--- title: "Caneel Bay Resort, St. John: Still Closed, Beach Open · Virgin Islands Villas" url: https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches/caneel description: "Caneel Bay Resort on St. John is still closed in October 2026. Caneel Beach is open and free, 7 minutes by car from Cruz Bay, with a lot that locks at 5 pm." updated: 2026-10-16 source: https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches/caneel --- [St. John](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john) · [Beaches](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches) · North Shore · Virgin Islands National Park # Caneel Bay Caneel Bay Resort on St. John has been closed since the September 2017 hurricanes. As of October 2026 nothing is rebuilt, and Caneel Beach in front of it is open and free, 7 minutes by car from Cruz Bay; the National Park Service opened it by land on Aug 1, 2024. Below: what is open and where the lease stands. **Conditions:** Shallow at the edge and sheltered from the easterly swell, with the reef along the sides of the bay. A marked boat channel runs into Caneel. As of October 2026 the pier is closed as unsafe, and the old resort grounds beyond the public path are closed for safety (National Park Service). *A bay on St. John's north shore from the road overlook: a curved beach, a dock and low resort buildings, sailboats at anchor.* North shore bay from the overlook, St. John ## Caneel Bay at a glance | | | | --- | --- | | Entry | Free | | Hours | Parking lot open 7 am to 5 pm; the gate is locked outside those hours (NPS) | | Parking | Three public lots inside the Caneel Bay entrance, with a paved path to the beach (NPS); no space count is published | | Restrooms | Seasonal or limited | | Shade | Some | | Snorkeling | 4 of 5, Very good | | Crowds | Quiet | | Drive from Cruz Bay | about 7 minutes by car | | Lifeguard | No | Verified Oct 9, 2026. ## Conditions today at Caneel Bay As of 7:00 AM on Oct 16, 2026, island time. Read each morning from the National Weather Service, DPNR, the National Park Service and Open-Meteo; the bay opens west, by our read from the map. **Sea state** **Sheltered.** The swell is from the east at 0.9 m, period 5 seconds; Caneel Bay opens west, so the bay sits in the lee. Open-Meteo wave model at the nearest ocean cell; the bay's opening is our read from the map. **Rip current risk** Low. Surf around 3 feet, east winds around 15 mph. National Weather Service San Juan, surf zone forecast for St Thomas, St John and adjacent islands, issued 3:51 AM. **Water test** Not a site in DPNR's weekly programme, which samples St. John only some weeks. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Beach Water Quality Monitoring Program. **Park alerts** No alert names Caneel Bay; the park posts 1 alert today. National Park Service, Virgin Islands National Park alerts. **Rain** Dry through the day; the chance of rain peaks at 21%. Open-Meteo hourly forecast at the pin. **The day** UV index up to 8; sunset 5:55 pm; sea 30 °C, 85 °F. Open-Meteo. ## Getting there About 7 minutes by car from Cruz Bay. How to reach St. John: [Airfare to St. John means a flight to St. Thomas](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/getting-there), [Car ferry from St. Thomas to St. John](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/car-barge), [How to get around St. John](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/getting-around), [St. John map](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/map), [St. John weather by month](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/weather), [St. Thomas to St. John ferry](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/ferry), [Things to do in St. John](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/things-to-do). ### How to get to Caneel Bay from St. Thomas The usual way: a taxi to the Red Hook ferry terminal (36 min), then the ferry to Cruz Bay (20 min, $8.15 a person), then 7 minutes by road from Cruz Bay to Caneel Bay. About 63 minutes from Cyril E. King airport to Caneel Bay, more on cruise-ship days. Six other ways across are below, with times and fares.Every route From Charlotte Amalie waterfront - Ferry [The Charlotte Amalie ferry](https://transportationservicesusvi.com/schedule) The boat if you are stepping off a cruise ship or staying downtown: it leaves from the waterfront terminal, twice a day each way. 1. Ferry, Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay 45 min Plus $4 a bag; $3.50 child; $6 for residents 60 and over with the elderly ID · Two a day each way: 8:45 and 11:15 am from Cruz Bay, 10 am and 12:30 pm from Charlotte Amalie (Transportation Services of St. John) · Varlack Ventures lists its own Charlotte Amalie run as suspended for the off-season, as of October 2026; check its page before you plan on that boat · No reservation · [Times (Transportation Services of St. John and Varlack Ventures)](https://transportationservicesusvi.com/schedule) 45 min $13 a person $12 resident From Cyril E. King airport - Ferry [Taxi to Crown Bay, then the Inter Island boat](https://www.interislandboatservices.com/ferry-trips/crown-bay-to-cruz-bay/) The closest boat to the airport and the fastest door to dock, but two sailings a day, four Friday to Sunday. It lands at Cruz Bay Creek, not the main ferry dock. 1. Taxi to Crown Bay Marina 8 min 2. Boat to Cruz Bay Creek 35 min Boat only; $15 senior, $10 child 3 to 11. The taxi to Crown Bay is $8 for one rider, $6 each for two or more. · 3:30 and 5:30 pm daily; 9:45 am and 2:15 pm Friday to Sunday · Check in 30 minutes before departure · [Times (Inter Island Boat Services)](https://www.interislandboatservices.com/ferry-trips/crown-bay-to-cruz-bay/) 43 min $20 a person - Ferry [Taxi to Red Hook, then the ferry](https://dpw.vi.gov/ferries/) The route most guests take. The taxi is the long part; allow extra on cruise-ship days and at school-run time. 1. Taxi to the Red Hook ferry terminal 36 min 2. Ferry to Cruz Bay 20 min Ferry only, plus $4 a bag. The taxi to Red Hook is $23 for one rider, $17 each for two or more. · Ferry hourly, 5:30 am to 10 pm · No reservation · [Times (VITRAN, run by Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures)](https://dpw.vi.gov/ferries/) 56 min $8.15 a person $6 resident - Ferry [Taxi to Charlotte Amalie, then the ferry](https://transportationservicesusvi.com/schedule) Rarely the best choice from the airport: the terminal is closer than Red Hook, but the crossing is twice as long and only two boats a day leave Charlotte Amalie. 1. Taxi to the Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal 12 min 2. Ferry to Cruz Bay 45 min Ferry only, plus $4 a bag. The taxi to the terminal is $11 for one rider, $9 each for two or more. · Two a day from Charlotte Amalie, 10 am and 12:30 pm (Transportation Services of St. John) · Varlack Ventures' Charlotte Amalie run was suspended for the off-season in October 2026; it usually sails again from about November, so check its page first · [Times (Transportation Services of St. John and Varlack Ventures)](https://transportationservicesusvi.com/schedule) 57 min $13 a person $12 resident - Water taxi [Taxi to Crown Bay, then a private water taxi](https://stthomaswatertaxi.com/) Your own boat on your own schedule, any hour with notice. Priced by the boat, from $695, so it makes sense for a full house arriving together. The operator does not publish the crossing time, so no total is shown. 1. Taxi to Crown Bay Marina 8 min 2. Water taxi to Cruz Bay The boat, not the seat; the operator quotes from $695 from Crown Bay and from $495 from Compass Point Marina. The land taxi to Crown Bay is $8 for one rider, $6 each for two or more. · By reservation; 24-hour service with notice from $695 a boat From Red Hook, St. Thomas - Ferry [The Red Hook ferry](https://dpw.vi.gov/ferries/) The default way over: hourly until 10 pm, no booking, and it lands at the main dock in the middle of Cruz Bay. 1. Ferry, Red Hook to Cruz Bay 20 min Plus $4 a bag. Varlack adds a fuel surcharge from June 12, 2026. · Hourly, 5:30 am to 10 pm from Red Hook, 6 am to 10 pm from Cruz Bay; an off-season timetable runs from late July, usually to the end of October, so check the operator's current schedule · No reservation; buy at the window · [Times (VITRAN, run by Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures)](https://dpw.vi.gov/ferries/) 20 min $8.15 a person $6 resident - Car barge [The car barge](https://www.viport.com/schedules-ferrycargoschedules) Only with your own car, or a rental whose company allows the crossing: National and Discount Car Rental say theirs may go (their own pages, 2026-10-09), so ask yours first. Most people rent on St. John. The crossing time is not published, so no total is shown. 1. Car barge to the Theovald Moorehead terminal at Enighed Pond [Times (Big Red Barge, Love City Car Ferries and Global Marine)](https://www.viport.com/schedules-ferrycargoschedules) $65 a car one way, $80 round trip, on the Big Red Barge and Love City Car Ferries rates pages (checked 2026-10-09). Each company sells its own tickets. Fares change; the operator's page has today's. Road legs measured on island roads. Taxi fares are the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission's tariff, in force since October 2022: per person, less each for two or more traveling together, plus $3 a bag. Checked 2026-10-09. ## Seven minutes from Cruz Bay, gate locked at five Caneel Bay is 7 minutes from Cruz Bay by car, along North Shore Road and a minute short of Hawksnest, the next park beach along. The National Park Service's access map shows an entrance station off the road, three public lots inside it by the park's August 2024 count, and a paved path past the sugar mill ruins to the sand; no source says how many cars the lots hold. As of October 2026 the lot is open from 7 am to 5 pm, per the National Park Service, and the gate is locked outside those hours. Without a car, Cruz Bay to Caneel Bay is a $9 taxi ride for one passenger, or $8 a person when two or more ride together, on the fares the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission has set since October 2022. Do not plan to come by boat. As of October 2026 the Caneel Bay pier is closed to boats and pedestrians because the park has judged the structure unsafe. ## Is Caneel Bay Resort open? Only the beach As of October 2026 Caneel Beach is open to the public and Caneel Bay Resort is closed. Hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged the resort in September 2017; in the park's words, the leaseholder closed the site, did not undertake significant repairs, and overnight accommodations did not resume. Its 40-year retained use estate expired in 2023, the Virgin Islands District Court awarded the land and buildings to the United States in April 2024, and the Third Circuit affirmed on May 20, 2025. The park opened Caneel Beach by land on Aug 1, 2024, and its Caneel Bay page, last updated Jul 14, 2026, still lists it as open. That is one beach, not the 150-acre peninsula. The park's map marks the grounds on either side of the path as closed for safety, and its release says there is no foot access from Honeymoon Beach, which sits on the same property. ## What to expect at Caneel Beach today Expect a parking lot and a beach, and very little else. As of October 2026 the park lists portable toilets and trash cans, and no source mentions food, rentals, showers or a lifeguard, so bring water, lunch and your own gear. By our read it is a quiet beach for now: lots that shut at 5 pm, nothing for sale, and no boats landing while the pier is closed. On the way down, a viewing area looks onto the Durloo sugar plantation ruins; in July 2026 the park told bidders its preservation crew would brace the central wall there in the summer or fall, so expect scaffolding. ZoZo's at Caneel Bay is the one restaurant on the property, and it serves dinner, not lunch: by its own site as of October 2026, four courses from Monday to Friday, seatings 6 pm to 8 pm at $140 a person, booked up to 30 days ahead, with a shuttle from the Caneel Bay entrance from 5:30 pm, since the public lot is shut by then. The tradeoff is the setting, a beach in front of a storm-damaged resort inside a cleanup site. By the park's July 2026 answers to bidders, the first phase removed about 58 tons of asbestos debris and the second about 570 tons of contaminated soil and sediment, and the work is not finished. Hawksnest, 8 minutes from Cruz Bay, is the nearest park beach with restrooms, a pavilion and picnic tables. ## Is Caneel Bay being rebuilt? Not yet. On May 7, 2026 the National Park Service issued a request for proposals to rebuild, rehabilitate and operate overnight lodging on about 150 acres at Caneel Bay under a lease. The deadline, extended from Jul 8, passed on Aug 10, 2026. The park's July 2026 answers to bidders put the selection in the fall or winter of 2026/27, with the lease to be negotiated after that and its length depending on the plan chosen. As of October 2026 no operator has been named and no opening date published, so a Caneel Bay hotel is not something to plan a trip around. One thing the request does fix: whoever wins must at a minimum keep the wet sand of seven beaches open to the public, Caneel Beach among them. ## Swimming and snorkeling off Caneel Beach The water is calm and shallow at the edge, and the cove faces away from the easterly swell; the local beach guides, all written before the 2024 reopening, agree on a quiet bay with an easy entry. We score the snorkeling 4 of 5. The National Park Service describes a narrow reef following the shoreline east from Honeymoon to Caneel Bay. The guides send snorkelers along the rocks at either end, and those written before and since the reopening report turtles and rays along the shoreline to the right of the beach. Boats come in through a marked channel, by the park's account, so stay close to shore and look up often. No source names a lifeguard here as of October 2026, and pets are not allowed on park beaches. It suits a short stop with a cooler in the car and an eye on the clock, for someone who knew the old resort; not a family that wants a pavilion or lunch at the back of the sand. ## Questions people ask about Caneel Bay **Is Caneel Bay open?** Partly. As of October 2026 Caneel Beach is open and free, its lot open from 7 am to 5 pm, per the National Park Service. Caneel Bay Resort is closed and has taken no overnight guests since the hurricanes of September 2017. **Is Caneel Bay closed?** The resort is closed, and so are most of its grounds, which the National Park Service marks as closed for safety. Caneel Beach opened to the public on Aug 1, 2024, and the park still lists it as open as of October 2026. The pier is closed to boats and pedestrians. **Is Caneel Bay being rebuilt?** Not yet. The National Park Service's request for proposals to rebuild and run overnight lodging on about 150 acres closed on Aug 10, 2026, and the park expects to choose in the fall or winter of 2026/27. As of October 2026 no operator or construction date has been announced. **Is Caneel Bay reopening?** The beach already has, by land, on Aug 1, 2024. For the hotel, the National Park Service has published no reopening date as of October 2026: a lease has to be negotiated first, and no operator has been named. Written by Virgin Islands Villas. Facts verified Oct 9, 2026. Updated Oct 16, 2026. Facts checked against [the National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/viis/caneelbay.htm) and [ZoZo's at Caneel Bay](https://www.zozosatcaneelbay.com/reservations). Checked October 2026. ## Villas near Caneel Bay [All villas on St. John](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/vacation-rentals) Within about ten minutes by car, listed by their owners. See rates and dates, then write to the owner. [Indo House Great Cruz Bay, St. John · 4 bedrooms About 9 min drive From $4,000 / night](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/villas/indo-house) Featured Drive times are estimates for island roads. ## Nearby beaches - [Honeymoon Beach Estate Contant · 0.5 km away · free entry](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches/honeymoon-beach) - [Hawksnest Beach Cruz Bay · 0.8 km away · free entry](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches/hawksnest) - [Solomon Beach Estate Contant · 0.9 km away · free entry](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches/solomon) [Every beach on St. John, compared](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-john/beaches)