The Best Day Trips From St. Thomas

Travelers heading to the Virgin Islands often pass through St. Thomas, as its airport serves as a key gateway to quieter destinations like St. John and the British Virgin Islands. But because St. Thomas can feel crowded and commercialized, especially when cruise ships are in port, it doesn’t rank as a stand-alone destination. With the right accommodations and a bit of planning, however, a brief stop on the island can still be enjoyable.

Nestled on the island’s eastern coast, the sprawling 180-room Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas gently curves around the scenic Great Bay. Its proximity to the American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook and its Cruz Bay Watersports facility makes it the best available base to explore charming islands in the vicinity. Below are three especially worthwhile destinations.

Jost Van Dyke

Accessible via a 50-minute ferry ride from Red Hook, attractive Jost Van Dyke is one of the British Virgin Islands, though it’s named after a Dutch pirate. It’s just as suitable for lounging on the beach as it is for having drinks and chatting with other travelers at one of the many convivial waterfront bars. The ferry docks at colorful Great Harbour, where visitors clear customs. From there, it’s a quick cab ride to stunning White Bay, fringed by powdery sands and verdant hills. (You can also hike over to White Bay, but the climb is steep.) Most famously, Jost Van Dyke is home to the Soggy Dollar, a bar some people swim to from their yachts, wetting their currency. It claims to have invented the Painkiller, a notoriously potent tropical cocktail. The island exudes a laid-back, carefree vibe until around 4 p.m., when yachters and party boats arrive for happy hour. Get an early start to enjoy one of the Caribbean’s quintessential experiences; by sunset, the atmosphere can turn boisterous.

Maho Bay

Another destination best enjoyed in the morning is Maho Bay, a jewel-toned cove on St. John offering exceptional snorkeling. The bay hosts a large population of sea turtles, often visible as they feed in the seagrass beds just beyond the shore, plus a variety of coral species, including massive brain corals and vibrant purple sea fans. Sheltered and relatively shallow, the bay is an ideal spot for children. It gets busier in the afternoons, when charter boats drop off groups of snorkelers. Visit on days with little swell, since higher tides can further reduce the available space on the narrow beach. After Maho’s reconstruction following hurricane damage, developers added a shopping zone, food huts and a water equipment rental facility. While these additions have changed the experience from what it once was, Maho Bay remains a tranquil spot perfect for the whole family.

Lovango Cay

Located just off St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lovango Cay has evolved in recent years from a little-known fishing community into a more developed tourist destination, now featuring luxury villas and the Lovango Resort & Beach Club. Cruz Bay Watersports can organize an exceptionally romantic evening sail to the private island directly from The Ritz-Carlton’s beach. The trip begins at sunset with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres aboard a luxury catamaran, before your captain drops you off for a memorable waterfront dinner at Lovango Resort. When we visited, the coastal Caribbean menu included a chilled corn-and-coconut soup, lobster paillard with a hearts-of-palm salad and sunflower-seed-encrusted mahi mahi in a saffron beurre blanc, which we enjoyed while taking in the magnificent views. Cruz Bay Watersports can also arrange day trips, in which guests have access to Lovango’s sophisticated beach club and can snorkel in the cay’s calm, turquoise waters.