Choose from 15 Fun Things to Do in St Thomas
Drake's Seat
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Magens Bay
The island’s favorite beach is a curving arc of white sand and bright blue water. It’s protected by a forested arboretum and palm trees, ensuring calm waves for swimming and kayaking.
From the vantage point of Mountain Top, you can easily make out the bay’s unusual rectangular shape and mile of white-sand beach, but the best view is up close from the sand.
Being so popular, the beach has some great facilities, including lifeguards, showers, snack stall and windsurf rental.
A nature trail winds from Magens Bay Road down the beach, just over a mile, taking you through tropical forest and mangroves via boardwalks and well-maintained steps and paths.
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Charlotte Amalie Cruise Port
The Basics
Once on dry land, start your time in St Thomas with a sightseeing tour to downtown Charlotte Amalie for duty-free shopping and Danish architecture on Veterans Drive and Main Street, or a trip to the island’s highest point at the summit of Mountain Top. Some cruise ship passengers opt for shore excursions that highlight Caribbean adventures in the USVI—think snorkeling with sea turtles, kayaking through a mangrove lagoon, and hiking at historic Hassel Island and Virgin Islands National Park. Other cruise excursions include admission to Coral World Ocean Park for a theme park experience or transport to the area’s best beaches, including Lindbergh Bay Beach, Magens Bay, Honeymoon Beach, Sapphire Beach, and the Marriott Beach Resort, for a day of relaxation before heading back to the cruise ship.
- Most St Thomas shore excursion tours include pickup and dropoff at the port.
- St Thomas is fairly compact, so it’s easy to pack a number of activities into your island tour.
- The island enjoys warm weather year-round, although the months of June through November are known as hurricane season.
How to Get to Charlotte Amalie From the Cruise Port
While St Thomas has two cruise ports, most large cruise ships come in at the busy West India Company Dock (Havensight) on the south-central part of the island, about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from downtown Charlotte Amalie. Take a long stroll along the waterfront to get into town, or opt for a 10-minute taxi ride. At the port area, travelers will find a shopping mall and a few dining options.
Port Information
English is spoken here (often with a French or Spanish lilt), and residents are United States citizens. Banks and ATMs can be found in downtown Charlotte Amalie; the US dollar is the local currency. The British Virgin Islands are neighbors to the east, and Puerto Rico is about 40 miles (64 km) to the west.
Water Island
Away from the beach, you can tour the underground tunnels and watchtowers of Fort Segarra, built during WWII. Getting around the island by bicycle is highly recommended.
Around 160 people are fortunate enough to live on Water Island, but the volcanic island remains undeveloped. Facilities are limited to a few food outlets, dive shops and charters, a beach bar, fishing operator and ferry dock.
The US Virgin Island’s so-called fourth island, Water Island only joined the group relatively recently, in 1996, and so far it’s kept its low-key atmosphere and local character.
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Sapphire Beach
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Coral World Ocean Park
- This attraction is a must-see for families.
- Choose between a general admission ticket and a combo pass that includes a semi-submarine cruise, turtle encounter, or snuba dive adventure.
- Most exhibits are wheelchair accessible; there’s a wheelchair elevator in the Caribbean Reef Encounter.
Fort Christian
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St Peter Greathouse
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Mountain Top
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Hassel Island
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99 Steps
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Coki Beach
Snorkelers and divers love Coki’s underwater clarity and sea creatures. Beach day-trippers enjoy the sand, sunshine and wandering vendors of drinks and snacks, souvenirs, sunscreen and hair-braiding.
Coki Beach is quite a scene, lively and fun rather than quiet and laid-back. Beach lounges and thatch umbrellas can be hired, along with all kinds of water sports equipment, from jet skis to snorkel gear.
The fish are used to people at this popular beach, and have even been known to eat from your hand (BYO dog biscuits).
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Honeymoon Beach
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Mangrove Lagoon
St. John might have the lion’s share of the Virgin Islands’ natural attractions, but the extraordinary concentration of flora and fauna in St. Thomas’ Mangrove Lagoon makes it a top eco-tourism destination.
Small kayak groups thread through the lagoon’s tiny red mangrove islands, with guides pointing out the huge diversity of birds they attract, including herons, egrets and ducks.
The route takes you to deserted Cas Cay island, where hermit crabs dart about among mangrove roots. On your gently-paced travels you’ll see young fish darting around this natural breeding ground. Low-impact snorkeling will get you even closer, and you’ll spot rays, eels and jelly fish as well as a host of colorful tropical fish.
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Mangrove Lagoon is in the southeast of St. Thomas, less than 15 minutes’ drive away from the capital, Charlotte Amalie.