REVIEW

Maho Bay Camps

In the Virgin Islands, the 114 tent-like cottages are set above a serene stretch of white-sand beach.

By By David LaHuta, Monday, Jun 1, 2009, 3:06 PM

Maho Bay Camps

• PO Box 310, Cruz Bay
  St. John, United States Virgin Islands 00830
  800/392-9004
  
• Maho Bay Camps website

About this Hotel

Price From $80

When owner Stanley Selengut opened Maho Bay Camps on St. John in 1976, he never intended to be a pioneer in the ecotourism movement.

After leasing a 14-acre plot above idyllic Maho Bay, the entrepreneurial environmentalist built 114 tent-like cottages with screened windows and open-air terraces set above a glorious stretch of white-sand beach. A few years later he added nearby Harmony Studios, 12 airy apartments with kitchenettes, lofted ceilings, and large decks with water views (for better views, ask for an upper-level unit, which costs about $10 extra).

Whichever you choose, you'll have access to miles of hiking trails in Virgin Islands National Park and some of the best snorkeling on the island's north shore: Swim with hawksbill turtles, stingrays, and blue-striped bar jacks in Little Maho Bay, or rent a kayak ($35 half-day) and paddle to nearby Whistling Cay for a glimpse of colorful angelfish and parrot fish.