Cinnamon Bay

For anyone who enjoys camping, Cinnamon Bay Campground is a picture-perfect beachfront spot, where travelers can come together in a simple, undisturbed environment and enjoy the natural beauty of St. John. For just about anyone else, staying at Cinnamon is nothing short of a trip to hell, where it’s unbearably hot, the bugs eat you alive, and the communal showers are icy cold. This is not a place for first-time campers, nor is it place where budget travelers should stay if they are not prepared to live simply -- really simply. Guests arrive at Cinnamon much like they would at any other beach in St. John. It’s clearly marked, with a path leading directly to the shore. But unlike most other beaches on St. John, Cinnamon has a small reception area with a walk-up window and a convenience store. The walk-up window is where guests come to check in and the convenience store is where they can pick up necessities like snacks, sunscreen, ice, and a few toiletries. Guests range from families and school groups to retirees and young couples -- many of whom have been to Cinnamon several times before. 

Cinnamon Bay Campground holds the unique distinction of being one of the few accommodation options within the Virgin Islands National Park. It’s a secluded, beachfront spot that boasts untouched natural beauty and has little light pollution. However, Cinnamon Bay is a public beach, so guests of the campground have to share the sand with locals and daily visitors. Though Cinnamon is about a 12-minute drive from downtown Cruz Bay, it can be hard to reach, or leave, via taxi. Since taxis on St. John are communal, most look for groups of people to take to and from the area. If no one in Cruz Bay is headed in that direction, guests at Cinnamon are not likely to see any cabs passing the campground.    

There are three “room” types at Cinnamon: cabins, tents, and bare sites. Cabins have four(ish) walls and the most amenities of all three types. They are the most popular accommodation type at Cinnamon because they offer the most space and have minimal electricity (lights and a fan). Cabins consist of concrete slabs surrounded by two concrete walls and two screen walls with floor to ceiling curtains. Each contains four single beds with thin mattresses and white sheets. There’s a wooden tabled with four plastic chairs, and a wooden hutch that holds essentials like plates, bowls, cups, utensils, mugs, pots and pants, a water jug, and a few buckets. There’s also a large cooler for guests to use during their stay. Whether these items are clean to use upon arrival is debatable, as we found cabins to be pretty dusty and grimy. Outside there’s a concrete slab patio with a picnic table, a gas stove, and a charcoal grill that looks well past its prime. Most cabins are within a few feet of the beach (and one another), and prime locations are often booked more than a year in advance.  

Tents are rustic spaces with little room. They’re set on wooden platforms a few feet off the ground and can accommodate up to four people. Each tent is equipped with four cots, a cooler, and a large plastic storage bin. Outside there’s a picnic table, a gas stove and light, and a well worn grill. Tents are completely surrounded by dirt and trees, and some have incredible ocean views. Many guests complain that it is impossible to seal the tents completely, which means bugs and other little critters have easy access to your sleeping quarters.  

For those looking for a truly rustic experience, Cinnamon also has a number of bare sites, where guests can supply their own camping gear. Bare sites are equipped with picnic tables and grills. Anyone traveling with a large group can rent a group bare site or a group tent site, so be sure to specify your request when booking.   

Bathrooms are semi-outdoor, communal affairs at Cinnamon. They’re dingy, and not so private, but are plentiful throughout the property. There are no differences between cabin, tent, and bare site bathrooms -- all have outdoor shower stalls with negligible water pressure and cold water. Inside there are bathroom stalls and a few sinks. Bathrooms here not the best smelling places on earth, but they’re typically cleanish.      

As far as typical hotel amenities are concerned, Cinnamon Bay Campground doesn’t really have any. There’s no pool or air-conditioning, no tennis courts, or TVs, and you’d be lucky to pick up a cell signal anywhere on the property. It is possible to use slow Wi-Fi at the reception area, for a fee. But, the campground’s beach is one of the most beautiful on the island and there are plenty of national park hiking trails just steps from the campground’s entrance. Trails lead hikers through colonial-era sugar plantation ruins, which includes the graves of the former Danish land owners. The beach is large and attracts a lot of daytime visitors. Cinnamon Bay is known for great snorkeling, but it can get pretty windy in the afternoon. There’s an on-site water sports shop where guests can rent kayaks and windsurfing gear, as well as beach chairs and snorkel equipment.   

Cinnamon has an on-site convenience store where guests can purchase snacks, coffee, water, sunscreen, and even steaks or bacon. The store also sells camping essentials like charcoal, bug spray, and aluminum foil. The on-site restaurant, T'ree Lizards, serves mediocre breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in an open-air setting. It’s more of a plastic tables and chairs kind of place than a fine dining establishment, and some guests complain of glacially slow service. Both the restaurant and the convenience store seriously reduce their hours during the off season (May through November). There’s a free on-site parking lot reserved exclusively for guests, and anyone traveling with a lot of luggage can borrow the campground’s large metal carts to haul their stuff to and from their car. Cinnamon also has a small amphitheater where the national park hosts local performances.