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Taking a vacation to St. John USVI and looking for a fun beach with gentle waters? If so, then Maho Bay Beach is calling your name. The easternmost beach on St. John’s North Shore Road, Maho delivers pristine white sand, hardly any waves, and fantastic amenities.
Even though all the beaches on North Shore Road are basically perfect, Maho stands out from the rest. This protected bay keeps its waters exceptionally calm year-round – a dream for paddling! Additionally, after Hurricane Irma, Maho experienced new developments that have majorly increased its popularity.
Below I am diving deep into all that Maho Bay Beach has to offer and how to best enjoy your day. I’m also providing tips and insights based on my own experiences to keep your beach day smooth sailing.
What to Know About St. John’s Maho Bay Beach
Things to Know
- Reachable in a twenty-minute drive from the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock via North Shore Road. There is a small parking lot across from the east end of the beach. You’ll also see plenty of roadside parking, and this is a regular taxi stop.
- Amenities were once just a rough bathroom on the western side of the beach. Now, you can visit Maho Crossroads across the street for food and shopping and Reef2Peak for beach rentals. Both cash and credit card are accepted.
- There is no entry fee to visit Maho Bay Beach.
- Be sure to bring reef-safe sunscreen. All other varieties have been outlawed to prevent further damage to the coral reefs in Virgin Islands National Park. You can purchase this on-island at many shops, including grocery stores.
- Snorkeling is a fun way to find sea turtles at Maho Bay, but please do not touch them.
- Have deep woods bug spray on hand in case the beach is buggy. I was attacked by no-see-ums during a late November visit!
The Scenery
Maho Bay is one of the dreamiest beaches on St. John. The water reflects countless shades of blue and turquoise, which are best appreciated from above at the Maho Bay Overlook. You can (and should) pull off North Shore Road to grab a photo at this roadside spot.
Once at the beach, if you look out to sea, you’ll see many boats docked at Maho Bay. You’ll also notice the occasional charter boat dropping off a group of snorkelers.
Turn to your left to see the big, lush green hill of America Point closing off the bay on the western end. If you look close enough, you may be able to see the pink ruins atop the America Hill Trail. I highly recommend this uphill hike if you have time during your trip – the views are totally worth the effort!
Now turn to your right to see the smaller, rocky hillside of Maho Point covered with scruffy greenery. The water near the rocks on this side of the beach is a popular area for snorkelers. Beyond this hill are a couple more beaches extending towards Mary Point in the distance, including equally lovely (but less shady) Francis Bay.
Maho Bay Beach is a bit narrow. On the rare day when the water has a lot of swell, there might be hardly any beach to speak of!
This occurred when we visited during an exceptionally rainy week in mid-November. After a hard rain, the water also has the tendency to look a bit brownish from runoff instead of its typical bright jewel tones.
The Current State of Maho Bay Beach
It’s been over seven years now since Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit St. John in September 2017. However, just in case you haven’t visited the island since before that time, know that Maho has changed. This once low-key, peaceful beach has run amuck with commercialism, and is probably the most unrecognizable St. John beach since the hurricanes hit.
Long story short: the hurricanes destroyed the forested land behind Maho, which is privately owned and zoned for commercial development, rather than part of Virgin Islands National Park. It was sold in late 2018, and by the end of 2019 a new “eco-friendly” eating and shopping area, Maho Crossroads, was up and running.
Today’s Maho is one of the busiest beaches on the island and is now a place where people walk around with drinks in koozies and Solo cups.
I mean, it’s popular for a reason. Visitors love that they can visit a food stall at Maho Crossroads for lunch or rent a kayak from Reef2Peak. Maho Crossroads has even been voted #1 Beach Bar in the Caribbean for two years in a row now.
Maho Bay Beach is still amazing, but if you want a similar vibe to what old Maho was, I recommend giving Francis Bay a try. It too has calm waters and sea turtles, but lacks shade. I recommend bringing a portable beach tent to avoid getting blasted by the afternoon sun.
Parking at Maho Bay
Maho Bay is one of the busiest beaches on St. John, so finding a parking spot can be tricky. I recommend arriving by 10am during high season (December through April) to most easily find a space.
That said, there is ample parking around Maho Bay, with a small lot and street parking. Just be careful when crossing the road (and please don’t be one of those people strolling and holding up traffic in the middle of the street). There are speed bumps to slow traffic in this high pedestrian area, but drivers don’t always look.
If you arrive around noon or later, you may still be able to find a spot during busy times, as some earlier beachgoers will be leaving for lunch. Of course, if you take a taxi from Cruz Bay you will not have to think about parking at all!
Avoiding St. John’s Crowds at Maho Bay
As mentioned above, Maho Bay Beach is very popular. It is very difficult to avoid crowds, unless you are willing to arrive first thing in the morning. Even late afternoons can be surprisingly busy.
That said, if you plan to visit during peak times, there is still a way to escape the masses. Simply get out on the water!
Either bring your own snorkel gear, or head across the street to Reef2Peak for snorkel, kayak, or stand-up paddle board rentals. One of the perks of Maho Bay is that the beach is right along the road, which makes accessing the shops very easy.
Best Things to do at Maho Bay Beach
Besides chilling by the water, there are a few unique St. John experiences to have at Maho Bay Beach. Here’s how you can make the most of your day.
Rent a Kayak or SUP
Get on the water by renting a kayak (click here for single-person kayak rentals and here for a two-person kayak) or stand-up paddle board from Reef2Peak. This little outdoor stand is located right across the street from Maho Beach, which makes lugging a kayak to the water pretty easy.
Once you embark, feel free to explore all the calm water stretching from America Point to Mary Point. There are even a couple small beaches you could visit before reaching Francis Bay, including Little Maho and Baby Maho. If you get lucky, you might even witness a sea turtle surfacing.
Snorkel to Find Sea Turtles
One of the most famous draws of Maho Bay is the chance to see the sea turtles that feed on the bay’s seagrass. Snorkeling in these waters practically guarantees that you’ll see at least one of these little guys.
You can find sea turtles all around the waters of this beach and may not even have to swim out that far. For example, I once spotted a turtle within five minutes of entering the water.
Enjoy these sightings, but keep a respectful distance and do not touch the turtles. It causes them stress and can negatively impact their health, not to mention it’s illegal.
Visit Maho Crossroads
Walking a short ways west from Reef 2 Peak, you’ll run right into Maho Crossroads. It’s a small, outdoorsy collection of shops and food trucks, which are meant to have a minimal environmental footprint. There is also a little “beach club” area with lounge seating and games like cornhole.
Maho Crossroads appears to have been both a blessing and a curse to Maho Bay. The good thing is that there are many great amenities for guests to enjoy, like a “Paddle-in” Tiki Bar and a food truck. It’s now even possible to rehydrate by ordering an entire coconut to drink from.
However, it’s also brought in more crowds than ever, and has substantially changed this beach. While I enjoyed the painkiller I ordered from the Tiki Bar, I was not willing to wait forty-five minutes in line for a mahi sandwich. Maybe next time I’ll try to make it before the noon rush.
Watch the Sunset
I’ve been visiting Maho Bay for more than twelve years, and it took me until just recently to realize that this beach has a gorgeous sunset view. Coming from Coral Bay, we like to take North Shore Road into Cruz Bay for dinner, and it is simply a delight to see the beaches during golden hour. This experience would be even more spectacular during some evening paddle boarding.
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Now you are fully prepared for a fun-filled day at Maho Bay Beach on St. John USVI. This beach’s water truly has some of the most spectacular blue and green hues in the Caribbean. Whether you enjoy this beauty from your chair while sipping a drink or by getting on the water, you really can’t go wrong!
Cost
There is no cost to visit or park at Maho Bay Beach. Trunk Bay Beach is the only beach on St. John with an entry fee.
Visiting on a Thursday in March from St Thomas but we will have a jeep. We are taking the 6:30am Big Red Barge Ferry over and plan to try to get to Maho Bay early enough to get a good parking spot.
However our issue is we want to still eat breakfast near Maho Bay. Is there a place where if you park at Maho Bay you can walk to for breakfast?
Also what time on a week day will the parking lot get packed at?
If you arrive to Maho by 10am, you should be good with parking. There aren’t great walkable breakfast options at Maho Beach, but I recommend taking a five-minute drive up to Colombo’s Smoothies (just keep following N Shore Road past Maho and curve right up the hill). They open at 8am and serve breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, coffee, and smoothie bowls and have a really pretty view.
It saddens me to read about the current state of Maho Bay. I lived in the VI from 2000-2009. Maho was always my favorite beach because of the solitude.
Yea, unfortunately it has completely changed post-hurricanes Irma and Maria. It’s now one of the busiest beaches.