Coral Bay

Coral Bay sits at the far end of St John from the ferry, round a deep sheltered anchorage full of moored yachts, and it is the island's other half: no resorts, a handful of bars and shops, goats on the road and a resident community that has been here for decades. Beyond it the road runs east past a string of small bays that hold the best shore snorkelling on the island, Salt Pond and Lameshur among them, where turtles graze the seagrass and rays cross the sand, and where you are likely to be sharing the water with very few people. The Salt Pond Bay trail continues to Ram Head, a dry cactus-covered headland with a drop to the sea and a view along the whole south coast.

The landscape

• Salt Pond Bay - shore snorkelling over seagrass with turtles and rays.
• Ram Head - the cactus headland walk with the south coast view.
• The anchorage - yachts moored in the sheltered bay below the village.
• Lameshur Bay - the quieter bay further along the rough road.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. The east end is quiet year-round and far calmer than the north shore even in high season. Mornings have the clearest water for snorkelling, before the afternoon breeze.

Before you go

The road east from Cruz Bay is steep, winding and in places rough, and the last stretch to Lameshur needs a high-clearance vehicle; driving is on the left in a territory where cars are American left-hand-drive, which catches everyone out. Services are minimal, so bring water and food. Hurricane damage from 2017 is still visible in places.

Nearby

Cruz Bay and the north shore beaches are half an hour west; the British Virgin Islands are visible offshore.

Key facts