Only three miles across Pillsbury Sound from St. Thomas, St. John seems worlds away from the neighboring hustle and bustle. More than half of the tiny island is designated as the Virgin Islands National Park and many cruise passengers eschew St. Thomas altogether in favor of the pristine beaches and tranquility of St. John.
Cruise ships cannot dock at John but some send in early morning tenders with passengers booked on shore excursions. From St. Thomas, ferry service is available to CruzBay either from the dock at Charlotte Amalie or the pier at Red Hook.
Diversions
The best way to see St. John is by a sort of flatbed surrey-style truck. These “taxis” will take you all over the island to view the panoramic vistas and unspoiled natural beauty. More energetic tourists will enjoy the hiking trails of the Virgin IslandsNational Park. Trail maps and instructions are available at the park ranger’s office.
Shopping
While it’s nothing compared to St. Thomas, St. John does have shopping in CruzBay. Most of the shops are located in Mongoose Junction, a short walk from the ferry dock. Look for locally made arts and crafts.
Beaches
TrunkBay is the most popular destination for beach-goers. It’s likely to be crowded, but it’s gorgeous and the underwater trail near the shore is perfect for snorkeling. Rental equipment is available. CaneelBay is known for attracting the rich and famous and one of its seven beach areas, HawksnestBeach, is open to the public. The reefs around CinnamonBay and MahoBay attract snorkelers and you’ll also find changing rooms and showers here.
I went to St. John with my cousin, and it is such a pretty island! I loved the ferry ride over there from St. Thomas. I even have a picture taken on that ride in my bathroom! We had a nice lunch in one of the little restaurants there in Mongoose Junction. (I wonder where THAT name came from.)
I LOVE St. John!!! There is a ruin of a sugar mill there where they have signage of how sugar cane used to be harvested there. Take a tour of the island, and you will see gorgeous views from almost every vantage point. If you go to the East end, you can see another country - the British Virgin Islands! It is easy to see many other of the Virgin Islands, St Thomas, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, it just depends where on the island you are standing.
Most of the island is a national park, and there are all sorts of hikes you can take. You can stay in luxury accomodations, like Caneel Bay, or in camper tents at Maho Bay. Ecotourism is taken seriously here.
If you are just there for the day, go underwater! Snorkel with parrotfish, barracuda and turtles.
While we helcoptered over St. Thomas and neighboring islands, our friends snorkeled in St. John and RAVED about it! I think we're going to do that next time!
We took the ferry to St Johns this month. It was an easy 20-25 minute ride and the breeze felt mighty nice. We planned only to stay for a couple of hours and look around at the dock area.
We did! The shopping was nice and the people were super friendly. It really is a beautiful place
You missed the main reason to go over to St. John. The beaches over there are spectacular. Being the most of the island is National Park things are very pristine.
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