ABOUT ST. JOHN
Did you know? The Virgin Islands National Park system includes 7200 acres of land.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are an English-speaking American territory, use the U.S. dollar, and offer a lot of choice in terms of what to do and good restaurants. The Virgin Island archipelago encompasses the three U.S. Virgins-St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas-and numerous islands a part of the British Virgin Islands (BVIs) in very close proximity to the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
St. John is a special place. Seasoned Caribbean travelers call it the most beautiful island in the Caribbean, and no one who visits can fail to be romanced by the loveliness of its scenic charms and the friendliness of its inhabitants, whose leafy hills and crystalline waters are largely incorporated into the Virgin Islands National Park, is a pristine nature lover's retreat
Two-thirds of St John is a protected national park, with gnarled trees and spiky cacti spilling over its edges. There are no airports or cruise-ship docks, and the usual Caribbean resorts are few and far between. It's blissfully low-key compared to its neighbor St Thomas. Hiking, snorkeling and Kayaking are the big to-dos. Trails wind by petroglyphs and sugar-mill ruins, and several drop out onto beaches prime for swimming with turtles and spotted eagle rays
On the whole, the islands are small and closely spaced, making it easy to hop from one to another. St. Thomas has good airline connections and is home to the capital, Charlotte Amalie, a popular cruise-ship port. The most populous island, St. Croix, has its own distinct feel, with varied colonial architecture and rum distilleries to tour.
Getting Here : Fly into St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island airport (STT)
Getting Around the Island is easy. Cruz Bay, the major town where the ferry docks, is on the west end of the island facing Red Hook in St. Thomas. It is connected by well maintained paved roads to most of the bays & beaches & to Coral Bay, the picturesque yacht harbor on the east end of the island. Several local agencies, all a short walk from the ferry dock, offer rental cars, jeeps & canopied trucks by the day or week. Colorful canopied taxis also line the dock all day & evening, offering rides to every island destination & St. John offers imaginative shops with distinctive clothing, quality jewelry, unique international & local crafts & duty free luxury goods.
The island is home to many talented artists who work in a wide array of mediums & modes. Meet them & see their work at the island's art galleries and studios. Take home a made-on-St. John work of art that can bring back the island feeling every time you look at it. St. John's three shopping areas, all within walking distance of the ferry & each with a personality all its own, are attractions in themselves offering charming restaurants, cafes & bars along with the shops.
Just being on St. John promotes health and wellness. Take it a step further & pamper, groom, work out, adjust, sweat, revitalize, integrate, renew, beautify or refresh yourself while you visit.
Always inspiring, St. John has been written about from every angle & many books tell tales of fact & fiction, suggest things to do & reveal its hidden treasures.
Ferry : Catch the hourly on the hour ferry from Red Hook on the east end of St. Thomas (a 30 to 45 minute taxi ride from the airport) or the ferry from Charlotte Amalie (near the airport but much less frequent). The ferry dock in St. John is right in the center of town in Cruz Bay.
Geography : St. John has numerous beaches, Trunk Bay, located on the North Shore is one of the top ten beaches in the world. The island also has wonderful snorkeling, interesting and sedate hiking trails, plantation ruins, and coral reefs teeming with life. More than half of the island's area has been placed under the aegis of the National Park Service. Rising steeply and quickly from the shore, St. John's ridges climax in three peaks of 1,100 to 1,200 ft. There are over 800 species of plants. More than 160 species of birds have been recorded in and around the park and, of these over 25 nest on the island.
Climate : The weather is very pleasantly tropical, year-round. Afternoon average temperatures range from 82 in January to 88 in August and September. The average annual low is 74F. Monthly rainfall averages 1.6 inches (February) to 5.8 inches (September)
Customs :
*** ALTHOUGH PASSPORTS ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN - PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP! ***
You will need a passport to visit the British Virgin Islands,
which you may very well want to do, so we highly recommend having a Passport with you.
When departing the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Immigration requires all persons, including Americans, to provide proof of citizenship. This can include a passport, or a certified copy of a birth certificate with a photo ID.
Food and Liquor : St John Market and the Starfish Market are both within a 10 minute drive
Bars-The Landing and Beach bar offer great drinks and usually have a performer/band during happy hour or later in the evening.
Shopping : Mongoose Junction shopping, Warfside Village Shopping.
Attractions : Reef Bay Trail, 5000 acres of Virgin Islands National Park, countless sugar plantation ruins.
Activities : World Famous Beaches, Swimming, Scuba-Diving, Snorkeling, Boating, Sailing, Wind-Surfing, Jet-Skiing, Deep Sea-Fishing, Hiking, Tennis, Horseback-Riding, Beach combing, Sight-Seeing, Eco-Tourism, Shopping at Duty-Free-Shops Library, Whale Watching.
For further information on the wonderful island of St john USVI we welcome you to visit Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John,_U.S._Virgin_Islands
