US VIRGIN ISLANDS /

ST. JOHN US VIRGIN ISLANDS TRAVEL GUIDE

Scenic view of Trunk Bay, St. John, with crystal clear turquoise waters, white sandy beach, and lush green hills in the background. 
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It’s no secret that Joe and I are slightly obsessed with Saint John. That’s why every chance we get, we hop on a flight to our favorite destination in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We created this travel guide to help you plan the perfect trip to paradise!

Know Before You Go – Planning a Trip to St. John

If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need a passport because St. John is a U.S. territory. Over 2/3 of the island is U.S. Virgin Islands National Parkland. St. John is not commercialized like St. Thomas and St. Croix. There are no traffic lights, no all inclusive resorts, or chain restaurants. The island is very mountainous and they drive on the left side of the road. A four wheel drive vehicle is recommended for exploring the island. If driving steep and winding roads make you nervous, consider staying in Cruz Bay, so that you can walk to restaurants. Taxis run all day to take you wherever you want to go.

How To Get to St. John

There are no airports on St. John. The best way to get there is to fly into St. Thomas (Cyril E. King International Airport (STT), then ferry over to Cruz Bay, St. John. They do not have Uber or Lyft services, so you will need to take a taxi from the airport to the Ferry Dock. They offer van taxis that hold up to 8 people and the cost is $15 per person or you can take a private cab for $135.

Ferry Service

There are 2 ferry service providers to take you from St. Thomas to Cruz Bay. Red Hook Ferry on the East end of St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, St. John has the most times available and the one we almost always use. Red Hook Ferry Dock is approximately 40 minute drive from the airport. Crown Bay Ferry is closer to the airport and offers ferry services to Cruz Bay also, but services are limited. Here is the link for Red Hook to Cruz Bay. https://stjohnticketing.com/red-hook-cruz-bay/

Where to Stay

You will not find any all inclusive resorts or chain hotels on St. John. It is mostly vacation rentals. One thing to note when considering where to stay is that the island does experience random power outages. I recommend checking with your rental to see if they have a generator.

  • Grande Bay Resort Condos

Our preferred place to stay. Grande Bay Condos are perfectly located in downtown Cruz Bay, a short walk from the ferry, restaurants, bars and shops. We have rented the same condo over the past 7 years and absolutely love it here! The host we rent from also has a jeep that he rents to guests for an additional fee based on availability. The jeep will be parked in a designated parking spot at Grande Bay Resort making it very convenient. You will receive the keys to the jeep at check-in. Here is the link to the 1 BR condo vrbo.com/affiliate/Ehrcf0w

  • The Westin St. John Resort Villas

On our most recent trip to St. John, we extended our vacation by 2 days. After checking out of the condo, we checked into The Westin St. John Resort Villas. The Westin is a gorgeous 47 acre premium vacation ownership resort with a private stretch of white sand beach. The Westin offers amenities such as transfers from St. Thomas to St. John on private Westin ferry, on site restaurants, bars, 1/4 acre swimming pool, lounge area with chairs, water sports, activities, on property shuttle service and more. Located 10 minutes outside of downtown Cruz Bay. Bay. You can book directly through the Marriott Bonvoy website at: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sttwj-the-westin-st-john-resort-villas/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0

  • Gallows Point Resort – We have not personally stayed here
  • The Flamingo House – We have not personally stayed here
  • St. John Resort Villas – Luxury Villa Rentals for groups, families and weddings

Getting around STJ

St. John is a beautiful mountainous island with winding steep hills. If you’re going to explore the island, which I highly recommend, you’ll want to reserve a 4 wheel drive vehicle well in advance. One very important thing to remember is that you will drive on the left side of the road on St. John. Don’t let that scare you from getting out there and seeing all there is to see. Take your time and you will be fine! Here’s a list of a few jeep rentals on St. John.

Jeep Rentals

Taxi Service

If you don’t feel comfortable driving around St. John, there are plenty of taxi services that run all day long. Sorry, no Uber or Lyft services offered here.

Best Places to Eat on STJ

Lobster
Desert at Banana Deck
Drinks & Apps at Windmill

Oh, where to start. This one is going to be a little lengthy, because there are so many great options to choose from. Even though the condo is equipped with a full kitchen, the oven doesn’t get turned on unless we are reheating leftovers from the meal we ate out. As you can imagine, we’ve been to St. John over 10 times in the last 5 years, so we’ve been to just about every restaurant on island. Here’s a list of some of our favorites.

Breakfast

  • High Tide Bar & Seafood Grill – 4-B Wharfside Landing, Cruz Bay
  • Cruz Bay Landing – 6 D Cruz Bay Town
  • North Shore Deli – 507 Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay

Lunch

  • The Windmill Bar – 17 A Susannaberg
  • The Beach Bar – 4A Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay
  • Miss Lucy’s – Route 107 Friis Bay, Coral Bay
  • Sun Dog Cafe – 18 Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay
  • Skinny Legs – 9901 Estate Emmaus, Coral Bay

Dinner (Fine Dining) Reservations Recommended

  • The Terrace – 3 FA Cruz Bay Quarter
  • The Banana Deck – Bay Street, Cruz Bay
  • Morgan’s Mango – 18 First Street, Cruz Bay
  • STJ Speakeasy – Estate Enighed, Cruz Bay
  • La Tapa – Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay
  • 1864 The Restaurant – 503 Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay

Dinner (Casual)

  • Lovango Rum Bar – 1 Bay Street, Cruz Bay
  • The Lime Inn – 2C Vester Gade, Cruz Bay
  • The Tap & Still – Cruz Bay
  • Greengos Caribbean Cantina – Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay
  • High Tide Bar & Seafood Grill 4-B Wharfside Landing, Cruz Bay

Things to do – St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Spend the day at the beach.

St. John is known for it’s pristine white sand beaches with crystal clear blue water. As a matter of fact, Trunk Bay was just voted as the #1 Beach in the World!

  • Trunk Bay is part of the National Park and is the only beach that has an admission fee of $5.00 per person. This beach is the most photographed beach in the Virgin Islands and is absolutely stunning. There is a underwater snorkeling trail, snack shack, bar, snorkeling rentals, restrooms and showers.
  • Cinnamon Bay is the longest beach on St. John. They offer camping cottages, a snack bar, water sport rentals, snorkeling gear, and restrooms.
  • Hawksnest doesn’t offer amenities like the other beaches, but is still a favorite of ours. They do have a few pavilions and a couple of bathrooms.
  • Maho is a hotspot for good reason. They offer food trucks, bar service, watersport rentals and is a great place to snorkel and see sea turtles.
  • Honeymoon Beach is only accessible by hiking the Lind Point Trail, which is free, by water (charter or boat rental), or via the Caneel Bay Beach Club , which offers a shuttle service to Honeymoon Beach for $12 per person round trip.

Snorkeling in Crystal Clear Blue Water

Snorkeling is one of our favorite things to do on St. John and you can snorkel right off the shoreline. You can rent snorkeling equipment at Low Key Water Sports www.divelowkey.com

VERY IMPORTANT: PROTECT THE REEF, USE REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN ONLY! HERE ARE SOME YOU CAN FIND ON AMAZON.https://amzn.to/4harzBZ

Go Hiking

Hiking is a very popular activity on St. John with more than 20 trails. Here are a couple that we have done and recommend for non experienced hikers like ourselves.

  • The Lind Point Trail is approx 20-40 minutes and starts in Cruz Bay behind the Visitor Center and ends at Honeymoon Beach. I recommend bringing a bathing suit and towel because this beach is stunning and you’re going to want to stay here for a while.
  • Ram Head Trail is approx 2.5 miles out and back. The trail starts at Salt Pond Bay Beach with stunning views. Parking is limited, so get there early in the morning. Also, there is very limited shade, so bring sunscreen. Again, I recommend bringing a bathing suit and towel to hang out at Salt Pond Beach afterwards.

Visit the Floating Taco Bar

(Lime Out). Lime Out is accessible by boat only. They offer a shuttle service called Salt + Lime Express. Here is the link limeout2023.squarespace.com

Get Out On The Water

  • Nightime Kayaking in a clear bottom kayak with LED light system that illuminates the water below.https://www.nightkayak.com/night-tours/st-john/
  • Sunset Sail https://cruzbaywatersports.com/st-john-excursions-sunset-sail/
  • Rent a Boat We have boating experience, so we rent a Zodiac from Wharfside Water Sports. The cost is $395 for half day and $650 for full day.
  • Boat Charter If you’re not comfortable being the captain, there are many great charter companies that will take you out also. Here are a couple recommendations. Island Roots Charters and Fly Away Charters

More Things To Do

  • Annaberg Sugar Plantation. Take a self guided tour at this 18th century plantation.
  • Go Shopping at Mongoose Junction and Wharfside Village.
  • Try your luck at The Parrot Club Casino – Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay
  • Enjoy Live Music at The Beach Bar, Lovango Rum Bar, The Windmill Bar, Sun Dog Cafe and Cruz Bay Landing.