by Joe
You say Carabean, I say Caribbean, but let’s not call the whole thing off… No matter how you say it, there’s nothing quite like it. It’s a place that transforms you quickly and forces you to relax, recharge, and reinforce the reasons you take a beach vacation.

My granddaughter wants to know whenever we visit Disney “why can’t we just live here?”. That’s what I want to know whenever I visit a Caribbean location. One of my wife’s and my favorite places is the US Virgin Islands (USVI) – specifically the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. Although we have been to Hawaii and as far as Tahiti, the Caribbean islands are so much closer and easier to get to (less than a day for us East coasters). This allows for some fun on the very first day of your vacation. It’s almost like a bonus day. Many other islands can be reached in less than a day too.

So far we’ve stayed on St. Thomas and visited St. John by hopping a ferry, which is a quick trip. You can pick up the ferry in either Charlotte Amalie or in Red Hook. Since we like to stay on the East End of the island we have always used the Red Hook dock. The ferry from there only takes about 15 minutes and is cheap, adults $7 and children $1 each way. It’s about a 45 minute ride from Charlotte Amalie and a bit more each way ($12). However, St. John is more than worth the time to take a day trip or two. Although we have not stayed on St. John’s, we plan to one day. These ferries also go to Water Island, St. Croix and a couple of the islands in the British Virgin Islands like Tortola (unlike the USVI you will need a passport to visit the BVI). You can rent a car very reasonably on both St. Thomas and St. John, which I recommend since taxis are pretty pricey. Enough with the transportation details.

St. John’s is a lot less populated, much more remote, but the beaches are awesome and the hiking is super. 60% of this island is a National Park with part of it underwater, which includes a snorkel trail. The snorkeling is some of the best ever and some of the beaches can best be reached by a hike or by water. A great hike, swim, and snorkel route my wife and I like to do doesn’t even require a car. You will get a great feel for the island and get to see a couple of their most beautiful beaches. When you get off the ferry at the town of Cruz Bay, walk a couple of blocks to the National Park visitor center to the left of the dock. It’s on the map but you can ask anyone there in town for directions. You can pick up a trail map to take a hike on the Lind trail. This trail will take you to Caneel Bay (home of the famous and historic Caneel Bay Resort). This hike is shaded for the most part so even on the hottest days it’s very doable. The first beach you come to is Salomon Beach.

Salomon Bay

White sand and some of the clearest water you have ever seen since your last bath. A short spur from the main trail takes you to the water. The second beach is Honeymoon Bay Beach.

Honeymoon Bay

This beach is one of my favorites. There are a couple of hammocks and there is a place to rent kayaks and such. The next beach is the famous Caneel Bay and Beach.

Caneel Beach

It is also the location of a fabulous resort. It’s very pricey but it’s also historic as it was first conceived and developed by Laurance Rockefeller. It’s one of the leading hotels in the world but still somewhat casual in nature. This is also a nice stop if you need to use a restroom or to eat lunch, if you didn’t pack your own. You can return the same way you came or you can take the Caneel Hill trail which will circle back to Cruz Bay. However, my wife and I have done both and a word of caution. The Caneel Hill trail is very steep and will take you a considerable amount of time more to get back to Cruz Bay. We think the view from on top of Caneel Bay is awesome and quite worth the extra effort but it’s probably not for everyone.

View from Caneel Hill

While you are waiting to take one of the ferries back to St. Thomas, take time to have a cold drink and/or lunch at one of the several establishments by the dock. One of our favorites is High Tide. It’s on the beach and a great lookout for deciding which ferry to return. You may find yourself relaxing in the pub a lot longer than you thought you would.

Our favorite place to stay on St. Thomas is at Secret Harbour Villas on the East End of the island.

View from our villa

These studio, one bedroom and two bedroom villas are on the hillside just a few yards above the Secret Harbour Resort and the beach. These villas are privately owned and decorated. Most have a separate family room, and all have a full kitchen and patio or balcony. All of them have ocean views. The complex has a nice large pool which is also a great way to enjoy the island atmosphere. The cove (Nazareth Bay) appears to be a secret because it’s a great quiet beach, calm waters, but plenty of the water sports many people want. It has a dive center and the snorkeling is very good right off the beach.

Secret Harbour Resort from the Water

Some of our favorite restaurants are located nearby but they are not really in walking distance other than the two at the resort. However, the two there at the resort (the Sunset Grille and the Cruzan Beach Club) are a couple of the better ones. In Red Hook, which is close by, there is XO Bistro, The Tap & Still, Pesce, and Havana Blue at the Marriott. Iggies at Bolongo Bay is also a nice casual beach bar restaurant.

The Caribbean really has everything we need for a great island getaway. I hope you find it to be that too.