We just got back from our stay in St. John, US Virgin Islands. Matt planned an amazing 6th wedding anniversary trip/babymoon and I wanted to share all our of fun adventures and tips with you guys! St. John was absolutely breathtaking at every single view. It is a place unlike any other I had been to. A unique part of SJVI is that 2/3rds of the island is protected by the Virgin Islands National Park. From the turquoise water, volcanic mountains, sandy beaches and amazing views there’s so much to discover here! We rented a villa, which is an absolute must when staying on the island. There aren’t many resorts, so if you’re looking for an all-inclusive resort this may not be for you. The best one (Caneel Bay – which so happens to be where my parents honeymooned over 40 years ago) is still closed from hurricane damage.
A few things to note:
There is an off season and hurricane season which is usually ~ July-October. This means that many of the popular restaurants or attractions may be closed during those months so just do your research on that ahead of time. Another important point to know – the island has frequent planned blackouts (except they are always a suprise!) to help conserve fuel usage. The blackouts can last a few minutes to a many hours from the locals we talked to. This normally wouldn’t be a big deal as you’re typically out exploring but we did wake up quite warm at 4 am one morning! In the future, I think we will be staying at a villa with a backup generator.
How to Get There:
To get to St. John, you will have to fly into St. Thomas as there are no airports on St. John. From the St. Thomas airport you will take a taxi to the ferry to St. John. There are taxis that will take you directly to the ferry line. We took the Red Hook Ferry which runs every hour and is usually around a 30 minute ferry ride (but has amazing views on the trip over!) If it is feasible with your travel schedule, look into the Crown Royale Ferry as it’s much closer to the airport so we took this line on the way back. This ferry line runs much more infrequently, though. You do not need a US passport to travel here – which is actually why we chose here because we had accidentally let ours lapse! Due to the COVID pandemic, we did need a negative PCR test in order to travel there. You upload your test result into the health portal online and it is scanned in the airport. We did not need one for the return flight home but of course please research this as regulations are constantly changing.
How to Travel Around the Island:
We rented a Jeep Wrangler to get around the island, which is a must if you’re staying at a villa. We reserved one ahead of time on SJVI, so after the ferry ride we got right off the ferry and walked less than a block to the jeep rental. Renting a jeep definitely adds a bit more of an adventure because pending how high up your villa is, the mountain roads can be quite steep and winding. Plus add in dodging donkeys, goats, cows and driving on the left side of the road – it will keep you on your toes!
Where to Stay:
As I mentioned earlier, staying in a villa is definitely the way to go on the island. There aren’t any all-inclusive resorts on the islands, the Westin is a popular resort and Caneel Bay is still currently closed. We loved the privacy of the villa and the fact that we could cook meals there too with a full kitchen! Our villa we stayed at, Alta Vista, was a beautiful oasis very high up on Bordeaux Mountain. Most of the villas are run by property management companies and you can find villas on VRBO or Airbnb. While we absolutely loved everything about it – a few things we would change in the future: probably choose somewhere closer to town for amenities and groceries, and perhaps one with a backup generator as I mentioned before the frequent power outages on the island. However, it was honestly perfection and so relaxing.
For next visit, we will be looking for a villa a bit closer to Cruz Bay or closer to the beaches near Peter Bay.
Beaches of St. John:
Even though we are used to beautiful beaches in Florida, these beaches were all unmatched! The beaches are so pristine and clean, likely as they are all protected. What I loved is that every single beach had different high points and each one was so different! I’ll share some of our personal favorites we were able to visit while there!
LITTLE CINNAMON: This beach was actually our favorite – it felt like a little private oasis. The water is so calm and protected I loved just sitting in my pool floatie reading and sipping on some La Croix. When we went it felt totally private and was just so relaxing! If you look closely in the photo below, that’s me floating happily away reading my beach book!
MAHO BEACH: This was the second beach we visited and wow was the snorkeling amazing! This beach is known for sea turtles and if you show up early in the morning this is when they are most active. They graze on the sea grass at the bottom of the bay. Within 1 minute of diving in we found ourselves surrounded by these amazing creatures. The turtles are more abundant on the right side when facing the ocean so we tried to camp down that way. Also on this beach they have food, refreshments, and water sport rentals. Matt grabbed a paddle board and they even have clear bottom kayaks so you can see the sea turtles while kayaking! They do have snorkel equipment for rent but we just brought out own masks on the trip.
TRUNK BAY: This beach has been voted one of the best in the world so we put it on our list of must see beaches! There is an underwater snorkeling trail Matt & I both did which was a lot of fun! They do have snorkel rentals but we just brought our own masks so didn’t need to rent any. We both felt this beach was more crowded than what we would prefer, but we also went on a holiday (Labor Day) and so many of the locals told us it would be busier than normal. They also have food, cocktails/mocktails, and other refreshments here which was nice!
We feel like we didn’t even begin to explore all the possible beaches here so we are excited to explore even more when we return. Please always make sure to be respectful of the wildlife and also in preserving the natural reefs. Make sure you pack mineral sunscreen to help protect these beautiful beaches!
Where to Eat:
MORGAN’S MANGOS: Great for local fish, Saturdays are lobster nights. Good dessert menu.
SALTY MONGOOSE: Located in Coral Bay. Local beach bar with great cocktails serving salads and pizza.
NORTH SHORE DELI: Fresh deli sandwiches and cold sides like pasta salad, fruit, and coleslaw. Snacks and homemade dessert bars available. We stopped there a few times and picked up lunch to bring to the beach!
CRUZ BAY LANDING: Directly in front of ferry dock. Live music. Variety of foods from burgers to fresh seafood. Also has a coffee and ice cream shop.
SCOOPS: Small ice cream shop on the corner to Mongoose Junction.
Restaurants we didn’t make it to or closed for season: Lime Inn, Lime out (floating taco shop), The Long Board, Extra Virgin, La Tapa, Woody’s and Wind Mill.
Other Activities To Do:
There are endless adventures on this island which I love – so whether you prefer to just hang out at the gorgeous beaches or do some more activities there’s plenty of things for everything!
DEEP SEA FISHING: We went out on a charter but unfortunately it was not a good idea for me pregnant! Matt caught a fish and we called it a day and the scenery was incredible.
HIKING: There’s tons of hiking trails around the islands with various levels of difficulty. There also are trails to the famous petroglyphs (ancient carvings) from the Taino tribe that were carved between AD 600 and AD 1500. You can read more about them here.
THE BATHS ON VIRGIN GORDA: On the nearby BVI Virgin Gorda, they have day trips available to go see the natural sea baths created by huge granite boulders. We were not able to visit on our trip because our passports were not up to date (you will need them to visit here!) However, a lot of you guys recommended them so next time we will make sure to visit there!
What to Pack:
I tried to include as many tips and as much info as I could think of in this post. As I have said before, it was definitely a trip of a lifetime! I cannot wait to go back soon! If I missed any questions please leave me a comment below!
xoxo,
As a STJ resident (not SJVI) you mentioned “the island has frequent planned blackouts (except they are always a suprise!) to help conserve fuel usage.” THIS is false – Please visit WAPA page on Facebook to see the customer outrage!
The blackouts are due to an outdated system and poor upkeep and management http://www.wapasucks.com/
I was actually wondering if it was something like this but didn’t want to speculate! So sorry!!
We have been going to the Westin st John for over 15 years and a great piece of advice for Americans is that since it is u.s territory you can bring your own food. We take a suitcase full of dry goods and a freezer bag full of frozen food (it has always arrived frozen). This saves on the cost of expensive food on the island. This past visit I even took half a dozen fresh tomatoes and a dozen fresh eggs. This makes sure you get your favorite brand foods. We eat out several times but as the pool villa has a full kitchen we share in the cooking with our friends. Liquids are better brought on the island because of weight and possibility of breakage.
Hope this helps .
What a great tip!! Thanks for sharing! We can’t wait to go back soon.
Horrible tip. Why visit a place without giving to the local economy. Buy local, especially groceries.
Yes that’s what we did! But perhaps if someone was on a bit more of a budget an option!
Next time try Villa Tre Santi. Five minutes from Cruz Bay. Brand new, and has a backup generator. Three bedrooms , two baths, and a huge kitchen. Covered deck has a beautiful view. The website is: Villatresanti.com.
Oh thanks so much! I will check this place out!
My wife and I loved the donkeys.
Did you find a Bakery and a seafood market on St. john. Have a trip in Feb., Home rental wit kitchen.
Please share your experience
We just got back today from 9 days on St John! It was divine!
I am uncertain about visiting Virgin Gorda as I understood that BVI has a 14 day quarantine still.