But as we looked around, it seemed that maybe we should have held off on praising the Lord. The beach we were standing on was OK, and seemed to be popular, but it wasn’t the beach I’d been picturing to myself during the long weeks preceding the trip—a long strip of virgin white sand fringing a wide sweep of sparkling aquamarine bay. Here… well, the sand wasn’t exactly virgin with all these people on it, the beach was quite small, and the view of the bay was blocked by several boats docked just offshore.

We were crushed. This was Maho Bay Beach? Well, yes and no—consulting the camp information sheet I’d brought with me, I discovered that this was just "Little" Maho Beach. The bay’s main beach, "Big Maho," could be reached via the Goat Trail, a 10-minute trail that started back near the top of the stairs. Great. We huffed and puffed our way back up the endless stairway and started down the trail. It turned out to be a nice walk (though not so easy in flip-flops).

And then suddenly we emerged on the beach, and it was just like the one I’d dreamed of: a long, narrow strip of white sand, fringed by trees and looking out on a bay that might have been a giant swimming pool with its clear, bright-blue water. We threw down our stuff and jumped into the water for a swim. It was deliciously cool and calm, and we could see schools of fish swimming near us.

On our subsequent visits, we found that it was much easier to skip the Goat Trail altogether and just swim around from Little Maho—the two beaches are only separated from each other by a slight outcropping and a small but snorkel-worthy reef. If you’re not staying at Maho Camps, never fear—the North Shore Road runs right alongside the back of Big Maho, and there’s plenty of parking.

Big Maho Beach is an especially nice place to bring children, because the water is shallow and dependably calm even when other beaches on the north shore are choppy. Also, it’s not a bad place for snorkeling—we saw damselfish, angelfish, sea urchins, and small eels there, and the seafloor is also covered with turtle-grass beds, where sea turtles are often spotted in the early morning and late afternoon.

And then, suddenly, a dazzling white catamaran appeared as if from out of nowhere and sailed majestically towards the beach. It was like a beautiful woman sweeping down a staircase into a crowded ballroom. People stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at it. And we were staring along with everyone else—but our jaws dropped even further when we read the name emblazoned on it: Allura. That was our boat!

After being rowed out by a friendly young couple (otherwise known as the crew), we were greeted by Jamison, the captain, who clearly regarded his beautiful boat with the delighted pride of a parent. "The Allura is made out of wood, not fiberglass like most of them these days. It’s more flexible; it’ll last longer. This boat will still be sailing the waves when I’m long gone!" The prospect seemed to please him no end.

We moored off Great Thatch Island to chill out and feast on the catered meal we’d brought with us. Drinks were passed around from the boat’s well-equipped bar, we unwrapped the food and shared it with the crew, and soon we were all talking away like old friends. Jamison told us the amazing story of how he and his two brothers had built the Allura together from scratch. It involved a miserly grandfather, their fellow citizens of Charleston, SC, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

I was having a great time already as I lay sunning myself on a large net near the front end of the boat that was more comfortable than any hammock. And as we sailed over to nearby Mary Point for some swimming and snorkeling, the prevailing atmosphere edged its way from the enjoyable towards the sublime. A cooling breeze blew across the bay, the heat of the day was dissipating, and the water felt wonderful.

After a while, I ditched my snorkeling gear and just backstroked in lazy circles around the boat, gazing up at the clear blue sky and craning my head back to look at the surrounding islands. The late-afternoon sun threw them into sharp relief; they glittered like jewels all around me. After 10 days among all this tropical glory, I’d been growing blasé; but now, on the last evening of my trip, my sense of wonder was revived at finding myself in such a paradise. I was seized by a crazy urge to quit my job, get a captain’s license, and spend my days sailing the islands, just like this.

But until the day comes when I have my own sailing company to plug, take my advice and take a sunset sail on the Allura. I guarantee it’ll be the best experience of your trip.

Things I learned from my night-snorkeling experience:
1. Don’t get drunk in the tropics.
2. If you do, don’t go snorkeling right afterwards.

All right, I’m kidding. I wasn’t really drunk, and the snorkeling was a ton of fun. But really, I don’t understand how tourists in the Caribbean manage to guzzle down so much booze—the unwonted heat and humidity multiplies the unpleasant side effects of alcohol by a factor of at least three. So although we’d only had one beer each, the Dude and I were feeling rather hazy and unsteady as we tottered down the long stairway towards Little Maho Beach to meet up for our night snorkel on the Ocean Quest, one of a handful of tour boats that operate out of Maho Bay and can be booked through the activities desk at Maho Bay Camps.

Before long, two guys, one briskly professional and the other super-friendly, showed up to lead the excursion. In no time at all, all 14 of us were fitted out with snorkeling gear, wetsuits, and underwater flashlights. A short lecture on the buddy system, proper use of the flashlights, and other safety considerations, then we all trooped down to the water and piled into the Ocean Quest.

It turned out we were going to nearby Whistling Cay, which we’d kayaked out to just the day before for a daytime snorkel. Hey, that was fine—the snorkeling there had been awesome. We docked a ways out from the cay, splashed into the water, and amused ourselves by frothing up the surface to catch the green sparkle of iridescent plankton. Then the super-friendly guy, Bill, led us towards the reef.

For the next half-hour or so, it was all oohs and ahhs. Whenever anyone in the group spotted something cool, he would beckon the rest of us over. Ooh, a sea turtle! Ahh, a puffer fish! Look, a squid! A sea cucumber! A drumfish—that’s rare! And whoa—what the hell are those huge white spidery things? What? A kind of shrimp? No way!

The reef was an altogether different prospect at night than it had been in the daytime. There were fewer fish out, but this had its compensations: without the glaring sunlight to wash them out, all the colors were much brighter—the tiny "silver" fish we’d seen on our daytime visit now showed up bright blue and red. And the nocturnal creatures were feeding—the sea urchins were moving; the coral looked fuzzy. Coooooool.

On the way back, we were told that we’d missed seeing many of the sea creatures that are commonly spotted on night snorkels—sharks, octopi, lobsters, moray eels—but I wasn’t disappointed. The only thing I had to be unhappy about was my lingering drunkenness, which had made the whole thing pass in a sort of dreamlike haze. I sternly resolved not to have another drink for the rest of the trip… but I’m staying silent on whether I actually kept that vow!

SCHEDULES & SERVICES OFFERED
Registration Desk - Open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., guests can also pick-up incoming mail;, phone/fax messages; first aid, light bulbs and other basic needs as well as retrieve additional maps and info.

General Store - Open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a variety of foods, beverages, ice, medical supplies and pharmaceutics, film/disposable cameras, and souvenirs, clothes, and beach goods. Located just to the side is the Help Yourself Shelf where campers can leave food, books/magazines, supplies, and any other items they don't want to take with them so others can use.

Internet/Computer Service - There are currently two units for patron usage with a small fee. Their accessibility hours are same as the Registration Desk. Due to popularity, the Coin-operated laundromat will be relocated so more computers can be installed. The laundromat is open 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Activities Desk - Open 8:00 - 10:30 a.m., and 4:00 - 6:30 p.m., guests can make arrangements for car and boat rentals as well as booking excursions for around both U.S. and nearby British Virgin Islands. Each week, a schedule is posted with availabilities too numerous to mention. Costs range from $35 - $85 per person.

Spa - There was only brief mention of a newly opened spa where guests can get massages. Staff also spoke of the nearby salt pond where locals and some guests go to bathe/scrub in the mineral-rich basin. A similar salt pond is also located at the Concordia Estate.

Glass Blowing - Next to the maintenance area is a kiln pavilion where glass blowing demonstrations are given by staff members at least two nights a week. It was very interesting to see how quickly and skilled they can turn recycled glass into works of art which are then locally sold.
*Maho Bay is looking for "legitimate" craftsmen, who use natural or recycled materials, to come and give demonstrations and teach classes for 1-3 month periods in exchange for room and board.

Snorkeling is by far the most popular activity. Full sets of equipment can be rented for $7.00 per day or $35 a week. Wet suits are the same price for day/week. Organized night snorkeling trips, which include gear, wet suit, dive light, and certified dive master, present a whole new adventure with the nocturnal reef life. Sea turtles are best seen at dawn/dusk around the shallow seagrass beds of Maho Bay. Otherwise, there isn't much of a reef and snorkelers will find the most marine life along rocks just left of where you enter the beach.

There are several levels of Scuba excursions offered around island reefs and shipwrecks. For first-timers, there's a package of basic scuba lesson, equipment and instructor, and reef dive for $70. If you're looking to become fully P.A.D.I. certified, a four-dive series of lessons runs $350 with the Referral Check-out dives costing $235. If you're already certified, tank dives run $50, or $75 for two different locations. There's a 10% discount for divers using their own equipment.

Windsurfing boards/sails are $20 per hour, $30 for three hours and $45 for six hours. Basic sailboat rentals are $25 per hour, $45 for three hours and $75 for a six-hour day. Lessons for either of these water craft run $50 for 90-minutes. Kayaking, with sit-on-top ocean models, provide mobility to reach nearby, off-island cays for snorkeling. A one-person kayak rents for $15/$30/$45 for 1/3/6-hour trips, and a two-man kayak goes for $20/$40/$65.

If you're a fisherman, you might speak with some of the Maho staff. While they don't offer any organized fishing expeditions from the Beach Shack, they were speaking about fishing in their spare time, and you might get one of them to take you along.

*An article from the National Park newspaper on, Where is the best snorkeling, was informative describing the island's 15 major bays. While it never committed to naming the best, I was quite surprised with opinions on Trunk Bay - one of the Caribbean's most famous featuring an "overrated" underwater trail. It was recommended as great for beginners and children, but immense popularity generates overcrowding and disturbance of the natural underwater environment; especially with uneducated snorkelers damaging the reef/coral by standing on it.