If you're considering the US Virgin Islands for vacation, it's good to know that St. Thomas has an airport but St. John does not, so you'd need to first fly into St. Thomas to take a ferry over to St. John. There's a third island, St. Croix, and a bunch of British Virgin Islands that are a ferry ride away as well.
If you rent a car in the USVI, remember that you'll be driving on the opposite side of the road! It was my first time driving on the left side, and it was difficult for my brain to adjust. The narrow, winding, and hilly roads didn't help my transition. Despite some harrowing close calls, we did manage to get everywhere we were going in one piece!
Where to Stay
For this trip, we decided to stay on St. Thomas because the few resorts on St. John (where our friends always stay) were all sold out. I was able to find an absolutely charming two-bedroom Airbnb in the Sapphire Beach Condo community that was perfect for my family. It was stylishly decorated, with a well-furnished kitchen, a dining table on the spacious balcony, and views of the harbor from the living room and master bedroom. The kids each had their own twin bed in the second bedroom, and we took full advantage of the washer-dryer, two full baths, and beach equipment. The condo was also steps from both Sapphire Beach and the community pool. Our stay was a bit pricy, but it really couldn't have been more perfect!
What to Do
The main reason to visit the USVI is to check out the beaches. There are so many of them, and one is more beautiful than the next. Picture soft, white sand, gently lapping, turquoise waters, mountains in the backdrop, and rainbows in the sky! My husband and I were joking that one beach lost points for the ocean being slightly less Gatorade blue than the previous beach we were at. We visited eight beaches in six days and every one was simply spectacular!
Clockwise from top left: Sapphire, Salt Pond Bay, Coki, Trunk Bay, Hansen Bay, Magen's Bay, Lindquist, Maho Bay
On St. Thomas, we thought Coki Beach was the most beautiful and offered plentiful food options, but it had a bit of a party vibe, with a DJ blasting music; I would have been into it if I were visiting with my friends and we were all in our twenties. Sapphire Beach was quiet and secluded, and one of our favorites for all the shade provided by the sea grape trees. Magen's Bay is perhaps St. Thomas' most renowned beach — expansive and gorgeous. It can also get crowded due to its popularity, I'm told, although on the day we visited, it wasn't bad at all. We visited pristine Lindquist Beach on our last day, just before heading over to the airport, and it had great facilities for washing off.
For a non-beach day, we spent some time at Coral World in St. Thomas, right next to Coki Beach. The small aquarium is a delight, with easily accessible exhibits and some fun activities that you can pay extra for, like swimming with dolphins, sea trek, and snuba. The animals seem well cared for. We spent one morning checking out the various exhibits, where my kids fell in love with a huge puffer fish and fed nectar to lorikeets.
After a surprisingly tasty and fresh lunch at the cafe (where loose iguanas abound), we participated in Coral World's snuba experience, which is like scuba, but minus the heavy tanks. Instead, the air is dispensed from a tank that sits atop a raft, and we're all connected to it via breathing tubes. It's a great intro to scuba, particularly for kids who might not be able to handle cumbersome equipment. Our instructor Michelle clearly explained the whole process and made sure we were comfortable using the mouthpiece before taking us into the water.
My kids are 12 and 10, and I was a bit worried that they wouldn't be able to handle this new experience, but they both took to it just fine. It was me that panicked a bit when I was told it was time to go under! But Michelle was very patient and understanding, offering options like hanging onto the raft or near the surface if I wanted to, and I calmed down quickly. The rest of my family adapted easily to the breathing and quickly dove down 20 feet into the ocean to swim among the colorful fish and get an up-close look at the coral.
We spent most of our time on St. Thomas in the Red Hook area, which is close to many beaches and the ferry to St. John, but the island's main downtown area is situated in Charlotte Amalie, closer to the airport. The cruise ships dock there, and that's where you'll find plentiful shops, restaurants, and charming features such as cobblestone streets and Danish Colonial architecture. That's also where the island's famed 99 steps are located.
What's Nearby
As mentioned, if you're staying on St. Thomas, there's a ferry that will take you to nearby St. John. People who'd like to bring their vehicle over to these islands can take a car barge from Red Hook instead of the passenger ferry. It's a unique experience to sit in your car while it sits on a boat!
