Reef Bay area

[gmanka]

Staying in the Reef Bay area this year. Anyone stayed there before and have suggestions on houses, places, hikes etc.

[dctac]

Walk the beach to the bottom of Reef Bay Trail and hike up it to the Petroplyphs .

[Coconuts]

Here's a suggestion, if the seas at Reef Bay are calm:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... 21#p271555

All the best,

Kevin

[Chris @ Work]

We always stay in Reef Bay area. Remote for privacy but close enough to Cruz and North Shore for convenience. What price/amenities are you looking for in a villa? Not as many to choose from compared to areas between Reef and Cruz Bay.
The trail Coconuts linked to is spelled out really well in our STJ Bible "STJ Off the Beaten Track", page 135-136. Entering the water can be a little tricky passing the sea urchins but once out past it is quite nice. Walk along the beach to Reef Bake trail/Petroglyphs can be a slight challenge but all level so no hill to climb back up.

[Lindy]

By coincidence I happened to have stayed on Reef Bay just last month. We rented Virgin Sea Breeze...very nice place, although the layout had a few quirks. The master bath was outside across from the master bedroom, not enclosed. The two bedrooms in the guest villa shared a bathroom. Great for a family but might be difficult for couples looking for privacy. The outside areas, however, were outstanding so I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. I think the covered outdoor kitchen/dining area was probably the nicest of any villa we've rented so far. The pool wasn't overly large and felt cold, but it was December so that needs to be taken into consideration. The view from the hot tub area was breathtaking. We could hike down to Reef Bay from the villa by walking "around the corner" to the street below the villa and then there was a scramble down a somewhat steep and gravelly slope. There were ropes to hang onto but I wouldn't suggest it to anyone with bad knees or who didn't feel steady on their feet. The beach is gorgeous and very quiet, but no shade to speak of except the vegetation where the trail meets the beach. It was extremely windy the entire week we were there so the surf was too rough to attempt going in. There was one surfer in the water, but he got some cuts on his legs so it was rough even for a young guy in great shape. It's a fairly good walk to the Petroglyph trail and you would have to go around a rock outcrop by climbing over or going around in the water so not a straight shot. We never ventured around it due to the very rough surf and the fact that we're a little too old to do the rock scrambling, plus it was hot without any shade. Can't comment on the sunsets....every night as soon as it got dark, the winds cranked up to monsoon level and it poured like crazy. Too bad, would have liked to spend more time in those outside areas. Hope this helps.

[Coconuts]

Lindy: Yes, this is only a snorkel for days in which the southern seas are calm, and the trail down to the beach, while quite short, is pretty steep, with rope hand-holds. It was only when our landscaper remarked upon the calm southern seas around Fish and Reef bays during one of our visits, that we snorkeled there, as per my aforementioned post:

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... 21#p271555

All the best,

Kevin