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St. Croix rental vehicles
St. Croix rental vehicles
How are the roads on St. Croix compared to St. John? We rented Jeeps in St. John last year and were glad to have them for the terrain. Are 4WD vehicles recommended for St. Croix or can we save a few bucks by renting cars?
Thanks,
Pam
Thanks,
Pam
Pam
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Agree - we rented a Ford Taurus our first trip and Ford Focus models subsequently. Never felt the need for 4WD, even on a couple of steeper villa driveways. If you will be doing some off-roading on the north shore near the Annaly Bay tide pools then maybe you would want a 4X4 but I'd just take a Tan Tan Tour and let them worry about the driving - those roads (paths) to the coast take a pretty experienced off-roader to get through.
After having a really bad experience with Budget at the airport our first trip and being bailed out by Centerline, we have rented from them each trip and will again this April. They are located off the airport property so you save the airport tax. They meet you in baggage claim (right by the welcome rum kiosk) and take you to their satellite office a few blocks down the airport road. You finish the paperwork in about five minutes, get your car and you're on your way. When you depart you just leave your car in the airport parking lot so there's no delay in returning the car.
After having a really bad experience with Budget at the airport our first trip and being bailed out by Centerline, we have rented from them each trip and will again this April. They are located off the airport property so you save the airport tax. They meet you in baggage claim (right by the welcome rum kiosk) and take you to their satellite office a few blocks down the airport road. You finish the paperwork in about five minutes, get your car and you're on your way. When you depart you just leave your car in the airport parking lot so there's no delay in returning the car.
Marti is just great – I love that she and her husband made a trip to St. Croix just for a vacation and decided right on the spot that was where they wanted to live and work.
I was up at Crucian Hacienda last April. I really liked the covered outdoor spaces and it's built in a very different style. It's a good location on the east end, above the Divi where there is a double deck at the end of the pier – we like to go there in the late afternoon for a drink and head out to the upper level to enjoy the view. It’s south shore so you have that open ocean view past the reef, and you can head around to the east to go west again on the East End Road (it forms kind of a loop out there at the narrow end of the island) for more beach and restaurant choices. Hacienda has a fabulous high view. I remember seeing some pictures of a wedding that was held up there and the villa just glowed with candles in the late afternoon – very serene. When we were there the east end was very dry but the view was still gorgeous - here are a couple of pix I took that day:
<img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127 ... 160015.jpg">
<img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127 ... 160016.jpg">
<img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127 ... 160017.jpg">
Also on the east end in that rental range but with the Buck Island view out over the reef is Amonoka - this is another good villa for a group – a beautiful lanai and open edge pool, an a/c media room, on and on. The owners have done a great job with it. There is a master w/dual baths and an outside shower, a new lower level apartment suite with its own balcony, and two additional bedroom suites. All of the bedrooms have sat tv and each bedroom opens out to the deck so it is another good villa for privacy. Everything is top end inside and out. When we toured it the owners were there (we were staying just below and they invited us up) and he was telling us about how this was a great villa to have in football season because of that a/c media room with the flat screen and rattan recliners – lol. I’d be out on the lanai, myself – lol. Amonoka is in Teague Bay so the view includes a long view out over the yacht club. When we were staying below we would enjoy watching the sailing class head out in late afternoons if we were at the villa. Just at the bottom of the hill where Amonoka is located is the restaurant Good Spirits; across the road is Duggan’s Reef on the Reef Beach for fresh caught Caribbean lobster. http://www.vacationstcroix.com/Amonoka/Amonoka.html
Lots of choices – let me know if I can answer any questions. We are under 40 days now and can’t wait to be back.
- Margy
I was up at Crucian Hacienda last April. I really liked the covered outdoor spaces and it's built in a very different style. It's a good location on the east end, above the Divi where there is a double deck at the end of the pier – we like to go there in the late afternoon for a drink and head out to the upper level to enjoy the view. It’s south shore so you have that open ocean view past the reef, and you can head around to the east to go west again on the East End Road (it forms kind of a loop out there at the narrow end of the island) for more beach and restaurant choices. Hacienda has a fabulous high view. I remember seeing some pictures of a wedding that was held up there and the villa just glowed with candles in the late afternoon – very serene. When we were there the east end was very dry but the view was still gorgeous - here are a couple of pix I took that day:
<img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127 ... 160015.jpg">
<img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127 ... 160016.jpg">
<img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127 ... 160017.jpg">
Also on the east end in that rental range but with the Buck Island view out over the reef is Amonoka - this is another good villa for a group – a beautiful lanai and open edge pool, an a/c media room, on and on. The owners have done a great job with it. There is a master w/dual baths and an outside shower, a new lower level apartment suite with its own balcony, and two additional bedroom suites. All of the bedrooms have sat tv and each bedroom opens out to the deck so it is another good villa for privacy. Everything is top end inside and out. When we toured it the owners were there (we were staying just below and they invited us up) and he was telling us about how this was a great villa to have in football season because of that a/c media room with the flat screen and rattan recliners – lol. I’d be out on the lanai, myself – lol. Amonoka is in Teague Bay so the view includes a long view out over the yacht club. When we were staying below we would enjoy watching the sailing class head out in late afternoons if we were at the villa. Just at the bottom of the hill where Amonoka is located is the restaurant Good Spirits; across the road is Duggan’s Reef on the Reef Beach for fresh caught Caribbean lobster. http://www.vacationstcroix.com/Amonoka/Amonoka.html
Lots of choices – let me know if I can answer any questions. We are under 40 days now and can’t wait to be back.
- Margy
There's a nice beach at the Divi at the bottom of Ridge Road (the road that goes north off South Shore Road and heads up to a smaller road to CH – Cirrus, I think). You can get to the eastern part of that beach without going through the Divi resort - there is a large opening to the east of Sugar Bird Rest Villa - if you go to the VSTX site and look at the villa map you will see it. Heading east, I'm not sure if the beach at the old Grapetree Resort is accessible - I heard that someone was working on reopening part of the property so it may well be. Heading further east, you can hook up with the East End Road heading east toward Point Udall; first there is Cramer's Park beach, then the trailhead to Jack's & Isaac's beaches. If you want to hike to J or I's then get good directions because the maps are kind of confusing.
Heading west on East End Road, there's Smuggler's Cove, The Reef Beach (where Duggan's Reef Restaurant is located), Coakley Beach, Chenay Bay, (pretty beach, restaurants/beach bar) Tamarind Reef at Green Cay (marina, restaurants, kayaking out to a small cay), then off the Buccaneer property there is Shoy’s Beach (calm and good snorkeling) and the three beaches at the Buc, one (Whistler) reached by heading over the golf course. These are all within 10-30 minutes from CH.
In C’Sted you can take the little launch out to the Hotel on the Cay and use the small beach and snorkel there, too.
West end beaches and Sandy Point which is open only on weekends (about a 45 minute drive). You can snorkel right off the pier in F’Sted. There are several beaches dotting the coast heading north from F;’Sted where there are beach bars,etc. For north side (Cane Bay, Davis Beach at Carambola), about 45 minutes as well. Cane Bay has a couple of fun beach bars (Off The Wall,Eat@Cane Bay,Rowdy Joe’s, Bogey’s.
There are a lot of choices. www.gotostcroix.com has a beach list that notes facilities, I think.
Heading west on East End Road, there's Smuggler's Cove, The Reef Beach (where Duggan's Reef Restaurant is located), Coakley Beach, Chenay Bay, (pretty beach, restaurants/beach bar) Tamarind Reef at Green Cay (marina, restaurants, kayaking out to a small cay), then off the Buccaneer property there is Shoy’s Beach (calm and good snorkeling) and the three beaches at the Buc, one (Whistler) reached by heading over the golf course. These are all within 10-30 minutes from CH.
In C’Sted you can take the little launch out to the Hotel on the Cay and use the small beach and snorkel there, too.
West end beaches and Sandy Point which is open only on weekends (about a 45 minute drive). You can snorkel right off the pier in F’Sted. There are several beaches dotting the coast heading north from F;’Sted where there are beach bars,etc. For north side (Cane Bay, Davis Beach at Carambola), about 45 minutes as well. Cane Bay has a couple of fun beach bars (Off The Wall,Eat@Cane Bay,Rowdy Joe’s, Bogey’s.
There are a lot of choices. www.gotostcroix.com has a beach list that notes facilities, I think.