Blue World Travel

St.John, Virgin Islands: Paradise Found

St. John, the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is special because of all the things it isn’t. 

It isn’t an island full of fast food restaurants, strip malls, or movie theaters. There are no stoplights, traffic jams, or miles of condominiums and all-inclusive resorts. Its main draw is its stunning natural landscapes, pristine beaches and sweeping views of the blue-green Caribbean Ocean. 

You are merely there to admire the view.

Two-thirds of the island is protected as part of the Virgin Islands National Park, ensuring that much of its natural beauty remains untouched, and that’s the key that unlocks its beauty: there is very little development. 

The park is certainly a deterrent to commercial growth, but so are its iron clad gatekeepers—-the community organizations and environmental and advocacy groups that work to protect the island’s natural resources. These organizations, along with the business community and local government, have a significant impact on decision-making and it seems they like the island just the way it is. 

A vacation to St. John is a real vacation, the kind of sojourn where all you need is a bathing suit and a book. A day might look like this: You awake early to head to one of the many pristine beaches before anyone else arrives. You rent out snorkel equipment, find your spot in the sand, and then spend the morning and half the afternoon looking for sea turtles through your snorkel goggles, or pretending to read a book. It’s hard to focus on anything but the view—the beautiful turquoise water, maybe a small off-shore island bobbing in the bay, or the towering cliffs encircling you. It’s likely you will never read your book.

The island is truly a pinch-yourself-kind-of place because it’s everything you were looking for in a beach but never found: no rocks or pebbles, just fine white sand that meets crystal clear water—reminiscent of an ancient time on earth.

By 2:00, you’re ready to head into town, and you look for the open-air safari-style taxis for a ride, or you jump into your rented Jeep. Traversing the sharp hairpin turns across St. John’s mountainous terrain takes some practice, especially since the island has a keep-left rule. And it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road since every ten feet looks like a picture stop.

Cruz Bay, the main town and port on St. John, is a vibrant and charming hub with colorful buildings, shops, restaurants, and a festive atmosphere. Ferries from St. Thomas and other nearby islands dart in and out of the ferry port and you can watch the hustle and bustle from a seaside bar or restaurant, perfectly content to do nothing but acknowledge the last hours of the afternoon unfolding with a Caribbean drink in hand and a plate of boiled shrimp.

At 4:00, at least in the winter months, you have an important date: you must get to the infamous Windmill Bar to catch the sunset. The bar is perched on a mountaintop a few miles from town and offers an astounding view of the the coast below, with a handful of small islands in the sea beyond that look as though they were casually tossed there. 

The bar takes its name from a restored windmill on site that once powered a sugar plantation, a remnant of the island’s history. During the colonial period, the Caribbean islands were part of the transatlantic slave trade, and enslaved individuals were brought to work on plantations, primarily in the production of sugar, which was a major industry at the time. That era ended in 1848 when, after a series of brave revolts, and increasing pressure from abolitionist movements, the Danish government, who owned the island then, officially abolished slavery in its colonies.

People start drifting into the Windmill Bar an hour or so before sunset, but you’ve arrived a little earlier and scored a table with a good view of the sea. The crowd gathered there is a reflection of the rest of the island: casually dressed, happy, and not at all in a hurry. A Caribbean band plays, and just as the sun sinks into the ocean in spectacular hues of blue, orange, and red, it’s time for you to head back to your hotel or your vacation rental to think about dinner.

The best place to spend the evening hours here is on your porch or deck grilling a steak, or at a cozy restaurant in town. St. John really isn’t about late nights; it’s about falling into a contented sleep, suntanned and sated, white coral and swimming sea turtles beguiling your dreams. What you want most of all is to wake up refreshed in the morning and do it all over again—maybe choosing a different dreamy beach.

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