WSJ activities with kids

We just reserved WSJ for 11 nights using SOs.
Beginning June 7th in a 2 bedroom. We have 10 year old twin daughters.

Besides the beach and pool, what other outdoor activities are available / recommended for kids our age? We like outdoors and exploring.

How are the organized activities for kids & family at WSJ?
Any comments, experience & recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

We plan on renting a jeep, (have been reading up on the separate threads related to renting in St. Thomas / St. John).

Thanks for any details / comments.
Anthony

We enjoyed the various beaches that are within a few minutes drive from WSJ. They all had clear, relatively calm waters. It was fun to go to each different beach to explore and learn what was there. One of them (Cinnamon Bay) has the ruins of an old plantation across the street from it, and you can hike a loop trail in maybe a half hour or so. The beach at the resort is not all that nice, but they do have kayaks and other water activity craft that you can use for free.

We would pack a lunch and drinks and head out to the other beaches, and plan a hike or some other activities. In the end, we preferred to stay at one beach each day, instead of packing and moving. That is a matter of choice, though. The beaches are only a few minutes by car from each other. The first day, you might want to go to all of them to see which one you like best.

We also enjoyed the Reef Bay Hike. It is all downhill, and should be OK for your 10 year olds if they enjoy hiking and exploring. You might want to explore the web site for other activities. The island is 2/3rds national park.

The Baths at Virgin Gorda were pretty nice. We've been twice. Baths refers to Batholiths, the giant rocks you see in the pictures. It is a lot of fun to walk between them in what feels like a giant cave.This is a pricier excursion, and all participants need a passport, since Virgin Gorda is in the British Virgin Islands. As a matter of fact, many nice beaches are in BVI and require a passport.

I've also seen a few recommendations for boats that take you around St. John. Those sound like fun, but I've never tried them. They are listed on one of the St. John threads on this forum.

Henry

Use some care here...

emuyshondt said:

We enjoyed the various beaches that are within a few minutes drive from WSJ. They all had clear, relatively calm waters. <snip>

Henry

Click to expand...

Well, that depends on the direction and strength of the winds...and clarity possibly on whether there have been any heavy rains lately. Be sure to check all that out.

If the winds are uppity from the north or NE, you will find calmer waters on the south shore bays.

If the winds are calm or from the S/SE, the north shore should be good. Less experienced swimmers/snorkelers might do well then to start with Hawksnest Bay or Maho Bay...or Honeymoon Bay. Or you can go to Trunk and watch all the tourists who come over from St Thomas (check the internet for cruise ship arrivals there if a load of tourists is of concern.)

I've heard that the Kids Club is very good at WSJ, but I have no first-hand experience. I will tell you that a lot of guests are wealthy East Coasters, and if you can make a New Yorker happy, you can make anyone happy.

Definitely consider taking the Reef Bay Hike presented by the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park.

http://www.friendsvinp.org/news-a-events/27-event-calender

If you can swing it, consider booking a charter, such as Lion in Da Sun. You can usually choose your own itinerary or let the captain decide.

I have not done this yet, but I plan to do it in January: Pack a lunch and renting a dinghy for the day. Explore one of the beaches or islands only accessible via water. They offer dinghy rentals at WSJ, I believe, but I'll probably rent through Cruz Bay Watersports.

Consider a kayaking and hiking combination via Virgin Islands EcoTours.

Another option is Snuba.

Consider Island Roots trip around St John with Capt. Jason (check out Trip Advisor...) - best trip we have done. I hear he is great with kids with helping them snorkel. I suggest to get the kids being comfortable in the ocean with snorkeling - St John is very calm in mid-June (for the most part) - hot and humid - so if hiking be prepared. Hike out to Nags Head - out of Salt Pond - see blue cobblestone beach on way. Relatively short distance - but bring lots of water. Very hot - with many interesting cacti.

I second David's comment about Island Roots. We did a Caves / Pirate's Bite / Sandy Spit / White Bay all day charter with a 9 and 6 year old. Captain Jason was awesome with kids...even with a sea sick kid.

We've done a ton of charters over the years and were super impressed. The boat (fast and clean), the all-in pricing, and the skipper all get my highest possible endorsement.