Livin' the Dream in STJ: Walk to Leinster Bay

We went for a walk to Leinster Bay late in the afternoon the other day. For those who are unfamiliar with this area … Leinster Bay actually includes two inner bays, Mary Creek on the west and Waterlemon Bay on the east. You have to park the car at the far west end and walk about a mile and a half to Waterlemon. Just offshore of the trail is a small island, Waterlemon Cay, (not Watermelon) providing what most visitors describe as the "best snorkeling on St. John." Although Sally has never been disappointed snorkeling around Waterlemon this trip was just for the hike. As you can see from the pictures below, the trail is well maintained and comfortable (this is in contrast to the rough trail and water covered rocks we had to navigate in the past). After you get there you can explore the ruins of the Leinster Bay Plantation behind the beach. If you continue up the hill you can arrive at the ruins of a Danish guardhouse. This small fortification was built on this strategic location, called Leinster Point, because it overlooked two critical passages, the Fungi Passage, between Whistling Cay and Mary Point, and the Narrows, which separate Great Thatch and St. John. The guardhouse was equipped with cannons and manned by 16 soldiers. We were very surprised that the bay was packed with boats on moorings and the beach (which used to be deserted) was also crowded. Even so, we had a very enjoyable hike this afternoon.