A big Thank You to the NPS for creating Virgin Islands National Park. In all our adventures, this was literally a vacation from our vacation. Any survey of top beaches in the world will likely include at least one from this park/island, although there’s plenty to do to keep you busy here. Our trip was during hurricane season, but fortunately the weather was perfect during our stay.
We visited US Virgin Islands in October 2019
Getting There
Getting here takes some planning and effort. There isn’t a major airport on St John. The most common way to get here is to fly to St Thomas (this is the most popular of the US Virgin Islands), take a taxi or bus to the opposite end of the island and take a ferry across to Cruz Bay on St John. We left the RV at a hotel in Miami where Rainy negotiated free parking as long as we could fit the rig into a single spot. Challenge accepted! We’ve perfected backing Eddie into a spot where he can hang over the back into the local landscaping. It helps that Florida is so flat. Anyway, we have a timeshare as part of the Westin Vacation Club and they have a spectacular property on St John. We were able to stay here for 4 days and they managed our transportation from and back to St Thomas airport. This was a great perk. Once you’re on the island, getting around via taxi is easy and generally affordable. We rented a jeep for a day and drove around the entire island. I highly recommended doing this as a part of your visit.
Beaches
and More
The town of Cruz Bay is fun. There are plenty of restaurants that serve to a variety of tastes. And the bars are lively if that’s your thing. We found a place called The Longboard that served great Poke Bowls and some good craft beer. Really tasty. The NP Visitor Center in Cruz Bay is pretty informal but had the information we needed on what to see. On our busiest day, we rented a jeep early on a Sunday and had a picnic breakfast at Hawksnest Beach. We sat under some trees, the gentle waves rippling nearby, while a group held a church service further down the beach. There were very few other visitors. This was the upside to visiting during hurricane season. On our way around the island, we stopped for photos at Trunk Bay, sometimes listed as the #1 most beautiful beach in the world. I can’t argue with that rating, it looks like paradise on a postcard. Instead of relaxing at Trunk Bay, we dropped in on Maho Bay which is famous for its sea turtles. We snorkeled for a couple hours and saw several huge turtles. Swimming with them is so peaceful, I just wish I hadn’t left our underwater camera back in Miami. Not too bright. I guess we’ll just have to go back someday for proof. After a couple hours in the water, we were getting hungry. And being Sunday, we set our sights on finding someplace with NFL games. All ended well as we were able to relax at a locals bar on the far end of the island with several appetizers, cold beer, and a game on the tube.
History
One of the historic sites within the park is the Annaberg Sugar Plantation. Back in the early 1700’s, St John was part of the Danish West Indies (Denmark) and sugar was a key export. The remaining ruins are generally in good shape and include a windmill tower, factory building, and slave quarters. We learned that making sugar on St John was a brutal task, the heat during harvest was oppressive and the conditions nearly inhumane. That was a little sobering, important to know, but nothing to celebrate. It’s quite different than visiting the beaches, but something still that everyone should see.
Virgin Islands National Park is a tropical paradise. Most visitors to the island are just there to enjoy the beaches, many of which are located within park boundaries. It’s all a win-win as visiting is beautiful, energizing, and educational. Start saving those frequent flyer points and don’t forget your underwater camera!
