USVI-On-Line

Hi, experts!

We will only have a short 2 1/2 day stay on St. John later this April. (Unfortunately or fortunately, we have fallen in love with Guavaberry Spring Bay on Virgin Gorda and still aren't ready to give up a full week there, yet.)

But, we are happy to be squeezing in a 3 night stay at Estate Lindholm, as well. WooHoo! Can't wait for a return visit there.

We KNOW we will hit our normal haunts - Trunk Bay, Cinnamon and Francis. We are intrigued by all of the posts re: Lameshur. We will have a Jeep - so, we should be able to drive out there no problem.

Could/would you please let us know specifically WHERE to find it? Also, how is the entry into the water? Is it rocky or is it sandy - like Francis? Can you be specific about where it is best to enter the water from?

We are not that keen on having to cross/walk on rocks, etc, to get to the water. We actually stopped at one of the Haulover's on one of our last trips and never entered the water, as we just couldn't find a safe enough entry for us.

Any and all advice would be greatly welcomed! Also, any other snorkeling suggestions would be great!

YIPPEE - I get to see our ticker, again!!

Drive to the end of the road. The gravel part is short, then you go straight up and staight down, then back on a dirt road. Drive past the mangrove swamp. Keep going. You'll pass the first beach - Lameshur. Keep going. Park on the left of Little Lameshur. Snorkle to the left, or out to the rocks on the right. It's all good.

Protected bay with sandy beach. No problems with the entry.

just in case-- drive out to coral bay then turn onto 107 so you are headed towards shipwreck-- salt pond bay-- drive as Chet says-- you will see a sign for the yawzi point trail on the left a bit after you pass big lameshur (the rocky beach) -- little lameshur is a sandy beach just after that-- it's lovely.

It's rockier than Maho or Cinnamon, but not like Haulover. There's a little more of a drop off/tideline kinda thing going on there. I had to help a lady up, on our last trip. She was a little bitty thing maybe in her 70s and she was getting knocked all over the place by each wave. They weren't big waves, but there's a bit of a drop right where the water starts. I don't recall any urchins.

There are some pretty ruins and good photo ops over your right shoulder, if you're looking out at the water. You can walk up there. There are also picnic tables and a flat, easy walk to the water. It's one of our favorites

Head for Salt Pond Bay and just keep going...the road ends at the entrance leading to Lameshur. Don't go on a day after heavy rains because there can be some humongous puddles on the road in low spots and you WILL wonder if you're going to make it thru in some spots even if it's dry. There are also LOTS of no-see-ums there if its a drizzly day or if you sit close to the vegetation - take bug spray. The beach is sandy and easy to enter. You'll know you're at Little Lameshur because there will be a parking area, toilets and picnic tables near the beach. There are some huge rocks in the middle of the bay that can be rather interesting. The first time we were there they were surrounded by dozens of conchs, the second time not much - but the weather wasn't the best that day. The are also some ruins to explore close to the beach. Have fun!

Thank you all for the great tips!

It sounds wonderful and you had us at "photo op"!

Will be nice to get some shots of something "new" - meaning the "old ruins".

Always love the "first hand" advice that fellow forumites always provide. You guys are the best.

So is Little Lameshur a good beach for kids to play in the water?

In other words, if parent 1 (namely me) wants to snorkle while parent 2 (namely wife) and son, age 8, want to hang out on the beach and in the water, is it a good enough place to do so?

Thanks!

tochin wrote:So is Little Lameshur a good beach for kids to play in the water?

In other words, if parent 1 (namely me) wants to snorkle while parent 2 (namely wife) and son, age 8, want to hang out on the beach and in the water, is it a good enough place to do so?

Thanks!

I think so. We were there with our 6yo last month.

Some of the areas have a wide band of large, smooth, rather slippery rocks. It reminded me of swimming in NE lakes and rivers, not sharp rocks, just lots of rolling smooth rocks.

We settled in and unpacked in one of these areas, all the way to the left when facing the water. My memory is the center of the beach had a sandy entry.

Similar to mindehankin's experience, we saw several older people having trouble getting out of the water (no waves) simply because the rocks made for unstable footing. This always seems to happen in front of us and my husband is the designated helper.

Our son enjoyed diving for interesting rocks and there is plenty of sandy area between the water and veg line for little kids to play.

Hi - Well, this is my 2nd attempt at this. For some reason, my first reply would not post. These are all interesting responses, but I'm a little surprised that no one has addressed the pretty massive coral damage at Little Lameshur. We were down 2/25-3/3 and hit the little bay because we had missed it last May. Plain and simple, this is one very damaged bay, the result, i assume, of both bleaching and disease, both of which damaged many of St. john's bays - Jumbie also comes to mind - in the last decade or so. Both the rocks to the left side of the bay and those out in the middle are quite barren, and what little coral is visible is struggling to come back. It's still a real nice beach for hanging out and swimming, and it's definitely kid-friendly, but you are likely to be disappointed with snorkeling. Having said this, I should note the we did walk out Yawzi Point trail, and the little cobblestone beach off the spur about half way out - facing Great Lameshur - looked promising, but the water was pretty choppy, so we didn't venture in. It's also worth noting that you just never know what might turn up - I remember being in Jumbie a few years ago, and although the coral was pretty beat up, I was still able to play with an octopus for about five minutes in and around the rocks to the right side. If you're going to be on the east end anyway, I think Haulover might be fun for you. I know almost everyone raves about the north side, but I'd like to put in a good word for the South side - it's a real beach, not cobblestone, the entry is easier, and while you have to swim out a ways to hit the "good stuff," we have always seen neat and plentiful fish and corals in this bay - nice big heads rising up on the right side. And rays in the shallows. Well...that's my 2 cents on this topic. Have fun wherever you decide to go!!

Smilin Jack is mostly right about the coral at LL, but I would only add that there is very good coral and fish life if you snorkel WAY out to and slightly around the points at each end of the bay. Mind you, it's a long snorkel, and on the way there on either side, there's not a lot of coral, and some of it is struggling to come back. But around the points of the bay, on either side, there are some long, deep valleys, lots of coral, many fish and lots to look at. Last year we went all the way out on the right side (previous years we'd always gone to the left - Yawzi point area) and around the point into Europa Bay. Great stuff. We'll do it again this year.
We love Little Lameshur.
Note: Last year we saw 2 Lionfish on the left side at LL.