St.John, USVI

St John, the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands, has been called an uncommercialized paradise with good reason. Though there are two resorts on St John (the Westin Resort on Great Cruz Bay and the Caneel Bay Resort), there are many more camping options being offered. This is no accident as St John is intentionally preserved and celebrated as a natural, national treasure. There are restaurants on St John that serve chef-prepared food by candlelight, and there are also several barbecue or burger joints. There are a few shopping areas within walking distance of the ferry dock, and there are also art galleries with pieces from St John for purchase. This range of choice is just broad enough to accommodate all types of visitors, but it is fairly limited in scope compared to typically developed tourist spots, which is just perfect for an island with no high rises, no cruise ship docks, and no airports.

Activity options

First of all, you can take a 20 minute ferry ride (if you are not on a yacht charter) from neighboring St. Thomas to get to Cruz Bay on St. John. Cruz Bay is home of the Mongoose Junction shopping center and a good way to acclimate yourself to the quieter vibe on St. John after having just left bustling St. Thomas. Next, you might want to check in with the tourist office near the Battery, a fort from 1735, in order to get maps or advice on how you want to spend your time. For example, if you've come to hike, then get directions to the Annaberg Trail, which will lead you on a historic walk past 18th Century sugar plantation ruins. Or if you've come to meet up with friends from the boating community, then ask how to get to Coral Bay, a yachtie hang-out with restaurants and bars. And assuming you want to spend some time seeing what makes up the bulk of St. John's, then go to the National Park Visitor Center to see wildlife displays and a video presentation on Virgin Islands culture. Wherever you're headed, your choice of transportation on St. John includes buses and taxis as well as cars and jeeps for hire.

National Park

Two-thirds of St. John's 19 square miles is dedicated to National Park. The Virgin Islands National Park on St. John has hills, valleys, and beaches. Laurance Rockefeller sailed around St. John in 1956 and admired it so much that he established a resort and donated 9500 acres to the government for a national park. He would be pleased to know that his idea is very much alive today. The park represents and maintains a history worth preserving. There are petroglyphs from the Taino people on Reef Bay hiking trail and 'submerged lands' of underwater coral gardens on display for visitors. Also, it is historically and biologically important to note the presence of introduced species everywhere because St John's land was clear-cut for sugar cane production when colonized. The temperate year-round climate of St. John makes exploration easy. With fewer people around, you can really soak up the natural goodness the park has to offer and experience a little of what it is like to discover something that is still near perfect.

Beaches

People coming to St. John surely want to walk the beaches, lay on the sand, and swim in the clear waters that call from every direction. This is a fairly comprehensive list of beaches, organised by area. Find one, find them all! Just enjoy yourself without disturbing the natural habitat.

• NORTH SHORE: Big Maho Bay, Caneel Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Denis Bay, Francis Bay, Gibney Beach, Hawksnest Bay, Honeymoon Bay, Jumbie Bay, Leinster Bay, Little Maho Bay, Mary's Creek, Oppenheimer, Peter Bay, Salomon Bay, Scott Beach, Trunk Bay, Turtle Bay, and Water Lemon Cay, Boatman Point, Chocolate Hole, Cocoloba Beach, Ditleff Point, Fish Bay, Great Cruz Bay, Hart Bay, Klein Bay, Reef Bay, and Rendezvous Bay
• TOWARD RAM'S HEAD: Drunk Bay, Europa Bay, Friis Bay, Great Lameshur Bay, Grootpan, John's Folly, Johnson's Bay, Kiddle Bay, Nanny Point, Ram's Head, and Salt Pond
• TOWARD EAST END: Brown Bay, Hansen Bay, Haulover Bay, Long Bay, and Privateer Bay

Visit the local St. John home page

Visit the USVI page about St.John.

Neighboring islands in the virgin islands
The islands of the British Virgin islands and US Virgin Islands comprise the main area of what is commonly referred to as "the Virgin islands"

With over 1400 charter yachts in our charter yacht database online, and many more unlisted yachts accessible to us. We are the ultimate in choice and personal attention in the yacht charter industry, the ONLY yacht charter company you need to contact to explore these islands the best way possible - by water!

Contact us to learn more about these islands and yacht charter in general.

 

Not sure what you can do on land on different islands? we can help! Click one of the following links to read more; Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John.