virgin islands – MLE Travel Diary

The Best of St. John: Ultimate Virgin Islands Travel Guide

MLE Travel Diary — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:00:00 +0000

If there’s only ONE place you visit this year, let it be the US Virgin Islands! Let me tell you why…

Located in the Caribbean, the Virgin Islands are the perfect winter getaway with their stunning beaches, friendly people, and plethora of fun activities. Not only that, but there you’ll find the #1 beach in the WORLD: Trunk Bay Beach!

I spent 4 days on St. John solo traveling the island, and had the best time. If you’re planning your first trip to USVI, make sure to check out 11 things you need to know to prepare for your travels!

This US Virgin Islands Travel Guide will help you plan your trip to the islands, with my recommendations for the best things to do, where to stay, where to eat, and how to get around.

Wondering if you need a passport to visit the US Virgin Islands? Find out here, plus 11 other essential tips you need to know about the Virgin Islands before you go!

Save all these spots and more by clicking the link below!

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Things to do and see

1. Trunk Bay Beach

Trunk Bay Beach was voted the #1 beach in the entire WORLD and after seeing it with my own eyes…I believe it! If this isn’t on your bucket list yet, you absolutely need to add it and check it out ASAP!

This is the perfect day trip. It is really easy to access; there is a big parking lot if you’ve rented a car, or taxis run all day from Cruz Bay up to Trunk Bay and between the other beaches.

I suggest bringing a picnic lunch and snacks. But there is a Snack Shack where you can buy food as well!

2. Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, Boat Cruise

I highly recommend doing a day trip to the British Virgin Islands while you’re here. There are a few different options, and cruises leave from both St. Thomas and St. John.

Jost Van Dyke & Soggy Dollar Snorkel Sail

This is the tour I did, and I would highly recommend it! We snorkeled at one spot before getting to Jost Van Dyke, and had about 3 hours at Jost Van Dyke once we arrived.

This gave us enough time to grab lunch and explore the island! While you’re there, I highly recommend walking all the way left on the beach; there is a really great viewpoint of the entire beach!

Book the tour leaving from St. John
Book the tour leaving from St. Thomas

The Baths of Virgin Gorda

This is the tour to choose if you want to explore the Baths of Virgin Gorda on Jost Van Dyke. The Batholiths are a series of interconnected boulder formations creating little caves to wander through, and crystal clear waters to explore.

Book the tour leaving from St. John
Book the tour leaving from St. Thomas

Private Boat Charter

If you have a bigger group, or want to be more in control of your itinerary, I suggest a private boat charter. With this, you’ll be able to choose where you want to explore and have your own boat crew to take you around!

Book a private charter from either St. John or St. Thomas

3. Maho Bay

Maho Bay is THE spot if you are looking to snorkel and see turtles! This is a smaller beach north of Trunk Bay Beach and a must see.

You can also catch a beautiful sunset from here!

5. Lunch at Lime Out & Snorkel Tour

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Perhaps you have come across the iconic floating taco bar in the middle of the ocean already, and if not then this is definitely something you’ll want to add to your bucket list!

Lime Out is on the other end of the island from Cruz Bay. I recommend booking this tour for an easy experience of visiting the Taco Bar and getting to snorkel along the way!

4. Lind Point Trail

Lind Point Trail is a moderately easy 2 mile trail that will take you from Cruz Bay to Salomon Beach and Honeymoon Beach.

I definitely recommend spending a couple hours walking this trail and checking out the beaches along the way! Especially Salomon Beach; it’s only accessible by this trail so it’s a mostly private beach if you’re willing to make the hike.

6. Ram Head Peak

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Ram Head Trail is a 2.6 mile roundtrip hike that will give you sprawling views of the ocean and islands. I recommend waking up early to catch sunrise here!

7. Cinnamon Bay Plantation Ruins

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While you’re driving along the coast to explore the beaches, I recommend stopping by the Cinnamon Bay Plantation Ruins. There are lots of plantation ruins all around the island, actually.

There’s a short walking trail, about 0.5 miles. Plus, there are signs throughout the ruins to educate you about the history of the Virgin Islands and to follow how sugar cane was processed from the fields into sugar, molasses and rum.

8. Cruz Bay Visitor Center

Stop by the Cruz Bay Visitor Center for your National Park stamp and to check out the history exhibits that will give you more background on the US Virgin Islands!

You can also check in with the National Park rangers and volunteers for guidance for their hike recommendations and other park experiences.

9. Day trip to St. Thomas

Although most people day trip to St. John from St. Thomas, you can absolutely go the other way to explore the island! The ferry runs every hour all day long; for more information on the ferries keep reading!

Where to stay

Since St. John is covered mostly by the National Park, there are really just two areas with most of the lodging – Cruz Bay and Coral Bay. I’ll share my top 3 hotel recommendations – one budget, one mid-range and one luxury option, depending on your budget.

Budget: The Inn at Tamarind Court

I spent less than $100 per night on my stay in the US Virgin Islands, thanks to the Inn at Tamarind Court! It’s a cross between a hostel and a hotel, with rooms specifically for solo travelers.

The room rate includes breakfast, which is really only fruit and toast, but I enjoyed my stay here. I shared a bathroom with just two other people and didn’t have any issues.

Mid-Range: Coconut Coast Villas

A boutique hotel like Coconut Coast Villas is perfect, offering studio, 2 and 3 bedroom condos. This will let you make your own food to save money, while offering nice amenities like an ocean front pool, hot tub and patio.

Luxury: The Westin St. John Resort Villas

If you’re looking to splurge and really enjoy your time at your hotel in paradise, I recommend the Westin St. John Resort Villas. This hotel is absolutely stunning and has all the amenities you’ll need for a comfortable stay.

Also, this is where the boat tours take off from so that makes it really convenient for any cruises you want to go on!

Where to eat and drink

1. The Longboard

The Longboard is a Caribbean-inspired Coastal restaurant with the best food on the island, in my opinion. It was so good, I actually ended up eating here 3 out of my 4 nights.

I would recommend the poke bowl, fried rice and brussels sprouts! They also have a really great happy hour every day from 2 – 4 PM.

2. Lime Out

Lime Out is a MUST when you come to St. John! Their tacos are phenomenal, and they offer a wide variety of options! I got the Rum Rib Tacos and they were delicious.

It is all the way on the opposite side of the island, so if you don’t want to deal with getting a taxi back and forth, I recommend booking the Lime Out Lunch and Snorkel Tour!

That’s what I did, and it was such a fun day! You’re able to swim over to the floating bar for drinks and souvenirs, and then you’ll eat your tacos on the boat for lunch.

3. North Shore Deli

North Shore Deli has affordable deli sandwiches and breakfast options. I had the Cali Pastrami sandwich and it actually turned into two meals for me.

4. Irie Pops

I couldn’t have been more excited to come across Irie Pops – it’s a dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free ice cream shop with SOFT SERVE ice cream, popsicles and more! I cam here multiple times haha.

5. The Lime Inn

Sound familiar? Yep, that’s right – the Lime Inn is the LAND counterpart to Lime Out!

They offer an even wider variety of tacos and quesadillas, and everything is so delicious. Definitely come here at least once, especially if you aren’t able to make it out to Lime Out.

How to get around the Virgin Islands

By Foot

The downtown Cruz Bay area is very walkable! It was easy to get from my hotel down to all of the restaurants and shops.

To stay active, I would definitely suggest walking the Lind Point Trail or any other hike throughout the Virgin Islands National Park.

By Taxi

Most of the major roads are NOT walkable (I did try to walk through the National Park and quickly realized this was a terrible idea). Enter, these US Virgin Islands Taxis that are all over the island!

They are really more like open-air buses, but they’ll take you all over the island. Here’s what they look like:

You can hail them in the roads, or head to a hotspot like the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock, popular hotels or Beach parking lots.

If you can’t find one nearby, you can call the Taxi company. There are lots of drivers on the island, or I would call the mainline to catch a ride: +1 (340) 228-4895.

Each ride cost me anywhere from $6 – $12, which I felt was very affordable and made it really easy to get around the island.

By Boat

To get to St. John you will need to take the ferry from St. Thomas. There are two different ports – Red Hook and Amalie Beach.

They have different schedules, so I recommend not booking your ticket in advance so you can take whichever ferry lines up better with when you arrive, timing-wise. You can take a look at the schedules here.

While you’re on the islands, I would definitely recommend going on at least one boat cruise. The Jost Van Dyke day trip was my favorite; it is such a great way to spend a day.

By Bus

There is one bus, the Vitran bus, that travels from Cruz Bay, through Coral Bay and all the way to Salt Pond Bay. Note that the bus does not run on Saturdays.

It is an extremely affordable option, with rides for just $1.

It won’t take you to the beaches, but will take you through the National Park and from coast to coast on the island. This is a great option to see more of St. John!

For the current schedule and more information, check out the Virgin Islands public transportation site here.

By Car

A popular option is renting a car in the US Virgin Islands, especially a jeep rental. You’ll see these all over the island.

If you want to rent a car on St. John, remember that they drive on the left side. Roads are also very narrow and winding throughout the park.

Car rentals typically have a minimum of 4 days rental, so depending on how long your trip is, it may not be do-able if your trip is shorter than that.

Additionally, keep in mind that if you rent your car on St. Thomas, you will need to drive it over on a car ferry. There aren’t a ton of parking spots on each ferry, so make sure you plan accordingly.

My parents rented a car when they visited the US Virgin Islands a few years ago, and said that they had to actually back their car up to get it onto the ferry. Just something to keep in mind, depending on your comfort level!

If you’re on the fence about renting a car; I personally was really glad I didn’t rent a car. I felt like I was able to see everything I wanted to without a car, and still had the experience of driving on the roads as a passenger and seeing the National Park that way.

If you’re planning a trip to St. John, be sure to read up on general Virgin Islands travel guidance, including when to go, whether or not you need a visa, and what you need to know before you go.

And feel free to send me an email or DM on Instagram with any questions or for personalized travel tips!

mariss

The post The Best of St. John: Ultimate Virgin Islands Travel Guide first appeared on MLE Travel Diary.

12 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting The Virgin Islands

MLE Travel Diary — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Sharing the best Virgin Islands travel tips that everyone should know before they go to the beautiful Caribbean Islands for the first time! Make sure to take notes so you can be prepared for your trip.

Overall, I absolutely loved my time on St. John and already am planning my next trip back! As a solo female traveler, I never felt unsafe during my trip and found that the people were super friendly and happy to have tourists visiting.

Although the US Virgin Islands are technically a part of the United States, there are some things specific to the islands that you’ll want to be aware of. I’m going to share what I learned from my visit so you will be fully ready for yours!

1. US Citizens do NOT need a passport to visit!

However, I would still recommend bringing your passport to expedite your return back to the United States mainland.

Also, if you are planning on doing a day trip to the British Virgin Islands, you WILL need your passport for that!

2. Cars in the Virgin Islands drive on the left side; the driver seat is also on the left.

This was one of the more interesting things I’ve ever seen when it comes to driving in a new place. If you plan on renting a car, be aware that although the car layout may be similar, cars drive on the OPPOSITE (left) side of the road.

3. Shared taxis can be found all over the island.

These vehicles are called taxis, but are really more like open-air mini-buses. Most taxis have two or three rows of benches, and no seatbelts.

You can flag them down if you see one on the road going in the direction you’re headed. Or, you can usually find one located at a central location, like the ferry port or beach parking lot.

The Virgin Islands taxis were really easy to use, and each ride cost me anywhere from $6 – $12.

Since I was by myself, these rates were on the higher end. If you’re traveling with multiple people, the taxi driver will usually give you a small group discount, and charge you less per person.

Additionally, when you get of the plane, unless you booked a private transfer, these shared taxi vans will be waiting to take groups of people to their hotels or to the ferry port. It really couldn’t be easier to get around the islands without renting your own car!

In case you are in a more isolated spot and can’t locate a taxi, I recommend saving the taxi driver numbers – there are different taxi companies for each of the islands – St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, etc. If you’re heading to the Virgin Islands soon and want these numbers, send me a DM on Instagram and I can share the taxi contacts I used!

4. Make sure to bring cash for taxis, tips, and more.

The currency in the US Virgin Islands is the same – they use the US Dollar. I recommend bringing $50-100 cash per person per day, depending on what types of activities you’re planning on doing.

Most restaurants I went to accepted credit cards, but cash is definitely the easiest and most appreciated on the islands.

5. Hurricane season typically runs from June to November.

As with most spots in the Caribbean, you’ll want to look out for hurricane season. You can usually find great deals on flights and hotels during this time, but be aware that it comes with an additional risk!

Especially if you’re not staying on St. Thomas, where the airport is located, you may have a harder time leaving the island in the event the islands get put on hurricane watch.

6. Power outages can occur randomly with no notice, especially on St. John.

On my last night in St. John, I woke up at 2 AM to the power being totally shut off. It turned back on at 3:30 AM, but was out for about 2-3 hours in total.

This is something that really surprised me when it happened to me and I started reading more about it. It’s apparently a well known issue across the islands, especially in St. John – residents are unfortunately at the mercy of the Water & Power company, and typically don’t know how long the power will be out for.

If you want to avoid any potential issues, book a hotel or other lodging that has a generator so your power will be uninterrupted on your trip.

7. The roads through the Virgin Islands National Park are steep, winding, and narrow.

If you choose to rent a car, know that the roads you’ll be driving on are full of lots of twists and turns, narrow streets, and steep hills.

I was glad that I didn’t end up renting a car, especially since I was alone, and taxis were readily available all over the island.

8. Food costs are generally higher than in the US mainland.

Since the Virgin Islands import nearly all their food, food costs will be higher when you’re on the islands. My meals out at restaurants averaged between $25 – $45 per meal.

If you want to cut down on your food costs, I recommend getting groceries from the closest grocery store. However, keep in mind that the prices at the grocery store will likely still be higher than you’re used to back at home!

9. Be careful not to bring sand fleas back from the beach.

This is something I learned the hard way. Luckily for your sake I’ll spare you the photos I took of the 50+ sand flea bites all over my legs!😂

To avoid this – make sure you shower immediately after getting back from the beach. I would also recommend leaving any sandy towels, chairs, clothes, etc outside or in a bag separated from the rest of your belongings.

10. Cell phone service is available throughout most of the island.

All major US cell service providers have cell coverage over the US Virgin Islands.

I have Verizon Wireless and only lost service briefly when I was down in the water at one of the beaches. However, by the time I would have actually needed my cell service again up at the parking lot, it was back.

One thing to note is you may get roaming charges if you get close to the British Virgin Islands. If you’re worried about this, I suggest putting your phone on airplane mode when you’re on a boat excursion or venturing out to the right side of St. John.

11. Tipping is expected.

Similar to the United States, tipping is expected. A good rule of thumb is 15% – 20% of your total bill, including on things like your boat excursions.

I personally didn’t tip my taxi driver on the little rides all over the islands, but I did tip on my rides to and from the airport.

12. The Virgin Islands are on Atlantic Standard Time (AST), +1 hour from EST.

I didn’t realize this until I landed, but both the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands are one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST), on Atlantic Standard Time (AST).

Let me know what surprised you the most the first time you visited the Virgin Islands in the comments below! And be sure to follow me on Instagram for more travel content.

mariss

The post 12 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting The Virgin Islands first appeared on MLE Travel Diary.