Beaches · East End

Coakley Bay Beach

Coakley Bay's defining trade-off shows up before you even reach the sand. The turnoff is a dirt road running past the fence line of a private estate and the neighboring Coakley Bay Condominiums, and longtime visitors leaving comments on VInow's own guide are blunt that the road itself is rough enough to keep an otherwise-worthwhile beach off many people's lists — a state of neglect several note comes from the road serving a residential community as much as a public beach. What's waiting at the end is a long, quiet stretch of white sand with a clear view out to Buck Island, part of the same protected reef system as the St. Croix East End Marine Park. The water carries real sea grass and rocky, urchin-strewn patches, so reviewers consistently recommend water shoes, but the payoff is decent, uncrowded snorkeling and a beach that stays sparsely populated even in season — locals mention kitesurfers using the wind here on the right day, and a local tour operator occasionally runs a beach barbecue as the only regular crowd it sees. Shade comes from sea grape trees rather than palms, and there are no facilities of any kind, so this is a bring-everything stop for travelers willing to trade a rough approach for a beach that rarely fills up.