Saint Thomas: Brewer's Bay Beach and Old Stone Ruins

I would say one of the most popular questions I get for photography on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is, where should we meet for photos? There are so many amazing options for the perfect backdrop on St. Thomas this isn't always the easiest question to answer. I recently had the pleasure of photographing Noah's senior photos on Brewer's Bay Beach.

Brewer's Bay Beach is right next to University of the Virgin Islands campus and just past the airport. Normally it's not very crowded and there are food trucks parked close by, with plenty of parking right on the street.

For some reason I've not been to Brewer's that much while I've lived and photographed on St. Thomas. I really fell in love with it during this morning photo session. I love seeing the mountain in the background and the clarity of the water. We found lots of great spots for different backdrops.

I really loved that we mostly had the beach to ourselves and that it had a little bit more then just the beach for photos. It has the remains of an old stone ruin right next to the beach. I thought the ruins were perfect for something a little unique and complementing with the beach portrait.

In the photo above you can see the runway at the airport on the left side of the horizon.

I can easily recommend Brewer's Bay Beach for any photo session on St. Thomas--it is truly picture perfect.

Saint Thomas Beaches Post Hurricane Irma

It has been about 7 weeks since Hurricane Irma hit the U.S. Virgin Islands. I just had to find out what the beaches looked like after the storm on Saint Thomas. My friend Mike and I spent the morning driving around the island beach hopping.  This is what we found….

Our first stop was Limetree Beach. Prior to the storm this was one of my favorite beaches to photograph at. Unfortunately, Limetree Beach is a bit washed-out and lost a lot of sand. I’m sure it’s a matter of time before the sand will shift and make it beautiful again. Bluebeard’s Beach Club doesn’t plans to reopen for some time while they rebuild some of the supporting buildings around the property.

Bolongo Bay Beach also lost a lot of sand from flooding.  One of the owners, Richard Doumeng, was kind enough to give us an update. They are already housing a bunch of workers and islanders that have been displaced from the hurricane. Iggie’s Beach Bar has moved over to the pool area, they’re now calling it Iggie’s Oasis, and is serving drinks and food. The pool looked amazing and I have plans to go back and hang out. The Bolongo sailboat wasn’t harmed and is back at the dock and ready to go sailing. They don’t have an exact date that they will reopen fully but it sounded like it could be as soon as the beginning of 2018.  Everyone at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort seemed very positive and welcoming as always.

The next stop was Secret Harbour Beach Resort. This resort looked great overall. The sand on the beach is in the process of being groomed.  The Cruzan Beach Club at Sunset Grill is open for lunch and dinner. They didn’t say an exact date they will be reopening but I do know for sure I have a bride and groom staying here the week of Thanksgiving. 

Sapphire Beach looked more amazing after the storm. Really, it does, there wasn’t any seaweed on the beach. The palm trees need to regrow out on the point but the view of St. John is still stunning. It looked like the beach bar is open and I would imagine you could still stay here since a lot of the rooms are listed privately.

Lindquist Beach looks amazing as always. The sand has changed a little bit, there is less of a slope and the point on the left looks smaller. The water looks amazing and was so inviting.  This has to be my favorite beach on Saint Thomas right now!

Magens Bay Beach was our last stop. They are working hard on getting this beach cleaned up and ready to open the first week of November (next week.) I wasn’t able to see most of the beach, so I don’t have a ton to report on it. I know there was a lot of damage but from what I could see it still looked stunning. As soon as they open I will have more photos.

There are a few more St. Thomas Beaches on my list that I didn’t get to, like Emerald Beach and Brewers Beach. I have heard that Hull Bay Beach is looking better then ever with a bunch of new sand that has washed up.  Please let me know if there is a beach you would like an update on that I’ve left out. I’m ready to go swimming!!!!! 

St Thomas Beach Wedding: Sapphire Beach

Sapphire Beach is a St. Thomas Beach Wedding location that is often overlooked. It's a beautiful beach on the east end with endless options for your wedding ceremony. This beach faces St. John. 

Up until recently, the beach was under-developed with decrepit buildings on its property. Within the past couple of years, there has been a lot of upgrades, including new facades on all the apartment rentals and there is a lot of progress on several pop-up restaurants, including a full restaurant by the pool, which is rumored to open in 2017. 

There is a site fee at this beach, starting at $150. There is no entrance fee for guests at this beach, and there is ample parking if needed. 

This beach is a long one compared to some of the other beaches in St. Thomas. On one end--the left--it's rocky, then it turns into the beach where everyone swims. If you keep going to the right, the beach levels out, so it's a great place for your St. Thomas Beach Wedding ceremony. This part of the beach can hold hundreds of people if you have that many guests. This is also a great place to set up a tent with some tables to have your reception! 

If you keep trekking to the right, you'll come upon Pretty Klip Point, which is a peninsula that points toward St. John. This is a great spot for weddings with the picturesque rocks and plants. This spot is great for smaller weddings. 

It's important to keep in mind that this beach can be very windy, so if you plan to wear your hair down, you may want to consider a different venue for your St. Thomas Beach Wedding. If you have flowing dresses for your bridesmaids or yourself, it's a great option for photos! 

This beach is awesome for morning and early afternoon weddings. The turquoise waters are beautifully bright! Here is another post to show what the light looks like at Sapphire Beach in the evening before sunset.