Day Trip to St. John St. John is the least populated of the 3 main Virgin Islands. Rockefeller used to own the island, and donated it to the National Park system. About 80% of the island is national park and remains untouched. St. John has some of the most beautiful stretches of beaches in the world. Click here for a quick photo tour of St. John. I recommend catching the St. John ferry out of Red Hook. Yeah, it is a bit of a hike to get out there (a taxi will cost an arm and a leg, but if you're an intrepid explorer, you can catch a 'Safari Bus' and get there for one dollar). The ferry from Red Hook is cheaper, and runs later and more often. It will give you more time in St. John. Click here for the St. John ferry schedule Once on St. John, I recommend renting a little Jeep or Sidekick. There are a number of places to do this within easy walking distance from Cruz Bay. Remember to drive on the Left! Take the north coast road around the island. It will hit all the popular beaches. The Centerline road has spectacular views of almost the entire U.S and British Virgin Island chain. For lunch, anything in Cruz Bay will be great, but if you're feeling like hitting a St. John 'original', head to Coral Bay and try out Skinny Legs. It is basically a shack with a plank floor and a sail cloth roof, but some great burgers. Day Trip to Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands) A day trip to Virgin Gorda is an amazing experience. I've found that the best (well, easiest) way to do this is on the Limnos charter day trip. This trip is an all inclusive (a.k.a. open bar and lunch are served) boat ride that takes you first to The Baths then to The Caves at Norman Island. The Baths of Virgin Gorda are an amazing geological formation. Large granite boulders, caves and grottoes to climb through, and one or two great beaches. It gets a little crowded if there are cruise ships around, but it is still well worth the trip. Limnos allows for a little over an hour here. Just enough time to explore. For a quick picture tour of the baths, click here After the baths, the boat takes you to Norman Island. Legend has it that this is the island that was the basis for the book "Treasure Island". There are some caves on the west side of the island that you can snorkel into, as well as some good Coral and fish life. Limnos will supply you with masks, snorkels and fins. One of the best things about this trip is the boat ride. You get to see most of the islands in the US and British Virgin Islands chain. The captain will usually point out interesting things about each island as you pass them, and regale you with stories and pirate legends. To do this trip from Water Island, catch the earliest possible ferry from Water Island. Call a taxi immediately on arrival at Tickles and have them take you to Compass Point Marina. This is where Limnos leaves from. You must be there before 8:00am. Limnos will take it from there. You probably will make it back to Crown Bay in time to catch the last ferry back to Water Island. Hope so, anyway. Bring your passport for this trip. It is required. More Day Trips To Follow soon |