Caribbean Beach Guide

Best USVI Beaches: St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix

There are many, many beaches on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, so it's important to know where the best spots are. Otherwise you might waste time searching for or spending time at less than pristine beaches! Island hopping is easy and can be done via boat or sea plane. If you're spending a week at the Ritz Carlton Residence Club St. Thomas, you'll have plenty of time to check out all of the best beaches.

Best St. Thomas Beaches

Magens Bay Beach, located on the Northside of St. Thomas, is a mile of white, pebble free sand and calm waters. Magens Bay is the most popular and picturesque beach in USVI. The peninsulas protect the shore from erosion and big waves, making it an ideal spot for swimmers. This beach does have an entry fee ($4), which is used to maintain the facilities. This beach is particularly beautiful because of the rolling mountains that roll right down to the beach. It's perfect for snorkeling, but does get crowded as it is a popular stop for cruise ships.

Sapphire Beach is a beautiful white sand beach on the East End of the St. Thomas. This beach has some of the best snorkeling on the island thanks to an abundance of reefs. You will find some iguanas and ducks in a man-made pond, a beach bar, restaurant, water sports booth and gift shop. Sapphire Beach is perfect for water sports like kayaking, wind surfing, jet skiing, and parasailing. Sapphire Beach is a great walking beach because of all the beautiful trees and blooms in bright Caribbean colors.

Lindquist Beach - now officially Smith Bay Beach - is one of the more secluded beaches on St. Thomas. This is partly due to the fact that it is not a cruise ship stop. Smith Bay Beach has a $2 entry fee on the weekends but is free during the week. There are no restaurants or bars, so you will have to bring your own refreshments (no glass allowed). The water is a beautiful turquoise color and the sand is white and soft.

Best St. John Beaches

Trunk Bay beach is protected by the U. S. National Park Service and is a favorite cruise ship stop. Trunk Bay is consistently rated among the top 10 best Caribbean beaches and is famous for its underwater snorkeling trails.This beach has completely soft, white sand, coconut palms, seagrapes and beach mahos around the border. Check out the video below for views of this beautiful St. John beach!

Caneel Bay is a string of seven beaches from Durloe Point to Hawksnest Caneel. St. John's Caneel Bay is home to the famouse Caneel Bay Resort, which does accept day guests. You can go snorkeling and find a diverse variety of marine life, such as parrotfish, angelfish, and damselfish, barracuda, sea turtle, or reef squid. Visitors can also scuba dive, windsurf, sea kayak, or sail.

Best St. Croix Beaches

Sandy Point in St. Croix is the biggest beach in the US Virgin Islands and has been a location for many film shoots. The waves tend to be a big larger here, perfect for skim-boarding. Sandy Point is a protected reserve and nesting spot for endangered turtles, so it is only open to the public on weekends from 9am to 5pm, and is closed entirely during April to August (nesting season). People do go at night to watch for hatchlings, however. You can't put umbrellas in the sand here because you might hit a turtle's nest, and there are no trees for shade, so make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen!

Buck Island Reef is 1.5 miles off the coast of St. Croix, and is a 880 acre National Monument. It was established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in order to preserve “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea.” There are 704 acres of water and coral reef, making this a snorkeler and scuba diver's paradise! Go to Buck Island for the best scuba diving and snorkeling. The water is calm and clear with good visibility. There are plenty of fish, and you can even bring fish food with you while you snorkel to attract even more. The sand is a little darker, but still soft, and medium grain. There are full service facilities and some snorkel rentals (but we recommend you bring your own just in case).