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Is St John like other Caribbean islands that I have visited?
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Because the Virgin Islands National Park covers almost 2/3 of the island, St John is quite unique. It is a small, friendly, welcoming island that was blessed with tremendous natural beauty, and unlike other Caribbean islands, its beaches, mountains and waters remain unspoiled, largely undeveloped and stunningly peaceful and beautiful. |
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Can I rent a villa or condo on the beach?
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Villas, condos and hotels have not been allowed to be built on the National Park beaches, but not every beach on the island is included in the Park and we do offer a few homes on non-park beaches such as Calypso by the Sea and Rara Avis (go to the Villa Index for a complete listing of beachfront homes). We also offer some beautiful homes within an easy walk to the National Park beach at Reef Bay. Fortunately there are no condos on the beaches of St John. |
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How do I get to St John?
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Everyone arrives on St John by boat. A ferry leaves Red Hook, St Thomas every hour on the hour from 6 am to midnight, and another ferry leaves from Charlotte Amalia, St Thomas approximately every two hours from 9am to 5pm. |
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Do I need to rent a jeep?
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Almost all villa rentals require a vehicle and we strongly recommend a 4 wheel drive jeep or sport utility vehicle. Even though you can walk to Cruz Bay from Cruz Views or Gallows Point condos, we recommend a jeep rental. The best way to explore and discover the many delights of St John is in your own jeep. It's a lot of fun. |
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Is there much crime on St John?
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With only 3500 residents and a strong sense of community and island pride, St John keeps crime down to a bare minimum. As a result, St John is one of the Caribbean's safest and most preferred islands for renting a villa. The streets of Cruz Bay are completely safe to stroll in the day and evening, and the island's beaches and interior are very safe and exciting to explore. |
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Is there much nightlife on St John?
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The nightlife centers around the island's many interesting restaurants. Dining out is big on St John and you can choose from more than 35 restaurants in a wide range of tropical settings, prices and types of food. Live music, usually reggae, and dancing is available most nights of the week at the hotels and other nightspots. |
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What is a "villa"?
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The term "villa" has become a bit confusing. When we use the term villa we mean a privately owned, free standing vacation home that we rent and maintain on behalf of the owners, most of whom live in the USA. Our villas range in value from $600,000 to 7 million with an average value of 1.6 million. |
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What about renting directly from an owner?
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If the owner is on St John and promises 24 hour guest and maintenance service, that's one thing. But if the owner lives in the USA and has a friend or neighbor doing maintenance and guest services, you may be on your own. Owners also are usually renting only one home and they may try to rent it to you whether or not it's right for you. You're usually better off dealing with an experienced management company that is on St John, offers 24 hour guest and maintenance services, and has a wide variety of villas or condos to choose from. |
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Is there a minimum stay and do I have to rent Saturday to Saturday?
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There is a 7 day minimum for villas (we do make exceptions) and no minimum stay for condos. Usually, you can start and end on any day of the week. |
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Are daily maid service or meals provided?
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Except where noted, the prices in the villa index do not include daily maid service or meals. These services can be provided at an additional cost.
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