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Finding Denis Bay Beach, St. John

 It was a Sunday and we had taken the car ferry over from St. Thomas for the day. Our mission? Well, we’d love to experience every single one of St. Johns beaches, so part of it was to find a few beaches that we hadn’t yet seen and the other was to find a beach to veg.

Gibney and Oppenheimer beaches were on our list, as the few parking spots for them have been full every time we’ve driven by. This time there were open parking spots, but there was a sign on the gate that said “Closed for a private event”. Sigh…still on the list. (Find Gibney Beach on our St. John Map)

Next stop? Peace Hill. We continued just a little farther on North Shore Road to the Peace Hill sign and a small parking area.

Peace Hil copyright Rum Therapy
We’d taken the short path Peace Hill and the sugar mill ruins before, and loved the terrific overlook of Gibney Beach, sigh, Hawksnest Bay, and Trunk Bay, but didn’t realize that a small unmarked path off to the right led to the rather secluded Denis Bay Beach until we got home and studied our map (I got low grades on my pre-trip research for that particular trip!). Anyway, we were here now and determined to find Denis.

Denis Bay Path copyright Rum Therapy
The path to Denis is a bit rocky and muddy after a rain storm and probably best done in sturdy shoes, but we of course were wearing flip flops. It had poured for a few short minutes prior to our arrival and so we slipped and slid down the trail but arrived with lower digits intact. The wooded trail opened up to beach at the end, where we ditched the flip flops and walked to the right, where the beach looked sandiest.

Denis-Bay copyright Rum Therapy
The beach is not large compared to neighboring Hawksnest and Trunk Bays, but it was deserted and the only person we saw was a lone fisherman on a rocky outcropping a few yards from shore in the bay.

Denis-Bay-copyright Rum Therapy
I imagine the beach is usually pretty quiet as it takes a little effort to get there, but we thought it was worth it. Denis Bay Beach found and we’ll be putting a check mark in front of one more beautiful St. John beach.

Have you been to Denis Bay Beach? Tell us about it!

Find Denis Bay on our St. John Map

To see more St. John and other island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

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Exploring The Baths, Virgin Gorda

What’s it like to hike the trail through The Baths on Virgin Gorda?

A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to take another great hike through the boulders of The Baths to Devils Bay in Virgin Gorda. It was our 4th time to experience this amazing area and although there had been some changes made since our last visit, it was just as intriguing and awe-inspiring as ever.

Beach access has been limited to dinghy’s – which I’m sure is due to the large amount of people wanting to access the trail from their boats. If you are unable to swim about 50 yds from the roped off area where they’d like dinghy’s to drop boaters off, they are recommending that you go ashore at Spanish Town and take a taxi over.

We thought we’d just add a few new pics to the post we did of our last visit (The Baths), but we took a lot more pictures this time of the actual hike through the boulders from The Baths to Devil’s Bay, so we thought we’d write a new post and highlight what it’s like to hike the trail.

It was high season and we knew The Baths would be packed from about 10 – 3, so we showed up at about 3:30. Our dinghy dropped us off at the ropes and we swam to shore – electing not to take towels or even shoes because of the swim in. Previously we wore water shoes and I’d recommend them if you’ve got sensitive feet.

The initial entrance is but a small opening between two large rocks. Once through it opens up to a trail. Look for small cairns (rock piles) marking the trail as you go.

Not too far from the start you come across The Cathedral – one of the most photographed areas of The Baths. It looks different every time you visit depending on the light and the tide.

There’s another cool area to explore around every corner.

Make your way over the boulders and through the pools with the assist of wooden ladders and platforms along the way.

Once you get to this directional sign, you’re almost to Devil’s Bay.

You’re rewarded at the end of the trail with the sights of beautiful Devils’ Bay. Be sure to leave enough time to enjoy the clear, blue water before making your way back – or up to The Top of The Baths for a well deserved beverage!

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory


copyright©Rum Therapy 
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.