Saint John in the Caribbean is the smallest of the three main Virgin Islands in the United States. Apart from being the smallest, St. John is also the least developed and least populated of the three. The other two are St. Thomas and St. Croix; St. John is also the most pristine with breathtaking nature.
St. John is undoubtedly a remarkable place, and a visit to the place is one you’ll likely never forget. If you’re a crypto enthusiast, you can buy Bitcoin Cash or any cryptocurrency coin of your choice and spend it at St John.
St. John has a good mix of adventure, history, and food that you’ll find interesting. The island has a total area of 52 square kilometers, and about two-thirds are designated as a national park. In case you’re concerned about getting bored after a few days, you don’t have to. There are several interesting places you can visit; we will give you a list of what to do in Saint John.
The Maho Crossroads
Maho is a beautiful beach on St. John Island; the addition of its crossroads has made the beach popular. It is an outdoor complex located across Maho Bay Beach, featuring shops, food stalls, and games. Maho Crossroads is self-powered and built to have a low carbon footprint and give visitors a leisurely and great time. One interesting thing about Maho Crossroads is the full bar it has where you can get a high-quality painkiller.
Maho Beach: Serene View With Abundant Turtles
Maho Bay Beach is a serene and scenic bay on St. John’s North Shore, featuring turquoise waves and palm trees. Maho Beach is famous for its white sand and the many opportunities to swim, snorkel, and kayak. The bay is best known for having many sea turtles; Maho beach is a great place to go if you’ve never seen turtles. If you’re lucky, you may even see stingrays on the Maho bay Beach.
The beach is among the Island’s most popular beaches, so you’ll find some facilities like beach chairs and places for drinks. The beach also has places where you can rent snorkeling equipment or glass-bottomed boats. If you’re traveling to Saint John Island in the Caribbean, Maho Bay is one beach you should check out before you leave.
Trunk Bay: The Most Beautiful Caribbean Beach
If you’ve ever seen pictures of St. John Island, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Trunk Bay. Trunk Bay is a scenic coastline in St. John; it is one of the most popular and photographed beaches on the island’s north coast. It is also a famous stop for several island tours, and you can get there by bus from Cruz Bay. That means if you ever visit, you won’t be the only one; you’ll find many tourists and locals there, too.
Trunk Bay is popular for the Coral Reef Underwater Park Trail, a marked underwater trail gracing a small island near the shore. The trail is perfect for snorkeling, with a path that’s 225 yards in length and is aligned with underwater plaques. The plaques are meant to guide snorkelers, but they’re often uneasy to read and aren’t well maintained. Many consider Trunk Bay Beach to be one of the best beaches in the world and the most beautiful in the Caribbean.
Hurricane Hole: View St John’s Stunning Landscape
St John Island’s coastline is amazing, with beautiful scenery and featuring many inlets and bays. If you want a good view of St John’s stunning landscape, the best place to view from is at Hurricane Hole. Hurricane Hole is located on the eastern side of the island; it is one of the coolest places to go kayaking. However, the place doesn’t have many tourists because it is located far away from the north coast.
Hurricane Hole is also a great place to go snorkeling, featuring some mangroves circling the shoreline. It has calm and gentle waters, perfect for children and beginner kayakers. Much of what to see in Saint John includes wildlife like snapper fish, starfish, barracudas, corals, and more in the area.
Reef Bay: Perfect for Hiking
Aside from the scenic beaches, St John also offers several hiking opportunities. If you’re traveling to St. John, one of the things you should do is walk through Virgin Islands National Park. The park offers many short and easy hiking opportunities, with several plantation ruins you’ll discover along the trails. Hiking along the trails, like the Salt Pond Trail, is also a good opportunity to see different bird species.
If you’re more interested in longer and strenuous hikes on St John, you can visit Reef Bay Trail. The trail is an in-and-out steep hike of about four kilometers each way, with a 275m elevation difference. You will walk down to the sea and climb back up when you’re returning, but there’s usually a breeze to make it bearable.
Salt Pond Beach: Great View of St John’s Effortless Beautiful Scenery
Salt Pond Beach is another iconic place to visit on Saint John Island to view the island’s beautiful scenery without effort. The island is located in the southernmost part of the island, quiet, serene, and beautiful. The beach is isolated and requires that you hike for five to ten minutes to get there. Despite being very quiet and free of tourists, Salt Pond Beach is the local’s favorite.
Salt Pond Beach provides nice scenery with numerous opportunities to tan, swim, and snorkel in shiny sun rays. If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the island’s more popular travel destinations, this is the place to go. Salt Pond Beach is also a great picnicking spot with its picnic tables and an outhouse. However, you may need to bring your umbrella with you because there isn’t much shade on the beach.
Annaberg Sugar Plantation: A Must-See for Tourists
Danish Colonists established the Annaberg Plantation in the eighteenth century; it is a popular tourist attraction center in the USVI. The plantation is one of the places you should visit if you ever go to St John Island. The plantation is a former sugar plantation and factory with well-known historical significance, featuring impressive ruins and information panels. These include the defunct working sites, old sleeping quarters, and guardhouse, sharing information about the factory’s operations.
Annaberg Sugar Plantation is the best place to go if you want to know more about Saint John’s history. It also shares what part the plantation played in the African slave trade with the real-life brutality of the past. Annaberg Plantation should be number one on your list if you’re a history lover. However, you may want to go there with a local guide if you want to learn more about the place.
Honeymoon Beach: Lind Point Trail
Honeymoon Beach is one of St. John’s most popular beaches and one of the few offering rental chairs, drinks, and snacks. It’s such a beautiful place where you can spend an entire day without feeling bored or tired. The beach is even more satisfying in the morning, especially if you want to experience it without too many people. Many people take the Lind Point Trail to the beach and spend a whole day there.
Lind Point Trail is an easy hike that starts in Cruz Bay and leads you to Honeymoon Beach. It provides great views of the area from Cruz Bay Overlook; you can even swim at Salomon Beach. The hike and entire loop are only about 3.7 km, about twenty to thirty minutes one-way.
Carolina Corral in Coral Bay: Awesome Place for Horseback Riding
Carolina Coral is a good place to visit if you’re interested in interacting with animals or you want to go horseback riding. The place is like an animal shelter fostering various animals like dogs, hogs, cats, horses, goats, donkeys, and sheep. It is a low-key shelter run by one woman; it offers an authentic experience beyond the typical tourist attraction. It is also a great place to go if you want to take lessons on how to properly saddle a horse.
If you only want to visit and pet some donkeys and horses, you won’t need to book before visiting. However, if you want to ride the horse or engage in any other activity, you’ll need to book in advance.
Visit the Other Two Islands
If you’re visiting Saint John, complete your visitation by visiting at least one of the remaining two USVI islands. St Thomas is closer to Saint John, with frequent ferries between the two islands operating from morning till 10 pm. A round trip only takes about twenty to twenty-five minutes at $12, and you get terrific views along the way.
St Croix is farther away and doesn’t have a direct connection to St John. To get there, you’ll first take a ferry to St Thomas and then another to St. Croix. Ferries going between St. Croix and St. Thomas don’t operate every day. It is a long and expensive journey, but the trip is worth it if you can take it.
Saint John Island has all the ingredients for a laid-back vacation in the Caribbean with historical sites and adventurous activities. St. John Island offers a nice blend of possibilities for a truly relaxing vacation with something for everyone. With much of the travel restrictions lifted, you can now freely visit the natural beauty of Saint John Island.