Cinnamon Bay.
The longest beach on St. John.
Over half a mile of sand, a full watersports concession, a beach bar, and the ruins of an 18th-century sugar plantation just behind the beach.
What makes Cinnamon Bay special
Cinnamon Bay is the longest beach on St. John — over half a mile of continuous sand stretching along the North Shore. It's where guests come for an all-day beach experience: kayaking in the morning, lunch at the beach bar, snorkeling after, then a walk through plantation ruins as the day cools off.
What sets Cinnamon Bay apart is its watersports concession — the most comprehensive on the island. You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, snorkel gear, and even sailboats. Cinnamon Cay, a small offshore island, is paddleable from the beach and has excellent snorkeling around its perimeter.
Behind the beach are the Cinnamon Bay Plantation ruins — the remains of an 18th-century Danish sugar plantation including the great house, factory, and mill. A self-guided interpretive trail runs through the ruins with signage explaining the colonial sugar industry and the lives of the enslaved Africans who worked the plantation. It takes 30-45 minutes to walk.
Cinnamon Bay is also the only beach on St. John where you can camp. The campground operates an extensive list of tents and small glamping structures right behind the beach \u2014 a unique way to spend a night or more on St. John without renting a villa. Reservations are essential in high season.
What to bring to Cinnamon Bay
✓ Available on-site
🎒 Worth bringing from your villa
Activities at Cinnamon Bay
Kayaking and paddleboarding. The on-site concession rents both. Paddle to Cinnamon Cay (the small offshore island) for a snorkeling stop. Calm water in the bay makes it beginner-friendly.
Snorkeling. Around Cinnamon Cay's perimeter is the best snorkeling in the immediate area — coral heads, reef fish, occasional rays. The rocky points on either end of Cinnamon Bay also have snorkelable reef.
Plantation ruins walk. A 30-45 minute self-guided interpretive walk through 18th-century Danish sugar plantation ruins behind the beach. Excellent for history-curious guests and a break from the sand.
Beach bar lunch. On-site beach bar serves food and drinks throughout the day — sandwiches, salads, frozen cocktails, beer. Saves the trip back to Cruz Bay for lunch.
Long beach walks. Half a mile of continuous sand is rare in the Caribbean. Walk the full length at sunrise or sunset for the quietest version of the beach.
Camping & glamping. Cinnamon Bay is the only St. John beach with on-site camping. Choose between traditional tents and small glamping structures — a memorable, low-cost way to wake up on a National Park beach. Book well in advance, especially in winter.
Park fees and parking
Park rules: No amplified music is allowed on any Virgin Islands National Park beach. Reef-safe sunscreen is required (chemical SPF banned in USVI). Federally protected wildlife (sea turtles, rays, nurse sharks) cannot be touched, fed, or chased — stay at least 10 feet away.
No National Park entry fee at Cinnamon Bay. The watersports rentals and concession have their own pricing posted on-site.
Parking is in a dedicated lot at the beach entrance. It fills less aggressively than Trunk Bay's lot but is still close to full by midday in high season.
Shuttle advantage: Skip the parking question entirely. We drop you at the beach entrance and pick you up at a scheduled time.
Skip the parking lot
Book a shuttle seat to Cinnamon Bay — from select Cruz Bay hotels or the ferry dock (villa pickups via private taxi). $11 per person from Cruz Bay.
FAQ — Cinnamon Bay
The on-site concession rents kayaks, paddleboards, snorkel gear, and sailboats. Lessons are available for paddleboarding and basic sailing. Rentals are by the hour or day. Pricing is posted at the concession.
Yes — the Cinnamon Bay Plantation ruins behind the beach have a self-guided interpretive trail that takes 30-45 minutes to walk. National Park Service signage explains the 18th-century Danish sugar plantation history and the lives of the enslaved Africans who worked it. Free, no booking required.
Not currently. The Cinnamon Bay campground operated by the National Park Service was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The beach itself, watersports concession, and beach bar are all operational. Campground reconstruction has been planned but has not been completed.
Over half a mile of continuous sand — the longest beach on St. John. The wide flat beach can absorb a lot of visitors without feeling crowded, especially the ends of the beach away from the concession.
Around Cinnamon Cay, the small offshore island. Paddle or swim out — about a 5-minute paddle from the beach. The reef around the cay perimeter has the best fish and coral. The rocky points at either end of the main beach also have decent snorkeling closer to shore.
Confirm your return pickup time with the driver in person, before they drop you off. Cell service at most St. John beaches is unreliable — you cannot count on calling or texting from the sand. Your pickup time is saved on the ticket you received when you booked; take a screenshot of it before you leave Cruz Bay. At drop-off, verbally confirm the pickup time and exact pickup location with the driver, and your driver will return at that time.