Top 10 Things St. Thomas USVI

Over the last 4 years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Caribbean Island of St. Thomas, 4 times. With those trips under my belt I felt it was finally time to make a fun and much requested “Top 10 things to do in St. Thomas” blog post and YouTube video! Despite Covid 19, you can still travel to the US Virgin Islands, just make sure to provide a negative covid test. Without further ado, let’s jump into my top 10 list!

I'm so grateful that we are able/allowed to travel to the Caribbean. It's a great getaway, and the flight is only 3 and a half hours from New York - Jfk Airport. I'm excited to share this list with you guys, and to hear what you guys think about it, let me know in the comments below! :)

S T . T H O M A S

The US Virgin Islands are group of 4 Caribbean islands, so far we’ve been to 3 of them, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island. I hope that next time we go, we get the chance to visit St. Croix, it looks absolutely stunning there. But for now, since we spent most time on St. Thomas, this list will mostly be based there. Enjoy!

10. RENT A CAR

Starting off with number 10 - Rent a car! Preferably a jeep, because these roads can be really bumpy. But having access to a car makes the whole stay so much more effortless and enjoyable. You have more freedom and you don’t need to rely on finding a taxi, and negotiating prices and all that hurdle. The prices and accessibility for cars varies on what time of the year you are there. But when we were there back in December, we rented a Ford Fiesta because there were no more jeeps left, and paid around $450 for 1 week. 

After getting the car, make sure to drive up to the lookout point - Drake’s Seat! No, not Drake the rapper, Sir Francis Drake - Legend says that in the 16th century, this is where he kept watch over his fleet, and looked for dangerous enemy ships in the horizon. It also provides stunning views of Magens Bay. Oh, and keep in mind, you will have to drive on the left side of the road, but you get used to it fairly quick! 

9. RESTAURANTS

Moving on to number 9 on the list - the Caribbean flavors of the island! Exploring new restaurants is one of my favorite things to do when I go to new places, and after visiting St. Thomas 4 times now, we’ve been to quite a few different places. Since there’s so many to include, I’ve decided to make a designated Restaurant Guide to St. Thomas, so I can talk more in debt about each one! So stay tuned for that.

But for now, all I will say is, St. Thomas have a mix of fancy expensive restaurants with great views, to great small local experience. Don’t be afraid to go to the local places, they often have the most authentic flavors.

8. VISIT CHARLOTTE AMALIE

Number 8 is of course to visit and explore the rich history of Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the US Virgin Islands. There’s so much to see here, it has Castles, Forts, and also the port for all the cruise ships that enter the island. I have to admit, we have not explored enough in Charlotte Amalie, and I can’t wait to see more of it when we get back. But the old town area, also offers great shopping, charming alleyways, and cozy restaurants and bars! And it’s impossible to ignore the colonial Danish architecture the city has to offer.

7. WATER ISLAND USVI

This is more of a day trip, but it only takes about 10 minutes with the ferry from St. Thomas Crown Bay Area - to Water Island. The island lies to the south of St. Thomas, and is the fourth largest of the US. Virgin Islands. The island is 492 acres, so there’s a lot to explore, you can even rent golf car and drive around!

Unfortunately when we were there it was very busy, because it was the day after New Years Eve. So we only stayed at Honey Moon Beach, ate at Dinghi’s, and relaxed on the beach. It cost $10 for a round trip with the ferry. And when you get to Philip’s Landing at Water Island, it’s a free shuttle there that takes you back and fourth to the ferry. Just make sure you make the last shuttle at 5pm, you don’t want to end up missing it - like we did haha.

6. SNORKELING AT COKI POINT

Almost half way on the list, number 6 is snorkeling at Coki Point! This is a must in my opinion, it’s not often you get the chance to swim with so many fish close to the shoreline.

 I’ve seen there are plenty of snorkel tours you can also take, but we never went on a designated snorkel trip. So Coki point in our opinion has the best snorkeling. If you are feeling courageous tho, you can swim out to the dome where there are a lot more marine life, larger fish, turtles, and sharks and octopus sometimes. You can rent snorkeling gear at the small shops on the beach for around $10. Totally worth a visit if you enjoy snorkeling.

5. ST. THOMAS CARNIVAL

Number 5 on the list is a fun one, the Carnival of St. Thomas! This is actually the second largest Carnival in the Caribbean, an event that started over 100 years ago, and it last for a month. We were there in April 2018, and had such a good time! So many incredible costumes, great reggae concerts, and tasty food!

It’s usually held around May/April, but it was canceled on 2020 because of the pandemic. They say it might happen this year, though they haven’t released any specific dates yet. It’s more than a massive party, it’s about embracing the local culture, and all the unique traditions and heritage of the island. The customer you will see are a mix of African, European and Caribbean!

4. THE USVI BEACHES

Number 4 is probably the main reason why people come to visit the Virgin Islands - The beaches! The quintessential white Caribbean beach is a must see for everyone visiting. There are so many to chose from, so make sure to beach hop if you have the chance.

 I will make a designated YouTube video “Top beaches in the USVI” to visit, because there are so many. We have probably been to 10 different ones! The most known ones are Magens Bay and Coki Beach, I will give you my full opinion in my future video! But let’s just say, I would not be mad if I was stuck on any of these beaches for a week!

3. RENTING A VILLA/AIRBNB

This is one of the things I look forward to the most when traveling to the Virgin Islands. I know some of them might be a bit expensive, but if you are a group it’s totally worth it. If you can’t afford a week, I would even suggest renting for 1 or 2 days to enjoy some incredible island life.

I love the privacy and the flexibility, if we want to go in the pool at 2am we can do that. We have rented 3 different villas over the years, all beautiful in their own way, we started with a smaller one in 2017, a two bedroom, balcony and a pool:

Then in 2018 we got a bigger one with 3 houses, and a stunning view & pool:

Then in August 2020 we rented the most beautiful villa I’ve ever stayed in. I couldn’t recommend this villa enough, it had 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and just overall massive, with a garden, jacuzzi and the most picturesque pool ever. You can watch the full house tour in the YouTube video below!

2. DAY TRIP TO ST. JOHN

Taking a day trip to St. John should be required if you visit St. Thomas. It’s such a beautiful day trip, with tons of things to do. In my opinion, the beaches in St. John are way better than the ones in St. Thomas, or I mean, they are all gorgeous, but they are less crowded and just so beautiful.

 It takes around 30 minutes with the car ferry from St. Thomas to St. John, and we paid $60 for 4 people and our car. St. John is way less developed, compared to St. Thomas, but you can till find airbnbs, good restaurants and bars here. It’s the smallest of the 4 US Virgin Islands, and the national park occupies more than half the island. Which basically means everything is beautiful around you lol, and that it’s a little harder to fly the drone on the island. But again, so much to do there, but make sure you visit Maho Crossroads (pictured below), Trunks Bay and Cinnamon Bay! 

1. ISLAND HOPPING

Number one, and the gold medal goes to Island Hopping! This is by far my favorite activity to do when we are on the island. Speed, wind in your hair and island hopping is hard to beat. I highly recommended our Captain Christian from Let’s Play Virgin Islands! Trust me one this, he is an absolute legend! The video below shows our full day trip with him.

We’ve been with him 2 times now and he showed us a great time every time! He is such a great captain, very knowledgeable about the Island, and always makes sure everyone is comfortable and safe while having the best time ever. His boat is the perfect size, and amazing speed.

So yeah, if you are in the search for a boat trip in the USVI, go with Christian, you will have the best experience.

But there you have it guys, these are my top 10 things to do in St. Thomas when you are visiting! Please let me know if you agree with the list, if I forgot anything, or if you have done any of these activities yourself! I hope you found this list helpful. If you are more of a visual person, I have a Caribbean Travel Series on my YouTube Channel. With that said, I’m wishing whomever is reading this a beautiful day!

xx Camilla