The island of St.John, in the Caribbean Sea, is much less developed than the island of St.Thomas, having only 5,000 people over 12,000 acres. There is no airport on St.John, so you will have to fly into St.Thomas and take a ferry or a private boat to the island, which is approximately four miles to the east of St.Thomas.
The majority of St.John is protected as national park, so this prevents over population and keeps resorts off the beaches, which are public on the vast majority of the island. Nature lovers and those seeking isolation will love the secluded beaches on St.John, some of which receive international recognition as some of the most beautiful in the world.
For instance, Trunk Bay, an undeveloped white sand beach, on the north shore of the island, has been rated the most beautiful beach in the world by the National Geographic Society. The aquatic life there is phenomenal; healthy coral reef that has a snorkeling trail guides patrons through an underwater utopia. There are two national park camping areas on Cinnamon and Maho beach. To get into the really isolated beaches visit the south shore by hiking there or with a 4 wheel drive vehicle.
While St.Thomas is mainly focused on the resorts and staying in and around your hotel beach, St.John is about exploring the forests and coral reefs of the Caribbean. One of the best ways to explore remote cays and reefs is by sailboat, and St.John has plenty of nautical experts that can help you find paradise in its purest form. You can sail and snorkel around many coral reefs and visit places like Watermelon Cay and Honeymoon beach – various companies are on hand to help organise these trips.
You can also, time permitting, go on an extend kayak tour of islands and cays, possibly over a week long. If sitting poolside staring at the same piece of land for a week straight is not your thing, you may want to go on a real tropical adventure. You can choose to travel to Tortola, Peter Island, Pelican Island, the Indians, which has incredible snorkeling, and Norman Island. Norman Island is believed to be the inspiration for Louise Stevenson’s Treasure Island, so you can begin to appreciate the ethereal atmosphere of these locations. You can cross the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and visit Jost Van Dyke island, Sandy Spit and Sandy Cay, as well as experience actual desert islands. You can also take kayaking day trips, if you’re not up for a robust expedition this time around.
Fly fishing and biking excursions are also available, if you’re looking for something unique.
Hiking on the island is quite phenomenal, and there are many trails that you can use to explore tropical forests. The Reef Bay trail is a two mile long trail that meanders through a dry tropical forest and then a wet tropical forest, with old sugar plantations and abandoned farming villages along the way. The hike takes about three hours on foot, and can be taken with the national park service if you want to take a boat out of the bottom of this area so you don’t have to hike back up. You hike down the steep trail and then back up, if you don’t go with the park service. However, if you are a true adventurer, you can go all the way to the bottom of the trail and take a swim around some magnificent coral to cool off before taking the hike back up.
The park service marks old ruins so you learn a bit about the area as you hike around. A good deal of the trail is sheltered by tropical foliage, so you won’t be assaulted by the sun on hot days. Waterfalls and petroglyphs can also be found on this breath taking trail. For the more experienced hiker, there is a mountain trail on Bordeaux Mountain, which peaks at 1,300 ft.
St.John is known first and foremost for its natural beauty, but, there are some excellent shopping opportunities available on the island. One of the most famous is St.John Spice shop, located right above the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. St.John Spice has the largest offering of hot sauces in the Caribbean Islands and offers world famous grill rubs, as well as myriad spices from all over the world. Many world travelers say that this is one of the most amazing spice shops they have ever visited in their lives.
Saint-John island, Hawaii has other unique shopping experiences, such as Mongoose Junction, where local craftspeople ply their trade and sell their wares. The Marketplace and Wharfside Village round out the main shopping opportunities where you can enjoy duty free shopping on jewelry, watches, clothing, and of course-Caribbean rum.
