The US Virgin Islands are a group of Caribbean islands known for their beautiful beaches and rolling hills. The three main islands that make up the US Virgin Islands are St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. After visiting St. Croix and loving it, we wanted to check out the other islands and were deciding between St. Thomas and St. John. Because St. John is mostly a National Park, I assumed there would be more things to do in St. Thomas.
This trip was sort of planned on a time crunch as well, so I didn’t research the two islands like I probably should/would have. We ended up choosing St. Thomas, mostly because of the accessibility and the fact that there seemed to be more places to stay than St. John.
About St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands are located just to the right of Puerto Rico. St. Thomas and St. John are only about 6 miles away from each other, while St. Croix is located about 40 miles south of the other two islands.
Of the three islands, St. Thomas is the middle island in terms of size. But in comparison, St. Croix is about 84 sq. miles while St. Thomas is 32 sq. miles. But oddly enough, St. Thomas didn’t feel like it was less than half the size and that’s most likely because of the mountainous landscape and population.
It can take you some time to drive the length of St. Croix–about an hour from end to end. For St. Thomas, end to end is about 45 minutes. You’ll definitely do a fair share of driving if you want to explore all the things to do in St. Thomas.
The airport and capital city, Charlotte Amalie, are centrally located on the south side of the island. St. Thomas is also a cruise destination, with ships coming into the harbor on every day but Friday and Saturday. Charlotte Amalie can cater to that traffic a bit with some stores closing on days that don’t bring in cruisers.
Of all three islands, St. Thomas is the most touristy in my opinion. You’ll find quite a few familiar stores and fast food chains that you would in the states.
Getting to St. Thomas
St. Thomas has an airport on the island, so you are able to fly directly there from the states or other islands. From Florida, we had an easy, direct flight from Orlando which was about three hours. Peak season is from December to March so I imagine that prices are higher during this time. However, we went in February and were able to find surprisingly cheap flights. After adding on a baggage fee, two tickets ended up being about $300 from Orlando.
Getting Around the Island
For whatever reason, since I assumed St. Croix was the more rustic island, I assumed that meant that getting around St. Thomas would be a lot smoother. It wasn’t. St. Thomas is a much smaller island but still very mountainous. Almost like if you condensed St. Croix, making the roads steeper and sharper.
It didn’t help that we stayed up the hill quite a ways too because every time we went somewhere, we were going up, down and around every turn. It definitely takes some time to get around the island because of how curvy the roads are.
Taxis:
There are taxis in St. Thomas if you don’t want to rent a car. They are sort of like open-air truck trolleys. There aren’t meters and they’ll charge you per person based on your destination. You’ll want to make sure to have cash on hand, as most will probably not accept cards.
If you aren’t planning on exploring too much and are staying within walking distance in one of the towns, you might get away with taking only taxis. But if you have a larger group or are staying outside of the main towns, you’ll definitely want to get a car.
Car Rentals:
We rented a car for the week that we were here and got picked up at the airport and driven to the rental lot. The wait time to get a car was really long, so we got upgraded. We paid for a clunker and somehow got a Jeep Wrangler. For us, a car was absolutely necessary. Getting meals, going exploring–it’s just a much easier way to get around. If you want to explore and not just stay in one resort area–you absolutely need a rental.
I’ll also say, driving in St. Thomas was very interesting. The locals seemed to be very impatient. If you didn’t drive as soon as the light turned green, you were getting honked at. If you had to yield to traffic because you were turning, you were getting honked at. We were constantly wondering what everyone was always honking at, ha. It was not the laid-back island vibe we were expecting.
Jeep Rental:
Jeep Wranglers are popular to rent in the US Virgin Islands, but necessary in St. Thomas? Not so much. Though the roads are definitely more winding, they are paved and relatively smooth. They are definitely more fun to have, but you don’t need them to traverse the island.
If you do decide on renting a Jeep, book early and book from someone local. If you book on one of the main travel sites, you’ll be looking at a much higher price. We had found some that were $250/day. Local jeep rentals will be much more affordable.
Important: Traffic drives on the left side of the road in the US. Virgin Islands. You can turn left on red and everything is pretty much the same, but left. Always left.
How Expensive is St. Thomas?
The US Virgin Islands in general are not the cheapest to go to. While our flights were cheap, that was about it. We booked everything pretty late, so that didn’t help in our favor either.
- AirBnB: We stayed up in the mountains near Magen’s Bay, which wasn’t a terrible location, but wasn’t the best. We were about 20 minutes from both Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie. For 7 nights, we spent around $1,100 for one of the cheaper options. It was apartment style–clean, spacious, but nothing special. This comes to about $157/night.
- Car Rental: For 8 days, we paid $637, or about $80/day, and that was for a basic economy car (and a late booking). Book as early as you can for rentals.
- Gas: Though it may seem like you’re driving a lot, mileage wise, it’s not far. Which is good because gas is about $4.30/gallon. The cheapest we saw was around $4.09 (Feb 2022).
- Food: Unfortunately, food is not the cheapest at grocery stores. A local told us bacon was $17 a pack and we thought he was joking. Nope! Bacon was indeed $17. A box of cereal was $10. Mid-tier restaurants were maybe $15-25/person and nicer restaurants might be around $35-50/person.
Food hack: If you want to save some money on food, you can sometimes find delis within the grocery stores that cook up fresh food. You can get a to-go box of chicken, rice and vegetables for around $12-15 and the portions are large/sharable.
Weather in St. Thomas
The best time to visit St. Thomas is probably between April and June. The summer months will be the hottest, while December-March is peak season, aka the busiest. There isn’t a rainy season in the US Virgin Islands, though you are more likely to encounter rain in the fall months and hurricane season is between June and November.
We went during February and had a few rainy moments and one rainy day. The rest of the time was sunny and warm–around 80º usually.
Things to Do in St. Thomas
Whether you’re staying for a few days or a week, there are many things to do in St. Thomas. Especially since there are several islands in proximity that you can explore as well.
Explore the Capital City of Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie is located on the southern coast of St. Thomas, nearby the airport. Its history goes back to 1681 where it was named after the Queen of Denmark. Though apparently her name was Amalia and it was misspelled on a map when the US acquired it. The harbor that the town sits on was once a well-known safe haven for pirates and tales have long circulated that Blackbeard and Bluebeard had a connection here.
There’s a beautiful boardwalk along the coast and a palm tree-lined road. You’ll find lots of shops and restaurants here. The shopping streets were pretty but I noticed there were an overwhelming number of jewelry stores. After speaking with a repeat St. Thomas vacationer, we learned that a lot of people like to buy here because it’s not only cheaper, but because they all give you a free drink and a free gift just for walking in. You’ll also find some historic points of interest here that are easy to see on a self-guided walking tour.
Tour Fort Christian
Fort Christian can be found within Charlotte Amalie and is a bright, red fortress constructed by the Danes between 1672-1680. The fort was named after King Christian V of Denmark and had many uses such as being an administrative center, home of the governor and even place of worship. In 1874, they started using the fort as a prison and police station.
Today, it’s a museum and a National Historic Landmark. You can take a guided or self-guided tour through the fort to see the different rooms and cells. Entrance to the fort is $10 for non-locals and you can visit Monday-Friday.
Spend the Day at Magen’s Bay
One of the most popular things to do in St. Thomas is visit Magen’s Bay. It’s situated on the north side of the island and is one of the more beautiful beaches in the US Virgin Islands. The one-mile stretch of sand is the perfect place to spend the afternoon as the water is beautiful and calm.
Magen’s Bay has a $5 entrance fee and there is a bar and restaurant on one side where you can get a frozen cocktail or a bite to eat. You can also head up the mountain to get a bird’s eye view of the bay from Drake’s Seat.
See Blackbeard’s Tower
As part of the pirate history of Charlotte Amalie, you can go see Blackbeard’s Tower. It was built in 1679 as a watchtower to protect the harbor and is now a National Historic Landmark. Whether or not Blackbeard actually used this tower is up for debate.
Normally there is a $15 entry fee, (or $27 if you include the rum tasting). However, Blackbeard’s Castle has been closed since Hurricane Irma and does not currently have a reopen date. I snapped a picture through an open area at the top of the gate but it is still closed for repairs.
Go to Drake’s Seat Viewpoint
Drake’s Seat is a scenic overlook from atop the mountain that gives you views of Magen’s Bay from above. It’s a quick place to pull off the road and snap some pictures.
Back in the day, traveling around the island by foot or horseback was extremely tiresome. A man named Arthur Fairchild built Drake’s Seat as a good place to stop and rest. If you’re driving around St. Thomas, you’ll likely run into it at some point, so make sure to pull off the road for a minute and take in the view.
Walk the 99 Steps
As noted above, navigating the island pre-car was not easy because of how mountainous it is. Before streets, there were ‘step-streets’ that were made to help get around the hills of St. Thomas in the capital. The steps are made from bricks that were brought over from Denmark and are now surrounded by tropical plants. The 99 Steps is one of the most recognizable places in Charlotte Amalie. It’s a section of (about) 99 steps and is one long stairway that leads you up the hill to a street and (if you take some more stairs over) up to Blackbeard’s Castle.
Hit the Beach
Of course, one of the main things to do in St. Thomas is hit the beach and there are quite a few to choose from. There are some pretty large beaches near the airport, like Brewer’s Bay and Lindbergh Bay that have calm water and a lot of space to stretch out. Directly north of the capital is where you’ll find the famous Magen’s Bay. Along the northeast/east side is where you’ll find some smaller beaches with beautiful water, like Coki Beach, Sapphire Beach and Lindquist Beach.
Beaches in St. Thomas are all open to the public, even if they are part of a resort. So whether you stay there or not, you can still access it. A lot of the beaches with resorts will also have beach chairs for rent and bars or restaurants nearby if you want to sip banana daiquiris while you tan.
Kayak Through the Mangrove Lagoon
The Mangrove Lagoon is located on the southeast side of St. Thomas and is a protected area. This area is a nesting site for all sorts of different birds and is a quiet, serene place. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards to float through the mangroves and take in the wildlife.
Hike the Mermaid’s Chair Trail
One of the best hikes to do in St. Thomas is the Mermaid’s Chair Trail. It isn’t necessarily a ‘hike’ since the majority of it takes place on a private road. But if you don’t live in the private community, you can hike (since all beaches have public access). The trail is fairly long but mostly downhill until you get to the beach. The trail leads you to a sandy beach and a sand bar that connects to another section of land.
If you explore the other section further, you’ll go through brush and end up on a rocky beach where there are tide pools at the end. It’s easy to miss if you don’t know to explore the other side, but it’s a fun hike to do.
Go to a Viewpoint for Sunset
There are many places in St. Thomas to get a view of the island at sunset.
- Drake’s Seat: (mentioned above) will give you a view of Magen’s Bay.
- Paradise Point: is actually an attraction where you can take a skyride tram to this overlook for $25/person. You can also drive up here (which we didn’t do but should have). There’s a restaurant, bar and shops at the top as well. This spot probably has the best angle of the harbor, though likely touristy at the top.
- Mountain Top: is another spot we had read about as being a great spot to enjoy the view and a banana daiquiri. We didn’t realize that it’s actually a very large gift shop where you can get any and every souvenir that says St. Thomas. There is a bar at the back that sells drinks but…it’s in a souvenir store. You can step out on the balcony but this place was as touristy as it gets.
The photo above is from a random stop on the road from a parking lot of a restaurant that was no longer open. Whether you go to any of the above spots or not, you’re likely to still find a viewpoint somewhere.
Take a Day Trip:
One of the best things to do in St. Thomas is take a day trip to one of the surrounding islands. There are quite a few places to explore if you have the time.
St. John
St. John island is the 3rd and smallest of the US Virgin Islands. About 2/3rds of the island is a National Park, so you know it has some beautiful areas. You can reach St. John by using the regular people ferry or by taking the car ferry. It’s a quick 20 or 30 minute boat ride to the island and taking a day trip to St. John is well worth doing if you have the time.
St. John has some beautiful hikes to do, like the Ram Head Trail, that give you great views of the island, mountains and rocky coast. You can drive through the mountains to explore some lesser known beaches or stick around the main beach town, Cruz Bay. But you won’t want to miss the beaches on St. John that are along the northwest coast. St. John is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the US Virgin Islands including the famous Trunk Bay.
British Virgin Islands
The British Virgin Islands are also an easy day trip to do as the largest island in the BVI, Tortola, is visible from the north coast of the USVI. You can take a ferry from Charlotte Amalie or book a private excursion through many companies. Usually the ferries connect through Tortola and the trip takes about 50 minutes by boat.
Most people who come to the British Virgin Islands, head to Virgin Gorda as it’s the location of The Baths National Park. The Baths are famous for their giant boulders on the beach and ‘The Caves’–a series of tunnels and rooms created by the boulders that separate two of the parks gorgeous beaches.
Travel Tip: If you’re from the US and plan on visiting the BVI, remember to bring your passport! You don’t need it to get to the USVI, so make sure you have it with you.
Water Island
Water Island is a short ferry from Charlotte Amalie and is sometimes known as the ‘fourth US Virgin Island’. It’s a short ferry from Charlotte Amalie and can be explored in an afternoon. There are no taxis or hotels on this island and less than 200 people who live here. It’s a quiet place with a beach, about 2 restaurants and golf carts for rent so you can get around the island.
The beach is a nice place to spend the afternoon and lots of boats will pull up in the harbor for lunch at the restaurant. You can also explore Fort Segarra from WW2, though it was never finished. If you have the time, a Water Island day trip is a fun thing to do.
Hassel Island
Hassel Island is a small, historic island off the coast of St. Thomas directly south of Charlotte Amalie. You can take a tour through the St. Thomas Historical Trust where you’ll take a quick boat over and tour the ruins of early 1900s fortifications. Additionally, if you’d like to explore on your own, there’s a small ferry that can take you over. It’s a protected area and there are only a handful of people who live on the island. If you want to learn more about the history of the US Virgin Islands, this day trip would be a great option.
We had a fun time exploring all the things to do in St. Thomas and taking some day trips when we could. While there are several points of interest, I’d say the main thing to do here is relax on the beach and take it easy. Check out some of the other places to visit in the US Virgin Islands below!
Read More on the US Virgin Islands:
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how about restaurants? Excellent description of St. Thomas! Thanks
Wow great photos and description – never thought of visiting this area but I have added it to my list 🙂
Wow, St. Thomas really looks like paradise! I’d love to escape here and also do the day trip to St. John!