fact that it’s more secluded, it’s not the best idea.