Cinnamon Bay
Cinnamon Bay is a body of water and a beach on St. John island, within Virgin Islands National Park, in the United States Virgin Islands.
Geography
The bay is just east of Trunk Bay, and is about a mile west of Maho Bay beach. The shallow, clear water and the short distance to Cinnamon Cay (a small, low-elevation, sandy island) make Cinnamon Bay excellent for snorkeling. It is adjacent to the historic colonial Danish Cinnamon Bay Plantation, an open-air museum of the sugar production in the Danish West Indies.
Recreation
Camping in Virgin Islands National Park is permitted only at the Cinnamon Bay campground — no back-country or beach camping is allowed by the National Park Service.[1] The Cinnamon Bay campground is operated by a concessionaire. There are bare sites, tent-covered platforms and cottages available, along with a restaurant (T'ree Lizards) and a small camp store. Park Service programs are offered in a small amphitheatre (including campfire programs).[1] In addition, a wide range of weekly activities are available at the campground, such as trips to Lameshur Bay or Salt Pond Bay, the Reef Bay hike, snorkeling at the Trunk Bay underwater snorkeling trail, and cultural presentations at the Annaberg Plantation historical site. A waterfront shop rents snorkeling equipment, sea kayaks, sailboards and small sailboats, and provides lessons as well.[2] Volunteers are given the opportunity to participate in an archaeological dig on a pre-Columbian Taino ceremonial site.
Hiking opportunities are available on the Cinnamon Bay Nature Trail and the similarly named Cinnamon Bay Trail.[3] Not only wildlife, but also ruins left by the Danish settlers can be seen along the trails, including the ruins of the original Cinnamon Bay sugar mill directly across the road from the campground entrance.[4] Transportation to and from the port city of Cruz Bay is available by safari taxi for $7 per person.
See also
- Cinnamon Bay Plantation
- Virgin Islands National Park topics
- St. John island, United States Virgin Islands
References
- ^ a b National Park Service, Virgin Islands, Camping.
- ^ National Park Service, Virgin Islands, Places to Go.
- ^ Adkins, Leonard. The Caribbean: A Walking and Hiking Guide, page 52 (1999).
- ^ Sullivan, Lynne. Adventure Guide to the Virgin Islands, page 127 (2000).
External links
- Official Virgin Islands National Park website
- Cinnamon-bay.com: Cinnamon Bay Tourist Information
- Maho Bay Eco-Resort
- Botanical Villa — private campground and hostel near Cinnamon Bay.
