I've heard/read that the best snorkeling in the world is there and most in 5-15 feet of water.

I just have no idea where to stay.  I know you must fly into St Thomas and ferry to St John.

Anyone been and have a hotel/resort they liked?

St. John.  Unless you found some place undiscovered.

Happy now?

Sayed on Virgin Gorda once and then had a boat with two other couples and we sailed from Tortola to VG, Anagada and some of the smaller islands.


All of BVI is very nice. Excellent snorkling/diving.


Not sure I'd vote it the best but no complaints.


People are nice and polite/educated.



Bring money.


Lots of it.

I've read about Jeff Epstein and Bill Clintons "Sex Slave" island. But It's called Little St James.

I have a few condos on Cowpet Bay (St. Thomas). I would highly recommend renting a boat - check in at BVI Customs in Soper's Hole, Tortola,
then head to your choice of Norman Island (snorkel the Indians and the Caves and go to Willy T's), Jost Van Dyke (Get drunk at Soggy Dollar and Foxy's),
or Virgin Gorda (the Bath's).

If interested in staying on just St. John - rent a house as there are not many resorts. You can go along the north shore to any bay of your choice.
Maho Bay is a sea turtle breeding ground so you will see them there. I would also recommend heading to Little Lameshur and
Great Lameshur Bay's - they will be empty but there is decent snorkeling.

Snorkeled off Buck Island just south of St. Thomas, very nice. We tied to a mooring ball in 35-40ft of water could easily see the bottom. It was a cruise ship excursion so we didn't see much else, beautiful water though. I have read that the BVI's are the place to go.

We stayed 5 years ago and are going back soon.  Plenty of condos or villas to rent.  Or the Concordia Eco Tents would be good if you don't mind *roughing* it a bit.  

We stayed at Buddha Garden and it was incredible.  I can't wait to go back!

This was in knee deep water at Lameshur Bay.  




If you're into hustle and bustle (as much as there can be on a lazy island) you can stay at the town center right where the ferry lands.  We prefer peace and quiet and like the Coral Bay area.  

Stayed there for a week, had friends that lived there for years. Great nature areas, snorkeling, town center was creepy. Friends warned me about high amount of HIV/AIDS in the locals.

+1

I worked on the underwater survey for Buck island in 1978.
St. John is a must if you are in the area.

Rented a house on fish bay through VRBO for our honeymoon 2 years ago and it was an awesome trip.   Definitely rent a jeep so you can explore the island but only get a soft top from St Thomas and take the car ferry over.   The rental car companies on St John only have hard tops and do not allow you to remove them.

It is nicer than St Thomas or St Croix.

I went there many years ago.  They have an underwater national marine park that is out of this world cool.  It was like snorkeling in the coolest aquarium/fish tank ever.  The diversity of marine life was spectacular.  

There are so many places in this world I would like to see before I return to somewhere I have already been, but the marine park on St John island is one of VERY few places I would enjoy returning to before seeing somewhere new.

We rented a small house/cottage off VRBO in Coral Bay. Its on the opposite side of the island from the St. Thomas ferry, so it tends to be a bit quieter. Don't really have any recommendations, everything is pretty pricey, especially the resorts. Staying in a cottage we were able to make some meals ourselves and avoid the expensive eating out, although we did that a lot too.

Our favorite place to eat was Aqua Bistro, their ponzu tuna was amazing and I thought they made some pretty good drinks. And we loved the atmosphere over there, but it was off season so reservations weren't required for everything. Skinny legs has a decent burger.

ZoZo's is nice (and overpriced) but we enjoyed our meal and experience there at sunset.

Over on the Great Cruz Bay (ferry) side we enjoyed Ocean Grille in mongoose junction, definitely recommend their back porch lemonades. There is also a little food stand in mongoose junction, Sun Dog Cafe I think, that had great food for a kitchen the size of a VW bug, was a nice place to stop and get a midday snack and drink.

We tried to hit a different beach or snorkel spot every day, climbed Rams Head, did some of the National Park Service tours which were fun.

View from our cottage of coral bay:

Half of the island is owned by the Rockefellers. So watch out for Illuminati.



Been forty years but stayed at the campgrounds there. A couple of times. Underwater National preserves. Very beautiful. The whole thing was kewl. Flying into St. Thomas then taxiing to Red Hook and taking the ferry.

St. John is one of my favorite islands.  It's not your typical resort experience.  Rent a house and explore the island.  There are lots of different beaches you can check out.  Some of the most beautiful and secluded beaches I have experienced.  Plenty of good restaurant options in town as well.

Stayed in Maho Bay Camps

Don't think it is there anymore though.

Crime rates in USVI is fairly high so pay attention.

We went last summer and snorkeled off the shore. It was incredible. I liked it better than Saint Maartin and St. Lucia.

Thats where my friends worked and I stayed. Its gone. I cant say I had a great experience staying there but it was free for me.

I have a pic of that.  

All you need to know...

I stayed at Caneel (sp?) with the wife a couple years ago.  It was fantastic, though expensive.

We have been going to St. John yearly for the past 2 years, and are going again in November. Prior to St John we went to Vieques for a few years.

We rent a house on the Coral bay side... it's quiet and peaceful. Get a Jeep in St. Thomas (Usually you can get them to pick you up from the airport) and take it on the Ferry to St. John (Have patience with the ferry and don't show up 15 minutes before the ferry goes expecting to get on it. During high season expect to wait at least 2-3 ferries worth)
(Without a car of some kind, you're going to be fairly miserable getting to and from the beaches)

There's a pretty decent grocery store near the ferry on St. John, but more expensive than you're probably used to.

My recommendation is to forget eating out on the island. There's a few places to eat, but overall the food isn't anything to get excited about, and it's pretty damned expensive. Get a house with a kitchen, and bring a couple of coolers with you (checked onto the plane) with your favorite meats, and pick up other critical food items at the Cost-U-less on the way to the ferry. You'll save a ton of money, and if you're any kind of good in the kitchen you will be eating the best food on the island.

(To be fair, the Pink House is pretty good, and there's a new place just outside of Coral bay that isn't bad either. But the prices are... well, it's island pricing, mon.)

If you go during the winter and plan to actually be in the water, I recommend a wet suit. For me, it's ok for the first 30-40 minutes in the water... then I start getting cold. Even a spring suit makes a huge difference and lets me stay out for as long as I want to stay out. Also, a wet suit is better than sun block. I also recommend fins that go with booties, as the urchins and coral will eat your feet up in some of the better snorkeling spots.

Don't go to St. John expecting big night life or haute cuisine. Go because it's quiet, peaceful, and has amazing snorkeling. If you're a big spender, spend on a boat excursion and a great house with a view. Go there to unwind and forget about your worries. A week is about the minimum I'd personally want to invest in a trip, given the logistical challenges of getting down there and navigating the ferry.

My wife and I have been going there for about 20 yrs.  It is definitely our favorite spot in the Caribbean.  We stay in the cabins at Cinnamon bay campground which is a national park.  It's one of the few places where you can stay right down on the beach.  The cabins are screened front and back and come with propane cook stove, pot/pans, coffee pot, refrigerator, and 4 single beds that you can arrange however you want.  If you like camping, this will feel like luxury.  - One qualifier... the management company for the campground is changing hands in October so nobody knows what changes will happen, or who will be working there.

The beach is pristine, and feels deserted most times.

Snorkeling is excellent all around the island.  You just walk, taxi, or drive to any beach and walk right in to some of the best snorkeling you will ever see.

The only other resorts on the beach are Westin, and Caneel bay.  Westins beach is not spectacular, and there is not good snorkeling there. The resort is nice, it just looks like every other Westin.   Caneel Bay is gorgeous with good snorkeling, but way beyond my budget.  Vrbo's can be found, but not on the beach. So you would have to rent a car.

The island is extremely safe, and the locals are friendly.  Don't expect fast service.. everything happens on island time.
Hitch hiking is safe here, but I wouldn't do it on the other islands.  Taxi's can easily be found around town, and the north shore beaches, so car rental isn't necessary if you don't want to.

The entire town shuts down by about 9-10 pm so don't expect any night life or late night dinners.

I'll try to post some pics later.  IM me with any questions.

This makes me sad.  Spent a summer working at maho myself.
Bought a sailboat last year with thoughts of sailing back to maho sometime.

Estate Lindholm.  That was about 9 years ago, but if it has not changed much then pretty damn awesome B&B with hell of a view and a pool.  It's not on any beach though - you have to drive to a beach.  A rental car is pretty much a must because so many beautiful beaches to see.  Even with a rental car, prepare to walk up and down some fairly steep hills.   It's not terrible, but even getting down to Trunk Bay is a walk.  Try to carry as little as possible.    

Don't overlook the British Virgin Islands as well (if not this trip, the next - really need to do as a separate full length trip).   I have been to St. John once for a week, and Brit Virgin Islands 2x, one week each.

I recommend low tourist season for both places - during winter months, it all gets crowded as hell.  Hit the beaches early for three reasons:  1. The ship daytrippers are there around 10:30 or so.  2. It gets hot as HELL and you will get burned up after noon.  3. Water is more clear early in the day for snorkeling.  Going later in the afternoon can be ok too, but water is *usually* cloudier.

In St. John Trunk Bay, snorkel all the way around the big rocky island.  You will very possibly get to swim with 100+ lb tarpon and will might see a shark (they won't hurt you).  Lot of fish there, and when I went was so much bait in the water it is like swimming in a massive cloud.... well until you come face to face with a 4 foot long baracuda in the middle of it all. :)

Snorkeling in SJ is very good from shore.  I would not say the best that I have seen doing it from shore, as that title is held by a little spot in Little Cayman that I hold dear to my heart where many giant groupers and snappers and things that are also larger and scary also roam, but SJ is definitely pretty good.

Oh, and eat at the Fishtrap (if still around).  Fucking awesome food and drinks and watch droves of hummingbirds as you eat.

It is the island on the right (only one) as you ferry towards St. John from Red Hook in St. Thomas

Here are some pics from previous trips.

We stopped at Trunk Bay during an early morning kayak.


View on cabin 10 at Cinnamon bay


Cinnamon bay beach on a typical crowded day.


View of Caneel bay


View from the campgrounds.


Kayaking/snorkeling at Waterlemon Kay.  BVI's are what you see in front of you.


Our typical day on the beach.


View of Cinnamon Bay after you hike up the hill.