Saint Thomas Island is a tourist paradise and definitely the most popular destination to stay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Surrounded by pristine beaches and stunning surrounding mountains, there are many amazing viewpoints in and around Santo Tomas. If you want to stay on the beach and go from island to island, then Santo Tomas would be the best option.
We stayed at St John because we like the “ambience” of the island. It's a very homey vacation and not for everyone. We rent a villa or a condo (not on a beach, but with great views), rent a jeep that we load with chairs, snorkel gear and pack a cooler with drinks, have lunch with 26% refreshments and head to the beach. Both resorts in St.
John suffered serious damage from hurricanes and are currently closed. I may be partial (after all, I work as a boat captain here), but exploring the U.S. Virgin Islands by boat is vastly better than on land. And one of the best places to visit by boat is Buck Island, near St.
Magens Bay is the postcard image of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and with good reason. The mile-long stretch of white sand is lined with sea grapes and coconut trees that provide a natural awning while turquoise waters line the coast. Surrounded mostly by lush green hills, Magens Bay still seems like a natural getaway despite its popularity with cruise passengers and visitors to St.
Beautiful beaches, great hotels, great restaurants and panoramic views await visitors on the east end of St. Thomas If you are thinking of staying in St. Thomas, it is very likely that you will end up looking for accommodation on the eastern end of the island. Popular resorts are spread across the region, such as Margaritaville, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott at Frenchmen's Reef, Limetree Resort, Sapphire Village and Secret Harbor Resort, each with access to some of the island's most beautiful beaches.
You have successfully joined our subscriber list. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you buy or book through one of these links, I may earn a small commission. John are neighboring islands, and two of the most popular to visit in the U.S. UU.
Its beauty attracts visitors from all over the world; especially Americans, since they are Americans, Americans. However, it can be difficult to choose between St. John, the ideal place to stay. John is gorgeous, and there's a lot to love about each of them.
However, these islands really complement each other, as neither has everything for everyone. So, you'll need to choose the one that works best for you, and this post is here to help you do that. I've been traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands for years and I could tell you which one is my favorite, but it wouldn't be fair to you.
Okay, I'll tell you, but I won't tell you until the end. First, let's look at how these two islands compare to each other so that you can make the best decision for your own needs. That's where the similarities end. Now let's look at the real differences between St.
Although many people come to the U.S. UU. ,. Virgin Islands: To relax and unwind, there may be some nights when you want to go out on the town.
John provides an opportunity to have fun at night, but in varying degrees. Santo Tomas is more populated, has more hotels and is much more developed than St. John. It's also the busiest cruise port in the Caribbean.
This lends itself to having a superior nightlife scene, with more options for bars and nightclubs, and a little more energy. John's Cruz Bay offers most of the island's nightlife. While there are some interesting spots on the Coral Bay side (or east), many of them close around eight or nine in the morning. So, the best thing to do is to stay on the side of Cruz Bay, which is conveniently west facing to enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset.
There's a lot to see and do while vacationing in St. Both places offer incredible experiences that will make your trip unforgettable, albeit in different ways. Thomas is the more developed of the two islands. It preserves its beauty, while offering the convenience of modern commercialism, such as shopping malls and malls.
Things are both simple and spectacular in St. John, with the island being two-thirds of the national park. Instead of going shopping or hanging out at a resort, in St. John, you will spend most of your time among beautiful natural environments.
John without, of course, mentioning the beach. The beaches on both islands are beautiful, but as you can see, they are not necessarily apples against apples. Thomas is much more developed than St. John, who is favored by airport and cruise traffic.
Thomas gets a lot more visitors, he also has a lot more lodging options than St. The most beautiful beaches in Thomas are full of resorts. Please note that the heavy cruise traffic of St. Thomas believes that it can draw large crowds to the most popular beaches, especially Magens Bay.
John is a smaller island than St. Thomas, and it doesn't even have close to the number of resorts. John's beaches are protected within the national park, keeping them in a pristine and undeveloped state. Because they are small islands in the Caribbean, both St.
However, the breadth and availability of options vary considerably. Thomas has a small advantage because he is larger and has more resources. With large hotels and the frequent arrival of hungry cruise passengers, more restaurants are needed to accommodate large crowds. While you'll find more food and drink options, more doesn't always mean better.
There are many successes, but just as many mistakes and traps for tourists. John has far fewer restaurants than St. That said, you don't sacrifice in quality what you sacrifice in quantity. .
One drawback to mention is that St. John restaurants usually close earlier than those in St. Much of this is because there aren't enough employees to stay open for long hours. This has largely been the case since Hurricane Irma.
So, you'll find that some of their restaurants close so early at 8 or 9 p.m., especially in Coral Bay. John, I highly recommend staying at Cruz Bay. There are The Westin and Gallows Point hotel complexes, where it will be very easy to get to beaches and restaurants by taxi. You'll also be close to the ferry dock, gas stations, and car rental agencies.
Being on the islands, even the infrastructure of St. John will be as great as you're used to in, say, the continental United States. Factors that may influence your choice include logistical elements such as access to the Internet and the availability of medical care. In keeping with my previous promise, I will admit that St.
John is my favorite of the two of us. I like the simplicity of the island and the opportunity to disconnect it offers. That said, I have nothing against St. Thomas, so don't let it skew your decision if you lean in the other direction.
Each hotel has its own small private beach (The Westin looks a little better), but both will need a taxi to get to other beaches on the islands. Yes, there are some beaches that are more difficult to access, where the roads get a little harder. In addition, since the island is quite mountainous, it can generally be easier to maneuver in a Jeep, especially if it rains. You can find calm waters on both islands, and I have traveled with distant family members who have young children in the past.
John, and I tended to go to Maho Bay over and over again, since that beach, reliably, always has very soft waters. The other beaches are also usually quiet, but there are days when the waves may increase or the water may be a little more agitated. Do you know if ferries currently run between the islands and to the British Virgin Islands? (In November) You're going to love St. In fact, I took a solo trip there in July, and you'll definitely have a good time.
John, the best rooms are usually found on Airbnb or VRBO, as they usually have incredible views. All of the ones I have listed at the bottom of this post, I have personally hosted them and I loved them. I'm with you, San Juan sounds more at our speed. When analyzing VRBOs, several recommend renting a jeep and it seems that it may be difficult to get to their homes.
Is it difficult to travel around St. John? ST. It's usually not difficult to drive for John. There are a lot of sharp turns and the roads may be tight, but the speed limit is only 25 miles per hour.
So, if you take your time, let yourself go by the locals who drive at full speed and are careful when cornering, nothing will happen to you. Something to keep in mind: in the Virgin Islands, you must drive on the left side of the road. It may sound intimidating at first, but trust me, you'll get used to it. VRBOs are likely to recommend a Jeep because many rentals tend to be located high or at the end of mountainous roads, which may not be paved.
Jeeps make accessing these types of properties much easier and very feasible. It's easy to travel by ferry between STT and STJ, but keep in mind that you'll still need a half-hour taxi ride to the airport from Red Hook once in St. We usually try to catch a ferry that leaves at least three hours before our flight. However, we also have Global Entry, which is a GREAT help in skipping long customs queues, so you can also consider that.
For an incredible sunset view during dinner, I recommend booking Sunset Grille in Secret Harbour. Magens Bay is fantastic, Coki Beach has beautiful waters for snorkeling, and Sapphire Bay is also impressive with a nice beach bar. I also recommend taking the ferry to St. John for a day to visit a beach and have dinner in Cruz Bay.
We like to arrive and depart on weekdays, usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but it really depends on the prices available at that time. My wife and I want to make sure that the children have a lot to do and don't get bored. I am thinking of renting a catamaran for one of the days (with crew) to sail around the islands. I'll probably dive someday and walk, etc.
I definitely don't want to feel like we have a full day of events every day. Seeing the Ritz as an option, but open to ideas. While I understand that the roads are not the ones you would like to travel, I wonder what the options are for running. My son is a long-distance runner in college and needs training during any trip we take.
Does John have trails he could safely run on? In fact, I've seen people running along the paved, mountainous roads of St. So that could work well, since there isn't much traffic in certain areas, such as Coral Bay, especially in the morning. However, there isn't actually a sidewalk, so you'd have to be careful. I haven't seen many people running on the current trails, as they can be mountainous, irregular and rocky.
You could try Reef Bay, which is five miles back and forth and has flatter sections. There's also Lind Point, which is two miles back and forth and is pretty flat, though again, you'd have to keep an eye on your steps. We all see and experience things at our own pace, and there's nothing wrong with that. For a low price, you can hit the winding trails visiting everything Water Island has to offer.
They are often booked months in advance, and the Virgin Islands have also been affected by the current shortage of rental cars. Yes, this island is very beautiful and, although you won't find as many attractions as in St. I was ready to pull the trigger and split time between the two islands: a VRBO on St. Thomas and the Westin on St.
Throughout the city, accessible on foot, you'll find souvenir shops, jewelry stores, fantastic restaurants, countless beach bars, boat rental companies and the largest dive shop in the Virgin Islands. The national park you're thinking of is the Virgin Islands National Park, which covers approximately 60% of the island. Many people think that STX has more of an island atmosphere than the other two and also has the best restaurants in the Virgin Islands. This destination is famous for its cruise ships that dock in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the Virgin Islands.
I definitely recommend visiting Virgin Islands Ecotours for your kayaking, hiking and snorkeling day trip to Cas Cay from St. If you want access to some of the most remote areas of the Virgin Islands National Park, I highly recommend staying close to Coral Bay. .
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