Best Beaches of the US Virgin Islands

Welcome to our pages on the US Virgin Islands. It would take a lifetime to complete everything here, but we feel we've touched on the major beaches and pastimes so you can relax and sight-see and not feel that you've gone to the Islands and didn't get to see some of the better things they have to offer. It would take many trips to see it all, and granted, people move here and spend a lifetime and never see the half of the beauty bestowed on the USVI.

It's not hard to see why the U.S. Virgin Islands are known best for the sugar-white beaches. They are absolutely World Class. But the U.S. Virgin Islands are also know for shopping! Some visitors come from far away just for the great bargains at the most developed island of the chain, St. Thomas.

The capital of St. Thomas is Charlotte Amalie, what some have dubbed the shopping mecca of the Caribbean. Dozens of cruise ships make their way here each month bring thousands of tourists.

This means that on St. Thomas, you're not going to have the beaches to yourself. What you will have are many bars and restaurants, hotels of all prices, and tour operators.

Bigger than St. Thomas is St. Croix, more laid back, but many cruise ships stop here as well. There are great beaches here, but the gem is Buck Island, an offshore U.S. National Park. St. Croix is a retirement haven with hundreds of condos dotting the island.

Finally, St. John is the smallest of the three, and we think the more beautiful. Less development has gone on here, so there is more of the natural feel of the island to enjoy. Almost two-thirds of the island has been set aside as a U.S. National Park. The gem here is world famous Trunk Bay. The beach is wonderful.

Trivia

The islands of the USVI are found in two bodies of water. St. Croix is in the Caribbean Sea. St. John is in the Atlantic Ocean. And, you've guessed it - St. Thomas is in both.

If you're looking for year-round great weather, look no further. The U.S. Virgin Islands lie right in the subtropical, easterly trade winds, bringing near perfect weather!

USVI is about 60 miles south of Puerto Rico and some 1,100 miles south of Florida.

Let's visit the Beach Index for St. Thomas, which has a handful of World Class Beaches, Next! >>

Cane Bay Beach - The Best Beach on St. Croix

Cane Bay is the best beach on St. Croix. Why? It ranks best with sunbathers, snorkel enthusiasts, for walking, and is a perfect "kids" beach. Pictures don't do it justice. The one thing you may note about the Virgin Islands is that the humidity can creep up there a bit. But when you're in paradise, what really matters is the visual and the sun. A little humidity now and then never hurt anybody, Mom would say.

You can easily reach Cane Bay Beach from the main road. Parking is ample. You'll share this beauty of a beach with world class scuba divers. Divers come from all over the world to experience what lies a few hundred yards offshore - "The Cane Bay Wall". If you have dived the Cane Bay Wall, please let us know by filling out our contact form in the menu area. And if you have pictures to share, let us know and we'll post them here with links to your site.

The Cane Bay Wall is where the ocean floor simply plunges to over 10,000 feet in a matter of yards. Look down and you'll only see the sun glints as they are swallowed by the sheer darkness. But the beauty is in the wall of coral that hugs Cane Bay. It is simply one of the best dives in the world.

But back to the beach!

Spend the day at Cane Bay Beach, or just the afternoon, but make sure you are here for the sunset. And you will have no problem finding a great place to hang out, munch on some snack food and take God's handiwork. You can come back tomorrow and start the whole experience over again. Yes, it's "that" good.

Note, there's another Cane Bay Beach in Tortola. While you're in the Caribbean, you could check that one out or just view our review.

Cane Bay Beach Index:

• Sand - soft, white, fine/medium grain
• Facilities - full-service
• Shade - adult trees/palms, umbrellas available
• Sports - center on site
• Notes - surf can get to 3 to 4 feet; excellent snorkeling, diving

One more island group to visit with St. John, USVI - Next! >>

Buck Island Reef National Monument Beach

Buck Island Reef is 1.5 miles off the northeast coast of St. Croix. It is a National Monument consisting of 880 acres of land and 704 acres of water and coral reef. If you are someone who snorkels, or are thinking of taking up the pastime, Buck Island Reef will be paradise. Scuba divers also enjoy the deep grottoes and labyrinths. Makes me want to break out my C card and log book and find a nice dive shop that can show me the best dives. Take your camera.

Just take a look at that water and you'll know immediately why people fly from all over to experience this famous beach and National Monument. And the water is pretty warm, too. Calm and clear on most days, you can see for a hundred feet without any problem. Fish are plentiful and there are time that people take bits of food out to feed them. It's a feeding frenzy that is fun to watch even though there are the conservatives that say we shouldn't be feeding them anything. And now onto a little bit of history on this area. Remember this part when you're down there and it will be even more fascinating.

Buck Island Reef is a must see. Not only is the beach one of the best in the Caribbean, the area contains significant cultural and historical objects. In March 1797, the slave ship Mary, captained by James Hunter of Liverpool, sank here, and its cargo of 240 slaves was saved and brought to Christiansted. In March 1803, the General Abercrombie, captained by James Booth of Liverpool, also wrecked in this area, and its cargo of 339 slaves was brought to Christiansted. Slave shipwrecks in U.S. waters are rare. The monument contains remnants of these wrecks. Other wrecks may also exist in the monument.

Again, like Protestant Cay, it's offshore and you must charter a boat or join a group going out to the Island.

But how cool can it get to simply jump off the boat, don your flippers and mask and explore some of the best coral reefs in the USVI? If you go as a family, one can explore below the water while the rest take advantage of the sun, sea and gentle breezes.

This beach is highly recommended. Do some research before you come so when you're here you can fully appreciate the magnitude of the duty of this National Park. Now, let's head off to Protestant Cay Beach.

Buck Island Reef National Monument Beach Index:

• Sand - darker, yet soft, medium grain
• Facilities - full-service
• Shade - none
• Sports - some snorkel rental, but make sure you bring at least for one person. You don't want to miss what this beach has to offer.
• Notes - we highly recommend this beach; don't miss it
  

Protestant Cay Beach - St. Croix - USVI

Protestant Cay is located just off the shore, so close you think you could swim right out to it - but take the ferry from Christiansted. It's a short ferry ride to get to the beautiful sandy beach at "Hotel on the Cay".

Since all beaches on St. Croix are public, feel free to walk right past the hotel to the sandy strip. You will not only find the water crystal clear, but the view breathtaking. The beach faces the city and this makes for ideal beach conditions: calm water, shallow sands.

Protestant Cay Beach is great for families with small kids. The pool-like semi-circle beach is rather warm. And it's perfect for sunning and swimming. Because it takes a little work to get to, it's rarely crowded. Plan to have most of the beach to yourself except on weekends. This is when locals come out and the Cay comes to life. In fact, you may just want to plan a trip out here during the weekend so you can join in the festivities. Whatever your choice, you won't be disappointed.

Plan a morning trip to Protestant Cay. Enjoy the tranquility under the palm trees or rental umbrellas. But make it a half-day because you'll want to take the afternoon shopping in close by Christiansted. There are many nice shops that will have you busy and enjoying the rest of the day. We found some small restaurants in the Christiansted shopping area.

On the weekends, Protestant Cay Beach changes. Sundays brings live music to the beach. Enjoy the Caribbean culture and plan a meal at the hotel. Tan by music. The view as we said, is spectacular. Here again - plan for crowds on the weekends.

The ferry departs the dock next to Fort Christianvearn running from 7 AM to 6 PM. A round-trip ticket will set you back $3.00.

Protestant Cay Beach Index:

• Sand - white powder, medium grain/pebbles, clean
• Facilities - full-service
• Shade - palm trees, umbrellas for rent
• Sports - snorkel rental, variety of items at hotel
  
• Notes - smaller beach, but since there is a charge for the ferry, fewer people make the effort to come out. Calm water.

Next, let's hop over and check out the St. Thomas beaches NEXT! >>

Best Beaches on St. Croix

One interesting thing about St. Croix is that there were actual Carib Indians living here when Columbus discovered it. These guys were cannibals, so the Spaniards claimed, and called them Carribales. And that's where we get the word Caribbean... or land of cannibals. They're long gone now, and what's left is the land they enjoyed for centuries before the New World introduced slavery and disease. Wow, what a down note to start out about beaches! But tuck that history in the back of your mind and lets look at these beaches together and imagine a different place with natives living off this paradise.

You don't need a personal invitation to visit St. Croix, but that's just what the beautiful palm-lined, sun-kissed beaches do. Spend a few hours or spend the day, these miles of white golden sand and turquoise waters offer an enticing way to relax or to brush up on your snorkeling or diving.

But that's not all. The many trails on St. Croix that weave along the shore and through the hillsides will make you wonder why you've never visited before.

Most of the beaches have full-service facilities. Some are very secluded. No matter your taste, you will certainly find one that suits you.

	Protestant Cay - Located just off the shore from Christiansted, a short ferry ride to paradise in St. Croix.
	Buck Island Reef National Monument Beach - Just 1.5 miles off the northeast coast of St. Croix, the National Monument is 880 acres of land and pristine water. Sunken slave ships make this a historical site.
	Cane Bay Beach - Dive? You may know Cane Bay Wall. But swimmers are in for a treat. Nice clear water, beautiful reef. Time for a Caribbean vacation!