St. John (USVI)

Welcome home. Really. St. John in the US Virgin Islands is more your home than the place where you get your mail. At home your time is spent taking care of your kids, paying the bills, working, running your businesses, visiting with friends and family, shopping, etc etc etc. And it’s also the place you plan vacations to islands like St. John where everything changes and your time is suddenly being lovingly devoted to you and your needs. St.John is about pampering your body, rejuvenating your spirit, refreshing your mind and awakening your senses. This is the place people come to when they need to unwind from the world, repair the damage to the body and the soul and recharge the batteries, so you can return to that other place you call home and live your life to the fullest. On St. John you’re giving yourself a new chance at a healthy, productive, balanced life, so if you expect anything else from your vacation other than a total, 100%, extreme makeover of you, for the better, then go someplace else.

A lot of people refer to St. John as Paradise on Earth and it will take you some time to unwind once you arrive. Many people spend two weeks here for precisely that reason. It would be a shame to be so wound up, so filled with tension that you spend three or four days just calming down enough to begin the healing process and then find yourself in a taxi or a limo on your way to the airport. Give yourself some time to soak in St. John’s energy, let it wash over you and transform you into a new human being. You’ll rediscover things about yourself long buried underneath schedules and responsibilities. You’ll find your fun side once again. Things that would normally drive you crazy will roll off you like water on a duck’s back after just a short time on St. John. Nothing will ever be the same for you again because no matter how frenzied your life gets you’ll always have the sweet, calming memories of St. John to get you through.

What is it about St. John that simply brings out the best in people? Some say it’s the air, others the ocean and still more say it’s the people. They’re probably all correct. Originally owned by the British but settled by the Dutch, the two nations squabbled peacefully over who actually owned it for many years. In 1792 the British gave up and left the island to the Dutch and a boom began in cotton and sugar plantations that transformed the sleepy little place into an active farming community with growing exports. This required more labor than existed on the island so African slaves were brought in to do the work. It wasn’t too long before the number of slaves on the island vastly outnumbered the plantation owners and several revolts started attempting to abolish slavery. Ultimately, after much bloodshed, Governor General Peter von Scholten on July 3rd, 1848 abolished slavery in the Danish West Indies. The next important event in the history of this lovely piece of property occurred in 1917 when the United States bought the island from the Dutch and a tourist boom began in earnest as people began to realize that there was a tiny piece of “almost America” down there in the Caribbean and they flocked to see it.

The incredible beauty of St. John will leave you breathless. The entire island, from the forested hills to the glistening sapphire waters, is a treasure. The Virgin Islands National Park encompasses a large portion of the land and surrounding waters and it is the Park that is the island's main attraction. St. John is very easy to explore. One road runs across the center of the island and another along the north shore. Driving or hiking around the island will lead you through lush forest, over mountaintops and along lovely coastlines and beaches. Cruz Bay, the main town on St. John, offers visitors colorful shops and restaurants and friendly bars. All ferries come into Cruz Bay, so your adventures on St. John will begin there. It won’t take you long to cover the small town, but it is definitely worth a stroll. Unique gift shops and quaint restaurants await you. Enjoy a rest in the Cruz Bay park, located just across from the ferry dock. There are museums and historical societies that have documented and preserved the major events in the life of St. John as far back as possible. But that’s not why you’re here, unless of course you’re a history buff and that’s one of the things on your to-do list once you’ve arrived. Most people come for the retreats. Think about this: this tiny island has two of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world on just about every list.

Just like any other island anywhere else on the planet, St. John has a variety of hotels that offer every beach or ocean amenity you could possibly think of. The island may be smaller but the spirit of the place is larger so the choices of things to do here is adequate. But really, it’s the selection of retreats that give people pause when they start to do their homework prior to selecting a vacation spot for their precious time and money. One of the more popular retreats on the island is the Spiritual Boot Camp offered by Science of Mind. What better place to try to connect with the inner you, the sweeter you, than in a lush tropical setting, overlooking an aquamarine bay of crystal clear waters, surrounded by well trained, pleasant people whose only goal is that you relax your body, and open your heart. You could sit on the sand in any number of different places around the world, stay in luxurious hotels and never have the deep cleansing experience you’re guaranteed to have at a retreat on St. John. It will truly balance your body, your mind and your life whether you want that to happen or not.

There are retreats here that feature programs designed around The Course In Miracles, Psychic Consultations, Star gazing and mythology, relationship enhancement, holistic education, veganism and vegetarian cooking, massage therapy and certified instruction, emotional release, facials, body wraps and waxing, guided meditation, hypnosis, stress management and yoga in many of its different teachings. You can go home from any vacation spot with little figurines made by local artists, perhaps some unique plants, artwork, jewelry or clothing, but you can go home from St. John refreshed, renewed, full of energy and armed with new things you’ve learned on your vacation that will serve you and serve you well for the rest of your life. This is perhaps not the only place on earth that offers a large selection of this type of vacation retreat opportunity, but it is without a doubt the most beautiful place on earth where these choices are available. There is even a retreat called The Leave Me Alone Retreat where, obviously, the main thing you’d want to do is to spend time on your own, in a beautiful setting, with calm music playing in the background as you relax in your private villa, meditate at the edge of the ocean or just snuggle with your loved one in a hammock while being gently rocked by the light winds that cool you as they blow across the sand. The only responsibility you’ll have at this retreat is to show up on time for your massage.

Honeymooners and married couples who want to spend some time like they did when they were first married, especially enjoy St. John. Even without a special Lovers Retreat, just being on the island is a love fest all of its own making. It’s just the natural beauty of the place – the temperate climate, the beauty of the plants and flowers that grow all around you, the happy, relaxed people everywhere you go, the lush hills that seem to protect you from the outside world – that forces even the most hyper, Type A personality to kick back and relax, grab his spouse’s arm and dance in the sand.

For the more adventurous types there is an abundance of outdoor activities from the relaxing and the sublime, to the death defying. For the timid there’s snorkeling with Capt. Phil, a well known character on the island. Capt. Phil is a marine naturalist and has studied the local coral reefs extensively. He offers guided snorkeling, where he identifies the fish and creatures and discusses their behavior. One of his fortes is teaching beginners how to snorkel and making sure everyone is comfortable in the water. For the experienced snorkeler, he offers advanced snorkel sites with great free diving and drift snorkels. Eco-Adventures, one of the finest, ecologically sound travel companies in the world, provides the most unique and entertaining eco-tours in the Virgin Islands, giving their guests an unparalleled outdoor experience. St. John is home to the Virgin Islands National Park and is surrounded by the waters of the V.I. Reef National Monument. Join Eco-Adventures on an exploration of Danish mill ruins, Caribbean forest, endangered mangrove habitats, stunning beaches and pristine coral reefs. It’s a little known fact that St. John has the most extensive trail system in the Caribbean. These trails date back nearly 300 years, and at the time were the only way to travel over land. These paths were used to harvest, communicate, and to move goods to and from the water, when the trade ships came in. Now they’re yours to enjoy on your guided tour with Eco-Adventures. You can go kayaking on some of the clearest water you’ll ever see. Or try mountain biking for some of the most beautiful ocean vistas anywhere in the world and a good workout as well.
St. John is truly a magnificent place to visit. It’s even more magnificent to live here. On St. John you get the best of two worlds – the unspoiled beauty of an island paradise combined with the knowledge that you are safe and secure on this little bit of America in the Caribbean. The dazzling array of lodging choices is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating tastes. Some absolutely stunning, sumptuous homes and villas are available for rental although prices in the high season, which is basically when then rest of the world is experiencing what’s known to mainlanders as “winter”, can be quite high. If you like to vacation like the rich and famous, you can find fully staffed mansions on impeccably landscaped grounds, with air conditioning, built in pools and every known amenity for rent everywhere on the island. For the traveler who prefers more offbeat lodging, smaller, artistic houses and villas can be found that are off the beaten path a bit offering quiet and solitude along with the pleasures of being alone in a fully functional home overlooking the ocean. Hotels abound and range in price, size and amenities as you would expect. Something you might not expect is to be found on the southern tip of St. John, overlooking Salt Pond Bay and Ram Head Point. Eco-Tents, actually inside the national forest, are available for rent. These solar- and wind-powered tent-cottages combine sustainable technology with some of the most spectacular views on the island. The light framing, fabric walls, and large screened-in windows lend a tree house atmosphere to the unequalled experience. Set on the windward side of the island, the tent-cottages enjoy natural ventilation from the cooling trade winds. You may stay in more luxurious places but you’ll never find an experience closer to nature than this. If you need the comfort of a small town environment and the amenities it has to offer, you’ll find a selection of hotels that will be sure to fit any budget on Cruz Beach within walking distance of the nightlife of St. John. From the kitchen equipped, one and two bedroom units at the Gallows Point Resort to the more luxurious Westin St. John Resort and Villas, you’ll find what you’re looking for if one of the rental villas or condominiums isn’t to your liking. There are the usual kid friendly places with water slides and swimming pools and easy beach access, but they’re not what St. John is all about. Rent a villa, stay in an Eco-Tent, try a condominium vacation and you’ll be rewarded beyond your expectations.

While there aren’t a lot of choices when it comes to the nightlife on St. John you shouldn’t have any problem being entertained here. To begin with there’s the intriguingly named Duffy’s Love Shack. The party at Duffy’s starts around 10:30 almost every night and goes until the last people stop drinking and dancing. The only way to describe Duffy’s is to imagine a beautifully designed tree house for about 100 people in the middle of a tropical paradise. The place, in fact the entire building, is built around a huge tree that grows right up through the middle of the dance floor. The crowd is mixed with locals and tourists but the atmosphere is almost constantly fun. Drinks are cheap, the music is hot and as long as you don’t mind the locals trying to dance with your wife or girlfriend, you’re guaranteed to have a blast. Then there’s Mongoose Junction. Although the name sounds like some sort of bar, Mongoose Junction is actually an upscale, outdoor shopping plaza in downtown Cruz Bay. It’s a design typical of the ancient architecture of the islands, but constructed with a decidedly modern flair with stone walls and high-ceilinged small buildings connected by staircases. You can find a wide selection of things you might need on your vacation and things you might like to take home from your vacation in this collection of individual stores mostly indigenous to the island. There’s even a truly inspired margarita place called the Gecko Gazebo that is highly recommended for an afternoon delight. And finally, there is Wharfside Village. This slightly older collection of stores, eateries and other retail establishments is known for its eclectic, one of a kind style of retail outlets. No matter what you purchase here, you can rest assured it’s an authentic island creation. That’s pretty much all the shopping and entertainment available on the island but the overall impression people get from spending time exploring the commercial establishments in Cruz Bay is that the quality and variety of the merchandise more than compensates for the lack of quantity.

If you’re experiencing any of the wonderful retreats available on the island that offer a limited or restricted diet regimen as part of their program, you may be missing out on some of the finest dining available anywhere. While many of the upscale resort and villa complexes offer a wide variety of fine restaurants, the island is predominantly known for its abundance of West Indian restaurants. Many of the restaurants are quite unexpectedly pricey, but well worth it, and for those on a tight budget, lunches are always a bargain. On St John, the evening meal is the last social occasion of the evening for many people before retiring, so eating out has become the big event of the day. No discussion of St. John’s restaurants would be complete without at least a mention of Asolare. Perched on top of a hill overlooking Cruz Bay, Asolare has become world renowned. Using only the freshest and finest ingredients available on the island, the chef has literally created a style all his own and could call it, perhaps, St. John Nouvelle or Caribe Noir. Many believe Asolare to be the most beautiful restaurant in all of St. John. If you like new places, try The Banana Deck, Cruz Bay’s newest hot spot. Serving tropical drinks, live music in a beautiful setting along with a varied menu of American items with a Caribbean flair and the freshest sushi you’ll ever eat, The Banana Deck has become an instant favorite with locals and tourists alike. For vegetarians there’s the very inexpensive Luscious Licks known for a broad selection of vegetarian dishes done “island style” with a very popular ice cream bar located right outside the premises. And then there’s Paradise. What better name for a wonderful restaurant on what many consider to be the Island Paradise of the Caribbean, than Paradise. In addition to possessing the most beautiful bar on St. John, made out of purpleheart wood, mahogany and Angelique, Paradise has the distinction of being the only air conditioned dining room on the entire island. All I have to see on a menu are phrases like “shrimp and lobster dumplings with pineapple salsa and a mango vinaigrette” and I’m sold. If there was ever a restaurant that needed a name change it’s Pussers. You know the line – “With a name like Pussers, it has to be good”. And it’s not only good it’s great. Three bars! The first is the Beach Bar right outside the place where you can order drinks and appetizers while still wearing your dripping wet bathing suit. Then the Oyster Bar. And finally the Crow’s Nest. Three bars and some of the best classic West Indian dishes you’ll find anywhere. For a small island with a small number of inhabitants and a small number of available hotel rooms there are almost enough restaurants around for the entire population to eat out.
Admittedly, St. John is not for everyone. Almost everything here is done very well although on a small scale. But if you’re looking for quality romantic time with a lover or a friend, you’ll find the perfect setting for that closeness to blossom. If you’d like to learn something about yourself, about your life or your spirituality, you’ll find no more beautiful setting to do that work than here. If you need to unwind in luxurious tropical seclusion, you’ll find no more peaceful place than here. And if you need clean air, sweet music, clear skies, happy people, great food and lush vegetation you’ll find all that and more, right here on St. John.