Although St. John in the United States Virgin Islands is located just four miles east of St. Thomas and four miles southwest of Tortola, the island has a character all its own. Over 60 percent of the land on St. John was donated by Laurance Rockefeller in the 1950’s and is still designated as protected parkland. This history of preservation resulted in minimal development on the island allowing for private villas and a few select hotels.
If you can imagine uncrowded beaches with powdery white sand, calm, clear water and amazing colors ranging from turquoise to green and blue, you can visualize the beaches on St. John. Add to that panoramic view of neighboring islands, the natural tropical greenery and welcome shade from swaying palm trees and you have the image of the typical St. John beach. Many of the most popular beaches are located in the Virgin Island National Park on the north shore of the island and feature coral reefs just offshore, making them ideal snorkeling.
The island is prized for its natural beauty and unspoiled beaches like Trunk Bay, named as one of the ten best beaches in the world by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Snorkelers enjoy the clear, warm water surrounding the island with views of sponges, coral and colorful tropical fish at sites including Water Lemon Cay and Cinnamon Bay. English is spoken by most with a Creole accent, and car and jeep rentals are available allowing guests to be explorers in search of their own private oasis.
