St. John, USVI: 20+ Reasons To Visit Right Now!

St. John USVI – It’s one of those places that once you visit, your life is changed forever. Sound dramatic? Trust me, I know… but it’s true!

St. John is a special island that’s hard to describe until you actually go for yourself. It’s beautiful in photos, but once you visit is when you truly feel the spirit of the island; Some of the friendliest faces you’ll ever come across (including wild donkeys!), paired with the most amazing water you’ll ever see in your life, along with that island time feeling truly makes St. John, USVI unforgettable.

My parents fell in love with St. John when my dad went for a work trip back when I was in high school. Fast forward and I’ve now been four times (you can find a past travel guide here), while my parents have been five times. If you’ve ever been to St. John USVI then you understand that it has this magnetic pull on you that’s like nothing else. While I love exploring new places, there’s just something about St. John that keeps me coming back for more (and never disappointed)!

St. John USVI: 20+ Reasons To Visit Right Now!

This past September 2017 brought two of the worst hurricanes ever recorded on this Earth straight through St. John- Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. I honestly hate to even write their names here. I sat in my apartment in Boston glued to the TV and the computer praying for the best, and yet at the same time, expecting the worst. I remember watching live video cams up until they lost power and were ripped off the roof that they were attached to. I remember reading through posts on St. John Facebook forums for hours, just hoping that somehow this storm would change its course.

I remember tearing up reading posts from a duo who my family has grown to love after getting to know throughout the years (Kelly and Stephen of Singing Dog Sailing) knowing that they’re skilled sailors, but praying they would change their minds and leave. They’re two of the most skillful sailors I’ve ever met and have sailed everywhere, yet part of me also prepared myself that staying on their boat, they just might not make it (if you guys are reading this we love you!!!!).

Once the devastation happened from Hurricane Irma, the internet seemed to go silent for 72+ hours. St. John cell phone service has always been iffy even on a good day. Meanwhile, family members and friends at home began to get frantic from not hearing from their loved ones (understandably so). People back in the continental United States began posting names and photos of loved ones on their personal Facebook pages and Facebook forums, asking if anyone had seen their loved ones and praying that they were accounted for. Praying that maybe someone on the island had service and had seen their loved one(s). With no power, extremely minimal cell phone service, no WiFi, minimal water, and minimal food, many people at home were thinking the worst.

Flash forward 10 or so days and while the worst of the hurricane seemed to be over, unfortunately, more destruction was to come. As St. John residents were just starting to get their bearings, Hurricane Maria was well on her way and brought more destruction than anyone thought humanly possible. Roofs and solar panels were literally thrown in the air and ripped off of homes, almost every tree was leveled, and pool water sucked out of pools. People couldn’t get home to the states if they tried as there wasn’t a way to get to the airport and/or not a single seat to be found.

If you’re not familiar, St. John doesn’t have an airport, so getting off the island and getting to the island isn’t as easy as you might think. To get there, you have to fly into St. Thomas, take a cab to the Red Hook Ferry doc (there is another ferry option but I prefer this one), and then take a ferry from Red Hook to St. John. Now you can begin to understand just how difficult it was to get the help they needed (and why rebuilding and getting materials there is so time consuming).

…

As the months passed, the people of St. John slowly built back their community even though they had already lost so much. Many lost their homes, boats, and almost all of their possessions were ruined. Somehow, only one life was lost (or at least that is what’s recorded). St. John and most tropical islands depend on tourism from the months of roughly October – May, however people do visit all year round. When a community depends on tourism for so much of their economy, I’m sure that a sense of fear and panic start to set in. How am I going to make a living if no one will visit? How can I even make a living when my place of work is demolished? 

I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like, probably still feels like, and I won’t pretend that I know what it feels like. I can’t even imagine the PTSD and trauma that must still be there after living through an event where you quite possibly might have thought you were going to die. What I do know is that these people are so strong, their spirits fierce, and their determination- boundless! Continue reading to read the 20+ reasons you should visit St. John USVI right now!

One thing that I think is so important to note is that St. John is still full of amazing beauty, life, and is READY for visitors (I hate to use the word tourists eek so I have avoided that term)! There has been much debate about whether it’s safe to go, whether it’s “worth” a vacation, and whether the island is ready for visitors. If you can’t tell from these photos already (which were all taken by me and my boyfriend on my vacation to St. John USVI in the middle of March 2018 after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria) yes, the island is definitely ready for visitors. I also must add- the people that live there TRULY want you to visit. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of people (particularly waiters, waitresses) who thanked us for being there. It brought a tear to my eye every single time, because I felt a bit of guilt every time it was said. But these people need you to travel there and they need your business now more than ever!

If you’re worried it won’t meet your expectations for a vacation…. especially if you’ve visited before…. Again- just flip through the rest of these photos if you’re yet to be convinced. Of my four trips to St. John, I can honestly say that this one was the best trip yet. I would go again in a heartbeat (if I had more vacation days lol… My parents may or may not be planning to go again next month)! It did not disappoint in the slightest. I urge you to consider it for one of your future vacations. I love when you guys use my recommendations and go to the places I love!

While many of the hotels that so many are used to staying in are not currently open (the Westin and Caneel Bay Resort are not currently open), there are plenty of options for where to stay. We have always booked a villa through Catered To and have had unbelievable experiences. While there are certainly less villas available than the past (due to hurricane damage) chances are you can find one that can exceed all of your wants, needs, and dreams. If you don’t want to stay in a villa, or you don’t have a large group, Gallows Point Resort is an amazing option and is in a great location. Since hotels, restaurants, and other spots are constantly opening back up, I’m not going to list them all, but Jenn of News of St. John always has very thoughtful and helpful blog posts regarding these types of things if you want to check her out!

As far as restaurants, there’s plenty open and most are open 7 days a week. We were a bit sad to find Beach Bar not open, but I 100% respect their decision to move slowly and open on their own terms. Some of my favorite restaurants/food spots from the trip that were all open were Extra Virgin (AMAZING! They have their own garden and use locally grown/sourced products. Almost everything is made from scratch), The Longboard, Morgan’s Mango (completely renovated their space since the hurricanes and it looks amazing), Ocean Grill, Banana Deck (great spot to get a good steak), Joe’s Rum Hut, High Tide, Sam and Jack’s Deli (best sandwiches to pick up before a beach day), and Skinny Legs (best burgers).

1. The People!

As amazing as St. John is, the people had to be #1 here! The people of St. John are just so gosh darn friendly and down to earth. I think this is one of the reasons that I truly feel so at home when on the island. Even more inspiring is their drive and spirit after two of the worst hurricanes known to Earth almost destroyed their beloved island. Their energy and spirit is something I hope to emulate.

2. Day Sail Trips

St. John is so close to a bunch of other islands that it makes it easy to take day sails whether that’s through boat charters and/or a ferry (although I don’t believe the ferry is running to these below spots as of yet). I highly recommend Singing Dog Sailing (my family has sailed with them 5 times now and it’s always AMAZING). Some spots that are worth day sailing to include:

• Jost Van Dyke (Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy’s are a MUST)
• Virgin Gorda (The Baths really are worth it at least once and are even more breathtaking in person)
• Pizza Pi Vi (A boat that serves NY style pizza located in Christmas Cove near St. Thomas)
• Sandy Spit + Sandy Cay (seen here in a blog post from a couple years ago). Unfortunately, they’re now missing most of their greenery and trees since the hurricane hit, but still so beautiful)
• Tortola
  

3. The Longboard

The Longboard is one of my favorite restaurants on St. John and is so effortlessly cool and hip that you’ll wish you could transport it to your own home town or city! They have both a great cocktail list and food menu. If you find yourself craving a poke bowl, ceviche, a frozen painkiller, a frozen passionfruit frosé, or the best queso ever, then you must make a pit stop here! This is always one of our favorite spots to hang out at for happy hour after being at the beach all day. They open at 3 PM every day so it’s perfect for appetizers and a refreshing cocktail.

Also, I have to mention for those who care…. It’s super Instagramable! You might remember this Instagram post here from this trip. By Instagramable I mean everything just seems so photo worthy from the food right down to the decor. Also, in the middle of the mess (and after the mess) that was Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, they fed the residents of St. John for free. Great spot and they have amazing hearts!

4. The Donkeys

The donkeys of St. John are just another reason St. John is St. John. They are wild yet very friendly, although timid at times (they don’t like camera flashes). Seeing the donkeys on St. John is quite popular, however, this was the FIRST trip we ever saw them *gasp*. We told ourselves we weren’t leaving until we saw them haha! While they’re very friendly, please don’t feed them (especially people food). If you couldn’t tell from the above photo, I was extremely excited to finally see one haha!! I have some other donkey photos but they aren’t very appropriate LOL *insert eggplant emoji here* if you catch my drift….. If you DM me on Instagram I’ll send it to you but I didn’t think it was appropriate to post here haha!!!!

5. Soggy Dollar Bar

Soggy Dollar Bar is perhaps one of my top 5 favorite places on this planet. This place is just so SO fun. It’s hard to explain until you go! Soggy Dollar Bar is located on Jost Van Dyke which is an island close to St. John. It’s only accessible by beach and the reason it’s called Soggy Dollar Bar is because years and years ago, people would swim in to the bar from their sailboats and dinghies with money in their pockets and the money would get wet. They have a live webcam here if you feel like virtually checking it out!

Soggy Dollar Bar is famous for the Painkiller cocktails that are a must try when in the Virgin Islands! Also, I don’t know if they did this in the past, but I highly recommend going to Soggy Dollar Bar on a Sunday. They now have a Sunday Beach BBQ (see plate below… omg it was so good you guys) and a DJ! If you saw on Instagram stories then you know I had a great time (ok and a bit of alcohol was involved). I think I actually wanted to cry when we had to leave because my friend Ashley who also came with us on this trip and I were dancing away (the only ones dancing but who cares) and having the absolute best time! Bottom line is you MUST go on a Sunday if you can! The DJ was great.

These palm trees were planted a few months ago and are being held up with boards so that hopefully the roots will take.

6. The Beaches

You can shop my dress here (under $30!)

The beaches of St. John might be my favorite part. While the beaches might look a little bit different now (little to no palm trees) the water and sand are just as amazing as ever. The water was clear as glass when we visited and we saw lots of fish and sea turtles. One change is that there’s very little shade at the beaches now since there aren’t as many trees, but trust me when I say it’s still amazing. Here are some of my favorite beaches on St. John!

• Cinnamon Bay (favorite beach!)
• Honeymoon
• Hawksnest
• Jumbie
• Maho
• Oppenheimer / Gibney (if you saw the tire swing in photos online you may be sad if you go and find out it’s not there anymore. Just wanted to warn ya! This beach now looks very different than it used to)

Head wrap (my color sold out but linked other colors) | Top (wearing a 10 which is US size 6 / check size guide if you want to purchase) | Pants (currently on sale for under $20)

7. Painkillers

You haven’t lived until you’ve had a painkiller. You’ll find a painkiller on almost every cocktail list on St. John, but my favorite one is from Soggy Dollar Bar. It’s said that this is the exact spot that the Painkiller originated in the 1970s. Although there are a couple different recipes, here’s what Soggy Dollar Bar is said to use:

• 2-4 oz. of Pusser’s Rum
• 4 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. cream of coconut (could use coconut milk too)
• 1 oz. orange juice
• Garnish with grated fresh nutmeg on top

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Serve over ice. Garnish and top with fresh grated nutmeg. Enjoy and relax, you’re on island time! 🙂

8. Irie Pops

Irie Pops (pronounced eye-ree; it’s a Jamaican term for something that’s nice, good, or pleasing) are one of my new obsessions on St. John and are so so good! I bought mine at Sam and Jack’s Deli where they have a freezer. This one was a Boozy Painkiller Pop. Yum! They have tons of other delicious flavors as well. You can find hem on Instagram here.

9. Extra Virgin

Extra Virgin is now my favorite restaurant on St. John after I finally got to try it this past trip. I definitely recommend making a reservation here. Even with the island being much slower than past years, we were really glad we made a reservation. We had the best dinner of our entire trip here and to be honest, I’m still dreaming about this meal. They make almost 100% of everything in house from scratch and have their own gardens. Food is locally grown and sourced. They grow almost all of their own herbs on site.

If you go, which you absolutely SHOULD, you must get the Herb Gnocchi. I’ve never been a huge gnocchi fan and this was unreal. I’m still dreaming about it. When Geoff and I went here, we went on a double date with my brother and his girlfriend Breen who is like my own sister. Both the guys got the short rib and I swear it was like 20 oz. It was huge. I got the bouillabaisse (I think they call it cioppino on their website but same thing) and it was soooo delicious.

10. The Snorkeling

The snorkeling on St. John is really great when there’s little to no wind and the water is clear. On this trip, we saw tons of fish, turtles, rays, and other fish that I would never be able to tell you what kind they are haha!

11. The Views

The views ohhhhh, the views! The views on St. John in one word – incredible. You’ll find some of the best views when you drive North from Cruz Bay to where the majority of the popular beaches are. There’s a few spots on this drive where there’s a shoulder and you can pull off to get a photo. The first spot you can pull off looks over Cruz Bay which is considered the “main” part of town and where the majority of the restaurants are. This is also where the ferry dock is. The next couple spots you can pull off overlook Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay beaches. The above picture was taken at Cinnamon Bay beach. I wrote a little bit of a description here that I think you might like 🙂 .

12. Xango Dessert at Banana Deck

This dessert, called Xango from Banana Deck is one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life. It’s banana caramel cheesecake that’s then wrapped in a flour tortilla, is deep fried, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and then topped with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce. I wish I had a picture, but unfortunately, my fam and I basically devoured it in seconds. Heaven.

13. Virgin Islands National Park

To me, the best places to visit are always the places that are a bit off the beaten path. They’re not the easiest to get to, but they’re worth it. Since they’re not as easy to get to, they’re less populated. It’s really nice going somewhere where there’s not a single big box store or a chain restaurant. The Virgin Islands National Park is spread across 14,737 acres of land. It covers 60 percent of St. John, adjacent ocean, and nearly all of Hassel Island.

Knowing that this land is preserved and over 60% of St. John is being preserved makes my heart happy. Knowing that big hotels or chains can’t come in and take the land for their own benefit should make you happy too.

14. Pizza PI VI

This one might blow your mind a bit, but Pizza Pi Vi is a boat in Christmas cove (close to the Ritz on St. Thomas) where you can get New York style pizza MADE ON A FREAKING BOAT. I mean how cool is that?! Our friends Kelly and Stephen of Singing Dog Sailing treated us to a sail and took us one day while we were on our trip and I was so happy. I had been wanting to go to this spot but had no idea how we would actually get there since you have to arrive by boat. I have to say the pizza really is delicious too! This is a must when visiting St. Thomas or St. John.

15. The Weather

I mean half the reason people visit St. John….. the PERFECT weather. This past trip was the best weather we have ever had when visiting. 80-82 degrees every single day with virtually no humidity. We didn’t even have as much as a rain shower. If you need a dose of vitamin sea and a little sunshine, you can certainly get it here!

16. The Sunsets

Enough said!

17. The New England Presence

One of the coolest things about St. John for a New Englander is the connection to New England that SO many people on the island seem to have. Almost every single restaurant we went to, our waiter or waitress was from Maine or Massachusetts. There’s even a bar on St. John called 420 to Center which is a New England dive-y sports bar on St. John. For those not aware (I wasn’t until we went the first time) 420 is the distance from center field to home plate at Fenway. Pretty cool huh?!

18. Jeep Adventures

One thing is for sure – if you truly want to explore on St. John, you need a jeep! What many don’t know before visiting is that everyone drives on the left side of the road here. Let me tell you, going from Cruz Bay to the beaches on the North Shore, there are certainly some windy, steep, blind turns. But don’t let that scare you! Traveling by Jeep is one of the most fun ways to explore the island. After going to the beaches on the North Shore, I recommend you keep going and check out the Annaberg Sugar Plantation. The views are incredible and it’s perfect for anyone in your family or party who might be interested in the history. We also saw deer and hundreds of butterflies. It was magical! Once you’re done there, keep driving and go to Skinny Legs for one of the best burgers on the island (cash only right now though FYI).

19. Floating

Whether it’s at the beach or in a pool, floating without a care in the world is one of the best ways to spend your time on St. John!

20. The Passionfruit Frosé at The Longboard

I know I talked about The Longboard above, but their passionfruit frosé deserved it’s own number. Yessss it’s really that great. Now I’m scheming ways I can make it at home or how I can get back to St. John immediately!

Have you ever dreamed of visiting St. John, USVI? Make this the year it happens! Make sure to check out some of my other St. John blog posts: St. John, USVI March 2020, St. John, USVI Travel Guide 2019, St. John, USVI Vacation Outfits Recap, and Our St. John Engagement Story.