Activities on St. John

Photo of the West End of
 Cinnamon Bay Beach. Approximately two-thirds of St. John is a U.S. National Park. Within its boundaries you will find a number of magnificent beaches, many hiking trails through the island's forests, and sight-seeing opportunities everywhere.

Among the latter, our favorites are the Annaburg Sugar Mill ruins, the view from Bordeaux Mountain (the highest point on the island), and the sights along the (easy) park trail to Ram Head Point, the southern-most point on St. John.

Snorkeling sight-seeing opportunities are also numerous in the park. Two of the nicer locations are the underwater snorkeling trail just off Trunk Bay beach, and the waters off the point near Waterlemon Bay. The Waterlemon area is easy to get close to via car, however it involves a one-mile walk to arrive at the beach itself.

Within the park -- at the Cinnamon Bay beach -- you may rent windsurfing equipment of any type, from beginner to expert. The wind at Cinnamon Bay is usually perfect for windsurfing. You may also rent a windsurfing board at the hotel beach. Though the breezes on the hotel bay are not as brisk as those at Cinnamon, it's a good place for beginners to pick up this fun sport.

You may sign up for a half-day or a full-day SCUBA trip embarking from Cruz Bay village. Also, dinghies may be rented in Cruz Bay in case you wish to visit some of the cays (keys) surrounding St. John.

There are a number of very good restaurants on St. John. In the village of Cruz Bay (at the west end of the island) we would call your attention to Morgan's Mango, Panini Beach Restaurant, Asolare, Paradiso, the Wahoo Cafe, Ellington's, and the Fish Trap.

Also good -- and less expensive -- are Sogo's Restaurant, the Lime Inn, Chilly Billy's, the Mongoose Junction restaurant, Texas Coast Cafe, Margarita's, and Uncle Joe's Bar B Q.

Our favorite pizza is available at Ronnie's or Cafe Roma, both in Cruz Bay.

Near Coral Bay (at the east end of St. John) we can recommend Miss Lucy's, the Shipwreck Landing restaurant -- where there is always a nice breeze -- and "Skinny Legs." Skinny Legs specializes in burgers, chili dogs, salads, and beer. They say that at Skinny Legs you will find the largest collection of Willie Nelson look-alikes in the Caribbean, but we have no way of proving this.

And, within the park itself, we always enjoy eating at the restaurant at Cinnamon Bay beach.

Though Cruz Bay village is tiny, there are some nice places to shop, especially within the Mongoose Junction complex at the north end of town, and the Wharfside Village shops just south of the ferry dock.

Also, the city of Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is only a 45-minute ferry boat ride away. There you will find dozens of stores offering duty-free jewelry, cameras, optical equipment, and liquor. There are also many specialty shops selling clothing, toys, maps, etc.

Sightseeing in the neighboring British Virgin Islands is also easy to access. Public ferries leave most days from St. John for full and half-day trips to Tortola, the hub island in the B.V.I., and to the island of Virgin Gorda where you will find excellent snorkeling and sightseeing at "The Baths" beach area. There are also ferries to sparsely-populated Jost van Dyke, home of (the infamous) Foxy's bar and restaurant.



Other Pages on This Site

Welcome Page
Activities on St. John
How to Get to St. John
Prices and Reservations
Rental Cars
Villas at the Westin Resort

© Copyright 2007: Ms. Kevyn Salsburg and Dr. Steven Bass