A tranquil island chain of over 90 (some uninhabited) located in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the Virgin Islands are an oasis just a few hours by flight from many major American cities. The islands are divided and owned by both the United States and the United Kingdom, and there are three major islands on the US side. Four of my friends and I made a trip to the Virgin Islands in June 2024 and spent three nights on the island of St John. Over two thirds of the island is National Park land, and it is known for its white sand beaches, historic sugar plantation sites and ruins, and coral reefs perfect for snorkeling!
Getting Here and Getting Around
There is no airport on St. John so we flew into St. Thomas and took a ferry from there to Cruz Bay. On both islands there are plenty of taxis, but on St. John we rented a Jeep because our lodging was on the opposite side of the island from the ferry. Pretty much all the rentals are Jeeps or have 4-wheel drive because the island’s roads are quite narrow and winding. PSA — they drive on the left side of the road in the Virgin Islands, but that only adds to the adventure!
Being that the United States owns St. Thomas, the currency used is the US dollar and the official language of the island is English. United States travelers also won’t need adapters for their plugs.
Lodging
There are plenty of hotels and resorts in Cruz Bay on the west side of the island, but we camped on the east side of the island (near Concordia) to be more immersed with the nature of the park. Lameshur Cottage and Campsites has a guest cottage and tent sites for camping. We stayed in a yurt but the owner Billy told us they were getting shipping containers (that will have AC!) to replace the tents and yurt soon. They also have a bathroom and shower, a communal hangout space with cooking appliances, a fridge, and a sink, plus free snorkeling gear and other watersports objects you can borrow!
A Note About the Park
I have been to more than half of the parks in the US National Park system, and Virgin Islands was very different in terms of administration. They do have one visitor center in Cruz Bay (near the ferry) with limited hours, but there are no entrance stations or fees throughout the park/island (with the exception of Trunk Bay beach which has a $5 daily entrance fee). There is no marked delineation of where the park ends and begins.
Beaches
St. John has some of the nicest beaches in the world — literally! Trunk Bay on the north shore was recently listed as the #1 beach in the world in Banana Boat’s The World’s 50 Best Beaches report. The beaches have white sand, clear water, and great snorkeling! If you don’t have your own gear, don’t worry — vendors will set up rental stations at most beaches and there are loads of other places on the island where you can rent them. Whilst enjoying the water, make sure you use only mineral sunscreen to protect aquatic life (and it’s actually the law). Some of my favorite beaches on the island are Cinnamon Bay, Salt Pond, and of course Trunk Bay!
Food
The Virgin islands feature a lot of Caribbean foods like jerk chicken, plantains, and all sorts of seafood! On the west side of the island we enjoyed a good breakfast waiting for our ferry at Cruz Bay Landing and great sandwiches at The Windmill Bar, which also had a great view and a section of ruins. On the east side I would recommend the Lime Out floating taco bar (accessible only by boat) and definitely Dazey Drive In for some of the best shaved ice I’ve ever had! Also, most of the beaches have beach bars and/or food services. In particular, Trunk Bay beach has a large selection.
Trails and Ruins
The park is of course full of trails, many of which lead to old sugar plantation ruins, but the park is also full of ruins you can see right from the road, no hike required! At Trunk Bay, there is a unique underwater snorkeling trail that features underwater inscriptions and information about coral reefs indicated by colored floating buoys. Other trails we did include the Peace Hill windmill trail, Salt Pond Bay beach trail, and the Petroglyphs trail, which ends in a waterfall surrounded by rock art thought to date back before the 1400s. We also checked out the Catherineberg Estate ruins which were cool to see, and the Lameshur Bay Plantations ruins.
Wildlife
The island of St. John is home to a large number of peaceful, grazing donkeys that love to hang out in the roads (particularly around blind corners). The roadways and trails also hold plenty of crabs, so watch where you’re going and be wary of walking around barefoot. While snorkeling, we saw sea turtles, stingrays, a barracuda, and a large variety of coral reef fish! The water is very clear and it is easy to see a long way.
Celebration Festival
We didn’t know about this when we were planning our trip, but in St. John we were surprised to find out we had arrived during their annual Celebration festival! Around late June or early July there is music, food stalls, and more in the main square in Cruz Bay, and the partying goes all night long! This year Wyclef Jean was the big musical guest, but while we were there we also got to enjoy some local steel drum bands.
Views
There are many great places on the island to catch a scenic view, from turnouts on the road to restaurants and hikes. Some of my favorite vistas are the view from the Windmill Bar mentioned above, at Lameshur Bay Plantation Ruins on the south side of the island, and my favorite by far is from Peace Hill. You’ll have to climb a short trail, but the payoff is so worth it, especially at sunset!
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