Why Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is the place to go for beach activities and water sports. Besides
the regular swimming, sunning, snorkeling and picnicking, Cinnamon offers
windsurfing, kayaking, volleyball, and camping.
Getting There
Cinnamon Bay is 3.9 miles east of Mongoose Junction on Route 20. Park
in the parking lot and walk to the beach, which is about a quarter mile
away over a flat and shady paved track.
There is a regular taxi bus service to Cruz Bay for those without vehicles. (Call Neal or Ponche at Sprauve Taxi Service for schedules at 776-6140.)
Facilities
Cinnamon Bay is operated as a campground and offers facilities designed
to support the campers staying there. These facilities are also available
to the public. They include a small general store carrying basic provisions,
the T'ree Lizards restaurant, a snack bar, lockers, restrooms, changing
rooms, showers, telephones, picnic tables and barbeque grills.
An activities desk offers snorkel trips, SCUBA, snorkel and windsurfing lessons, day sails, cocktail cruises and National Park activities such as the Reef Bay Hike and the Water's Edge Walk.
Entrances to the Cinnamon Bay Loop Trail and the Cinnamon Bay Trail are located across the road from the main parking lot.
At the end of the road to the beach on your left (west), you will find Cinnamon Bay Watersports where you can rent sea and surfing kayaks, beach floats, windsurfers and sailboats. Cinnamon Bay Watersports also offers windsurfing and sailing lessons.
On the east side of the track is an old historic Danish building, which houses the temporary archeological museum in the western part of the building and the Beach Shop on the eastern side, which offers swimsuits, toys, souvenirs, snacks and drinks as well as snorkeling equipment and beach chair rentals.
The temporary museum features Taino and plantation day artifacts found at the Cinnamon Bay Archeological Dig. The excavation site is just east of the museum on the inland side of the dirt track.
Snorkeling Cinnamon Bay
Beginning snorkelers can explore the area around the rocks at the eastern
end of the beach or between Cinnamon and Little Cinnamon Bay. The entrance
into the water is easy and there are a fair amount of fish and sea creatures
to be observed.
Going a little further out, there is very good snorkeling around Cinnamon Cay, the little island just offshore from the beach.
For advanced "Off the Beaten Track" snorkeling click here.
Windsurfing
Cinnamon Bay offers the best windsurfing on St. John. The winds are
relatively calm near shore, which is good for beginners. As you go offshore,
however, more advanced windsurfers will find strong, steady winds, but
without the waves that are usually associated with forceful wind conditions.
Surfing
Cinnamon is the only beach on St. John where surfers and experienced
boogie boarders can take advantage of the north swell that comes in
the winter.
Volleyball
On Sundays, locals organize pick-up volleyball games beginning at about
11:00 A.M.
Little
Cinnamon
Want some seclusion? Try Little Cinnamon Bay.
Getting There
When you get to the beach at Cinnamon Bay go left (west) and walk to
the end of the sand where you will pick up a narrow trail that leads
through the bush along the shoreline and over a section of rocks, before
emerging at the beach at Little Cinnamon.
The trail at the center of the beach leads to a National Park Service controlled house and is off limits to the public.
Snorkeling Little Cinnamon
At Little Cinnamon, snorkelers may find the remains of an old Cessna
aircraft that crashed and sank years ago. The propeller, the engine
and one of the wings are visible most of the year. The wreck is in shallow
water and can be found by snorkeling out from the eastern portion of
the beach between the old stone wall and the first set of coconut palms.
See also "History of Cinnamon Bay"