Visiting St. John USVI: Top Things to Do and See on Your Trip

St. John is the smallest of the three major U.S. Virgin Islands but, in its 20 square miles, it is packed full of fun activities and things to do to keep the whole family entertained for days on end. This little slice of paradise has plenty of untouched nature to explore both on land and under the sea which leads to plenty of fun hiking, swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling excursions that will take you all around the island learning new things. These St. John USVI activities are often popular with tourists and can range from free self-guided tours to paid detailed excursions. Which one you choose depends on what kind of adventure you and your family are looking for! In St. John USVI, the things to do during your visit are endless so you may have to plan another trip back just to see what you missed.

St. John USVI Activities to Try During Your Visit

While planning to visit St. John USVI things to do during your vacation may be overwhelming at first because, despite its size, it's jam-packed full of activities and a short trip may not even scratch the surface of what can be seen and done there. Due to that, it can be difficult to narrow down what exactly you should do during your time on the island. The following list includes a few popular activities that many visitors who have visited over the years have enjoyed.

Virgin Islands National Park

This national park covers almost two-thirds of St. John and the ocean surrounding it. Inside the boundaries of the park, the island is well-preserved so you can see the natural beauty and history of the island including the turquoise waves lapping the gorgeous white sand beaches, old forest roads, secluded bays, scenic overlooks, and historic ruins. Many of the beaches you visit and the hiking trails in St. John are part of the national park so you'll end up spending most of your time here no matter what you plan to do, but you could also stop by the welcome center to learn more about the nature and culture surrounding you. While at the park, you can also kayak to the Coral Reef National Monument which was created in 2001 to protect the coral reefs around the island.

Go on a Hike

There are over two dozen potential hikes in St. John that you can do. Most of them are relatively short and can be done in less than an hour, but a few may take an hour or two to accomplish or may not be as well maintained as others. The cool thing about the hikes is that they take you deeper into the culture of St. John by taking you past ruins of old windmills, sugar plantations, and other historic markers from the island's rich history or they'll take you through winding paths until you wind up at a beautiful white sand beach where you may want to stop and relax for a little while. Some of the trails even interconnect in places so you can start on one hike, see what you wanted to see, and then go down a different nearby trail to see another beautiful piece of St. John.

Visit the Different Beaches

With almost 20 different beaches on the island, there are plenty of different views of the Caribbean Sea to explore! You can opt to sit on the white sand beach to relax and soak up the sun or you can go boating, kayaking, swimming, or snorkeling to spend some time out on the water. Some of the most popular beaches include Maho Bay Beach, Cinnamon Beach, and Trunk Bay Beach. On Maho Bay Beach, you can visit the nearby shops, rent paddle boards or kayaks, get snorkeling equipment, and if you decide to go out on the water, you may be able to spot some sea turtles swimming underneath you without a care in the world. Trunk Bay Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean and like Maho Bay Beach and a popular snorkeling destination because it has its own snorkeling trail with underwater signs that label the different marine life you'll see called the Coral Reef Underwater Park Trail. Cinnamon Beach is located a few minutes east of Trunk Bay Beach so if you aren't able to secure a parking spot there, you don't have to drive far to get a similarly beautiful spot where you can go swimming or snorkeling.

Nature and Wildlife Tours

While it's possible to rent your own equipment to go snorkeling or kayaking at most of the beaches on St. John or do self-guided tours of many of the hiking trails and pathways in the national park, you can also opt to purchase a nature and wildlife tour. These tours are less crowded and offer either a semi-private or private experience to tourists who want to see some of the most spectacular sights on the island but aren't sure where to start. Depending on your price point, you can opt for shorter snorkeling or boating excursions that take you out on the water to swim and explore or you can charter a private yacht for the day and sail around the entire island to take in the natural beauty of the land.

Lime Out Taco Boat

While most of the popular attractions on the island are related to its natural beauty or rich history, one incredibly popular place to visit is the Lime Out Taco Boat. As the name implies, this restaurant is only accessible by boat because it's floating out on the water and if you decide to charter a boat to explore greater Coral Bay, many of the tours will stop here for lunch so the group can sit in floating booths and grab some delicious tacos made from fresh ingredients alongside cocktails made from hand squeezed juices and premium liquor.

These are just a few of the options for St. John USVI top things to do on your trip that many tourists have enjoyed. Everybody has different interests so no two vacations will look alike. These are just a few examples of some of the many things you can do while visiting St. John and the more you explore the island, the more exciting opportunities you can uncover.