Planning a trip to St. John, USVI
The tourist office (tel 340/776-6450) is located near the Battery, a 1735 fort that’s a short walk from the St. Thomas ferry dock in Cruz Bay. It’s open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm. A National Park visitor center (tel 340/776-6201) is also found at Cruz Bay, offering two floors of information and wall-mounted wildlife displays, plus a video presentation about the culture of the Virgin Islands; it’s open daily 8am to 4pm.
You can pick up a map of the island from the tourist office and also a copy of “St. Thomas + St. John This Week,” distributed free throughout the islands.
Island Layout
Most visitors will arrive on St. John at Cruz Bay, on a ferry from St. Thomas. This charming little village, with its few restaurants and shops, is quite the departure from the bustle of Charlotte Amalie. Cruz Bay is also the first stop on any trip to Virgin Islands National Park, which sprawls through the interior and encompasses almost all the coastline. The park service runs an information center in town. Route 20 leads north out of Cruz Bay, and passes the beaches at Caneel, Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, and Maho bays.
At the far north, Route 20 leads to the start of the Annaberg Trail, a historic hike through the ruins of 18th-century sugar plantations. Route 10 cuts through the center of the island. Dozens of foot trails lead off this road, making for easy exploration of the peaks and mountains.
On the east end of the island is Coral Bay, the island’s original settlement. It’s a favorite among yachties and home to a smattering of small restaurants and bars. Crumbling ruins of forts and plantations also dot the coastline here. The far east end is undeveloped and pales in comparison to the lush greenery of the park. The south coast is a favorite hideaway for locals, but little known by visitors. The coastline here is sweeping and tranquil, yet rocky in parts and punctuated with a handful of small protected bays.
Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism
In 1956 multimillionaire Laurance Rockefeller sailed around the island with friends on his yacht. Rockefeller was so enchanted that he established his own resort here (Caneel Bay) and donated 9,500 acres of rolling green hills and an underwater preserve to the federal government to be set aside as a national park that would be here for future generations to enjoy. Thanks to the efforts of Rockefeller and others, today two-thirds of the island’s surface area and the island’s shoreline waters (the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument) make up the Virgin Islands National Park (tel 340/776-6201; www.nps.gov/viis). The hundreds of coral gardens that surround St. John (some 12,708 undersea acres) are protected rigorously—any attempt to damage or remove coral is punishable with large and strictly enforced fines.
Today St. John is the most tranquil, unspoiled island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sustainable tourism programs and eco-friendly practices keep the island clean and pristine. St. John, more than any other island in the Caribbean, works to ensure the preservation of its natural resources and ecosystems.
Getting Around
The 20-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas will take you to Cruz Bay, the capital of St. John, which seems a century removed from the life you left behind. Cruz Bay is so small that its streets have no names, but it does have a couple of shopping centers, seaside restaurants and cafes, and a small park.
By Bus
The local Vitran (tel 340/774-0165) service runs buses between Cruz Bay and Coral Bay, along Centerline Road about once an hour, costing $1 for adults and 75[ce] for children.
By Taxi
You’ll have no trouble finding taxis to take you anywhere in St. John. Between midnight and 6am, fares are increased by 50 percent. Taxis meet the ferries as they arrive in Cruz Bay, or you can hail one if you see one. Taxi rates are set by the island’s Taxi Association and fares are widely posted, even in taxis; check out the official fares in the free magazine “This Week” offered in most businesses. Typical fares from Cruz Bay are $8 to Trunk Bay, $9 to Cinnamon Bay, and $18 to Maho Bay. Waiting charges are $1/minimum per minute after the first 5 minutes.
Many taxi drivers operate multi-passenger taxi van shuttles or open-air safari taxis (converted truck beds with open-air seating). Taxi vans are equipped to transport approximately 8 to 12 passengers to multiple destinations on the island, while safaris can often fit up to 25 people. It’s cheaper to hop on a van or safari than ride a taxi on your own if you’re going between your hotel and Cruz Bay, but keep in mind you will be making stops along the way.
If you don’t plan to rent a car, it’s easy to find taxi drivers (who also double as tour guides). We highly recommend taxi driver Kenneth Lewis (tel 340/776-6865), who will meet you at the ferry terminal in St. John for hotel or villa transfer and is also a wonderful sightseeing guide. Expect to pay about $50 for a single-passenger tour or $25 per person for two or more passengers for 2 hours of sightseeing in a shared car. Kenneth’s vehicle can accommodate up to 18 passengers.
By Car or Jeep
One of the best ways to see St. John is by a car, in particular a four-wheel-drive vehicle, which you can rent in town (reserve in advance in winter). The steep roadside panoramas are richly tinted with tones of forest green and turquoise and liberally accented with flashes of silver and gold from the strong Caribbean sun. Remember: Drive on the left and follow posted speed limits, which are generally very low.
There are only two gas stations on St. John, one of which is often closed. The more reliable of the two stations is in the upper regions of Cruz Bay, beside Route 104.
Unless you need to carry luggage, which should probably be locked away in a trunk, you might consider one of the sturdy, open-sided, jeeplike vehicles that offer the best view of the surroundings and are the most fun way to tour St. John. They cost around $76 to $84 a day.
A recommended local car-rental agency on St. John is St. John Car Rental, across from the Catholic church in Cruz Bay (tel 340/776-6103; www.stjohncarrental.com), operating on the island since 1974. They have two- and four-door Jeep Wranglers, Dodge Nitros, Nissan Pathfinders, and Dodge Durangos.
Getting There
By Plane
A number of major airlines have regularly scheduled nonstop air service from cities all over North America into St. Thomas—the major international gateway to the Virgins. From St. Thomas you’ll take a ferry to St. John.
By Ferry
Public ferries between St. Thomas and St. John run at regular times all day long. Ferry services link the ferry terminal at Red Hook, on the East End of St. Thomas, with Cruz Bay in St. John.
The Red Hook ferry dock is approximately 10 to 12 miles from the St. Thomas airport. If you’ve just landed on St. Thomas, your best bet is to take a taxi from the airport. Depending on the traffic, the cab ride on St. Thomas could take 30 to 45 minutes, at a fare between $20 and $22. Build taxi time into your schedule when planning your itinerary.
Ferries to St. John (tel 340/776-6282) leave every hour on the hour from Red Hook ($6 per person) and last only 15 to 20 minutes; you can also catch less frequent ferries from the Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal ($12 per person).
Car ferries also run between Red Hook and Cruz Bay, traveling from 7am to 7pm daily every half-hour; book ahead on one of three carriers: Boyson (tel 340/776-6294); Love City (tel 340/779-4000); or Global Marine (tel 340/779-1739). Car-ferry rates run from $42 to $50 round-trip; arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
You can also get to St. John via private water-taxi service. Contact Dohm’s Water Taxi (tel 340/775-6501; www.watertaxi-vi.com; St. Thomas to Red Hook, St. John: $25–$50 per person, five-person minimum), a private, full-service (pickup and transfer) inter-island water taxi service in custom-built catamaran powerboats. Dohm’s also offers direct water-taxi service between St. John and the Ritz and Marriott Frenchmans Reef on St. Thomas ($30–$50 per person; five-person minimum).
Fast Facts
Banks -- FirstBank Virgin Islands (tel 340/776-6882; www.firstbankvi.com) has full-service bank and ATM in Cruz Bay. Scotiabank (tel 340/776-6552; www.scotiabank.com) has a full-service location in Marketplace.
Business Hours -- Stores are generally open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Dentists -- The Virgin Islands Dental Association (tel 340/775-9110) is a member of the American Dental Association and is also linked with various specialists.
Doctors -- Call tel 911 for a medical emergency. Otherwise, go to Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center, 3B Sussanaberg (tel 340/693-8900), which has a helipad for serious emergencies. The nearest hospital is in St. Thomas.
Drugstores -- Chelsea Drug Store, Marketplace Shopping Center, Route 104, Cruz Bay (tel 340/776-4888), is open Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 6:30pm and Sunday 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Emergencies -- For the police, an ambulance, or in case of fire, call tel 911.
Maps -- Newspapers & Magazines -- [“]What to Do: St. Thomas + St. John,” the official guidebook of the St. Thomas and St. John Hotel Association, is available at the tourist office and at hotels. The Virgin Island Daily News covers the news in all the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Post Office -- The Cruz Bay Post Office is at Cruz Bay (tel 340/779-4227).
Safety -- There is some crime here, but it’s relatively minor compared to St. Thomas. Most crime against tourists consists of muggings or petty theft, but rarely violent attacks. Precautions, of course, are always advised. You are most likely to be the victim of a crime if you leave valuables unguarded on Trunk Bay, as hundreds of people seem to do every year.
Taxes -- The only local tax is an 10 percent surcharge added to all hotel rates.
Telephone -- All island phone numbers have seven digits. It is not necessary to use the 340 area code when dialing within St. John. Make long-distance, international, and collect calls as you would on the U.S. mainland by dialing 0 or your long-distance provider.
