St John is a perennial favorite on most of the Best Destinations Lists. With over 2/3rds of St John island under the protection of the Virgin Islands National Park … guests will enjoy beautiful beaches, miles of hiking trails, and explore early plantation-era ruins that dot the island. Island activities include ecotours, kayaking, SUP / standup paddle boarding, windsurfing, fishing charters, snorkeling and diving! You’ll also find a wonderful selection of shops, island bars and restaurants! Here are some of our favorites ..
ST JOHN INFORMATION
St John Beach Guide – Check out the over 3 dozen beautiful St John beaches! This site includes some great pictures, maps and snorkeling information. Visit: www.StJohn-BeachGuide.com
St John Tradewinds – Island news, information and goings-on! Visit: www.StJohnTradewinds.com
News of St John – An Online Blog About the Daily Happenings of St. John, USVI Visit: https://newsofstjohn.com/
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION
BRING CASH. TAXIS DO NOT TAKE CREDIT AS PAYMENT OR TIPS
Private Airport Transportation – Great for groups, families and wedding parties! Book online. Reserve To + From Cyril E King Airport (STT) to Red Hook ferry. And reserve your return from Red Hook to Cyrl E King Airport (STT). Convenient, non-stop service, no baggage fees!
Book Online with CaribbaConnect
Brenda and Franko – https://brenda-n-frankosfuntours.com/private-adventures/airport-transfers/ (they do take CC payment online).
Warren’s Taxi Servive – (340) 998-1077 or (340) 474-0090
Rachel’s Taxi Service – (340) 771-2986
Taxi & Ferry Information:
- Option 1. At the St. Thomas airport, if you did not hire a private service, you will easily find a taxi van by the baggage claim area. Ask for a taxi to take you to Red Hook, which is a 30-45 minute ride depending on traffic, how many cruise ships are in town, and how many stops the taxi makes on the way. It will cost approx. $15 per person plus a per bag fee to get from the airport to Red Hook, where the ferry will take you to St. John. The Red Hook ferry leaves every hour on the hour and takes about 20 minutes.
- Option 2. Inter Island Boat Services (IIBS) provides a service out of Crown Bay Marina to St. John Creek every day that leaves 3:30 and 5:30. Crown Bay is only 5 minutes from the Airport. You can go to the taxi station and ask for a ride to Crown Bay, but it is easier if you notify IIBS of your travel date and they will arrange taxi from the Airport. The ferry ride is about 40 minutes. https://www.interislandboatservices.com/
GROCERY STORES, PROVISIONING SERVICES, & PRIVATE CHEFS
DRUG STORE / PHARMACY
Chelsea Drug Store – Located on the 2nd Floor of the Marketplace. Pharmacy, water sports gear, beach toys, suntan lotions, soaps, shampoos and more!
ST JOHN ACTIVITIES & SNORKEL GEAR RENTALS
Crabby’s – Located in Coral Bay in front of Aquabistro is the closest option to Villa Agel. They rent daily or by the week http://crabbyswatersports.com/
VI Ecotours – A huge selection of kayak, hike and snorkel adventures on St Thomas and St John. They also run the Honeymoon Beach Hut and Bikinis Beach Bar on Honeymoon Beach, St John. Check them out here: www.VIEcotours.com
SUP St John – From beginner to professional SUP boards and gear rental. Owner, Lucy, also provides lessons! Check them out here: www.SUP-StJohn.com
Beach Bums – Located near the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. Beach Bums sells all sorts of water sports gear and rentals. Check them out here: www.StJohnBeachBum.com
Chelsea Drug Store – Located on the 2nd Flr of the Marketplace. Pharmacy, water sports gear, beach toys, suntan lotions, soaps, shampoos and more!
CHARTERS
Local Flavors Charters – Join St Johnian Capt Cleve aboard his 26′ Angler Limited Edition for a 1/2 or full day, snorkeling, fishing, BVI trips. Get the details here: www.localflavorcharters.com
Sunshine Daydream Boat Charter – World Cat 270SD, up to 10 guests, Coast Guard Certified, trips to USVI and BVIs. Check them out here: www.SunshineDayDreamsVI.com
RockHoppin’ Adventures – Power boat charter, St John and BVI tours. Snorkeling, SUP. Check them out here: www.RockHoppin.com
Kekoa – A 50-foot wooden catamaran, with her distinctive black sails, is a popular way to see Jost Van Dyke, the out-islands of St John, a sunset sail or private charter. http://blacksailsvi.com/
Stormy Pirates – Two 42’ Power Boats that take a maximum of 12 people per tour. If you want more time on the island and less on the boat, this is a fast way to get there. They offer several BVI tours (with and without snorkeling), including some overnight. https://stormypirates.com/
Bad Kitty – Offers a “Best of the BVIs” tour on one of their two 49′ wave piercing power catamarans that are built for speed and comfort for up to 28 people. http://calypsovi.com/bad-kitty-5-stop-4-island-tour-british-virgin-islands/
Beach Charters – has quickly become a favorite with both locals and visitors. They currently have three charter boats in their fleet – A 38 foot catamaran and a 26 foot Glacier Bay catamaran and a 31 foot power boat. http://www.secondchanceyachtcharters.com/photo_gallery.htm?action=details&record=8
Busy Bee is a 2006 World Cat 250dc with a pair of bulletproof Yamaha 150hp outboard engines https://www.busybeevi.com/ Busy Bee departs from Coral Bay! They also specialize in dive trips!!
Flyaway Charters has a 26 foot Glacier Bay Power Cat. Captain Colin and his crew specialize in educating guests about the history of the island and snorkel trips! https://flyawaychartersvi.com/index.php/st-john-uncovered/ This one also departs from Coral Bay.
Sandy Paws has a 37′ Chaparral 350 Signature aptly named Painkiller! Boat has ample space for 8-10 people including an air conditioned cabin, full bathroom, 2′ swim platform, and sundeck. Departs from Cruz https://sandypaws-vi.com/
Mahiya is a custom, professionally built elegant wooden catamaran with Polynesian flair. Our trips will take you to less traveled areas than most charters. Come and discover the well-kept secrets of the East End! Departs Coral Bay http://www.virginmagic.com/home.html
HIKING INFORMATION
With miles and miles of hiking trails inside the VI National Park – you’ll need to visit St John several times to hike them all. But here’s a good TOP 10 LIST.
RESTAURANT + BAR GUIDE
Restaurants come and go frequently, and many shut down during the off-season (Aug – Oct) so please check before heading out to eat! On island, Facebook is also the preferred method to communicate specials and live music offerings. Here is an interactive restaurant map created by IslandTidbits.com: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1tHyTc_dHc42yYDvgrU96Ei-ier-NeG0&usp=sharing
Coral Bay
Centerline Dr
Shambles – Great place to catch your favorite sports game and grab a reasonably priced bite to eat. Bloody Mary Bar on Sundays. Vegan options also available. Located across from Paradise Lumber. On Facebook Shambles
Windmill Bar – Directly across from Shambles. Serving lunch and dinner. Join them for Happy Hour from 3-6 p.m. at the best sunset spot in the Virgin Islands. https://windmillbar.com/
CoCo Jim’s – located next to Midway gas & grocery. Stop by for a delicious lobster roll, smoothies and cold drinks!