St John
St John is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands. This beautiful island was initially settled by the Arawak and Carib Indians. Then, in 1917, the United States bought St John from the Danish West India and Guinea Company. In 1956, Laurence Rockefeller donated over 5,000 acres of the island to the National Park Service.
Since two-thirds of the island has been designated as a national park, St John has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Be sure to include St John on your USVI itinerary.
There are two settlements on the island of St John. On the northwest end is the busy town of Cruz Bay. At the other end of the island is the much smaller community of Coral Bay. Even further yet is the pristine, quiet coastline of East End.
Weather
St John is warm all year. Average high temperatures are 84-89°F, with August being the hottest month and December-January the coolest. The average low temperature is 73°F-80°F. The average water temperature is 82°F. February to May are the driest months, while October to January is the wettest.
St John | Things to see and do
- Explore the tide pools at Salt Pond Bay. Although it’s a short hike to the area, snorkeling is worth it.
- Swim, snorkel or sunbathe at one of the world’s most beautiful beaches: Caneel Bay, Hawksnest Bay, Trunk Bay, Coral Bay, Maho Bay, and Honeymoon Beach.
- Find one-of-a-kind jewelry at Bamboo Studio, where talented local artists handcraft unique pieces from solid sterling silver and 14-karat gold.
- Browse Mongoose Junction, a collection of fashionable shops and restaurants in a unique architectural and tropical setting.
- Visit the historic Annaberg Plantation. In the 1700s, enslaved workers farmed 1,300 acres of sugar cane and produced 100,000 tons of sugar a year, as well as molasses and rum.
- Scuba dive.
St John Marinas
There are no marinas on St John. However, there are several at nearby St. Thomas, including:
- American Yacht Harbor has 123 total berths and four mega yacht berths, electricity, 24-hour security, private showers, a sport fishing return station, ships chandlery, restaurants, and entertainment. In addition, there are shopping, WI-FI, high-speed fuel pumps, provisioning services, vessel maintenance flexibility, waste disposal services, and nearby laundry.
- Sapphire Beach Marina, located on the East End of St. Thomas, is in a gated community 30 minutes from the airport and 5 minutes from the town of Red Hook. It is a small marina with just 66 berths. However, it has all the amenities of a larger facility, including a white sand beach, pool, restaurants, coffee shop, laundry, and bathroom facilities.
