St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, is one of the best destinations for quiet beaches and natural island vibes. So which beaches are the best? Well, we went to them all and we can tell you. Keep reading for the full list of the most popular beaches and what they each offer to you.
Trunk Bay Beach
Best For: Amenities
First and most popular is Trunk Bay Beach. This is the most popular beach on St. John and consistently listed as one of the best beaches in the world. This sweeping bay is covered in the finest white sand. Here you’ll find plenty of sandy beach spots to plop your chairs down on. Additionally, there is an underwater snorkel trail on the side of a tiny island just off shore from the beach. This was the worst snorkeling with did on the island and it was still great with plenty of colorful fish and reefs.
However, what makes this beach so spectacular is that it has amazing amenities and is great for the day tripping tourist. There are flush toilets, free showers, food, and drinks. There also is a vendor who rents beach chairs, snorkel equipment and floats. This is a great beach for people who don’t have their own beach equipment or who may be visiting for the day from a different island.
However, this beach is one of the most crowded on the island due to its popularity. Additionally, parking for this beach is atrocious. There are 15-20 parking spots here, which is not enough for the popularity. Parking is therefore a real challenge. If you aren’t there by 10 AM, it is unlikely that you’ll get a parking spot. Additionally, it is the only beach on our list that charge an entrance fee of $5/person. So while the beach is easily accessible, it is a bit overhyped.
Cinnamon Bay Beach
Best For: Lounging
This is the best St. John beach for lounging because the long sandy beach seems to be one of the best and biggest sandy stretches on the island. This makes it really easy to be spread out on this beach – even when there are a lot of people here.
There are plenty of amenities at Cinnamon Bay too. Cinnamon Bay has a full campground within hearing distance of the beach, which would be a great place to stay. There are nice bathrooms, a gift shop, and a water-sports rental kiosk. Here you can rent paddle boards and kayaks to explore the Cay just off shore.
Snorkeling here is another option. However, the variety wasn’t as great as it was in other spots on the island. However, the reef was shallow making the visibility better for those not as great as Scott at spotting things in deep water.
Mayo Bay Beach
Best For: Swimming
Mayo Bay is the best for swimming for lots of reasons. First, it’s one of the most sheltered St. John beaches, meaning the waves are minimal even on some of the worst weather days. Second, the bay has a shallow grade. This means even the smallest beach goers will have no trouble splashing in the water.
Mayo bay also has plenty of conveniences. There is a vendor selling food and drinks and renting beach gear like paddle boards and snorkel gear. There are bathrooms. The parking spots are also right across the road from the beach making the walk to the beach easy, even when you’re loaded down with gear.
If you’re snorkeling here you’ll see a wide variety of creatures. We saw tons of turtles, rays, fish and more. The bay also has a really deep drop off where we saw larger fish like tarpon and mahi-mahi. Of all the easily accessible St. John beaches, this one has the best snorkeling and the best chance for seeing a sea turtle.
However, the parking here is also terrible later in the day. On a nice day, you need to be here before 10 AM to get a parking spot.
Leinster Bay Beach
Best For: Snorkling
We snorkeled at every beach we went to so we can undoubtedly say this is the best beach on St. John for snorkeling. However, this was a bit of a hike (1.1 mile) to get there as it was about 1 hour round trip walk.
Once at the beach, the shores are mildly rocky which doesn’t make them great for swimming. But what it lacks in swimming, it makes up for in snorkeling. We saw loads of turtles, rays, and octopus and more. But what was better than the fishies was the colorful and healthy looking coral. We’ve never seen such a colorful reef.
Additionally, there is a hiking trail to the Windy Hill Greathouse for when you get in the mood to move. The views from these ruins are amazing – you can even see the British Virgin Islands. This addition hike is just .5 miles out-and-back.
This beach has ample parking at the head of the trail and pit toilets near the parking lot. Once at the beach, there are zero amenities.
Hawksnest Beach
Best For: Ease Of Use
Hawksnest Beach may rival Trunk Bay beach for the best beach on St. John for tourists. It has an ample parking lot, plenty of picnic pavilions, and flush toilets. It’s also nice and big. Additionally, the parking lot is really close to the beach, meaning just a short walk to the beach with all your gear. Lastly, this beach is one of the closest beaches to Cruz Bay, the main city on St. John. All of these things combine to make Hawksnest Beach the easiest beach to access on the island.
Salt Pond Beach and Blue Cobblestone Beach
Best For: Hiking and Views
Salt Pond Beach is the only south side St. John beach that made our “best of” list. While it is a bit of a drive from everywhere to get to Salt Pond beach, it is secluded and sheltered making it great for swimming. In addition to the drive, there also is a 20 minute walk to the beach from the parking area.
Once at the beach, there are several things to do.
The first is snorkeling. Snorkeling in Salt Pond Bay is delightful. There are plenty of grasses for things like turtles and rays. We also saw a school of camouflaging squid here too which was really neat! However, we didn’t think the actual coral here was as nice as it was on the north side of the island.
The second activity popular here is hiking. Hiking on the Blue Cobblestone Beach and Ram’s Head is lovely. The cobblestone beach is unique (but only for viewing, not swimming) and the 360 views from Ram’s Head are amazing. The hiking is a good way to break up all of this beach going you’re doing.
There are no facilities here and the terrain here is quite different from other St. John beaches. One downside of this beach is the catus-y little prickers that line this beach and get REALLY stuck in your skin if you come into contact with them.
St. John Beaches: Honorable Mentions
Jumbie Beach
Jumbie Beach is just down the street from Trunk Bay beach and is known for being similar to Trunk Bay Beach but with fewer crowds. However, the word is out and crowds still gather here in the afternoon. The beach is much smaller than Trunk Bay so this can make it feel more crowded. If you’re in the areas, Trunk Bay is our pick.
Dennis Bay Beach
Dennis Bay Beach is another one that requires a bit of a hike and has limited parking. Because of this, it is very secluded and quiet. It is popular with catamaran tours and locals. The hike is only about a half mile and the beach is sandy. It’s definitely worth it. However, the beach faces due north so the waves here are brutal when the wind comes from the north.
Salomon Beach and Honeymoon Beach
Salomon Beach and Honeymoon Beach are both accessible via a hike from the Virgin Islands National Park visitor center. Salomon Beach is remote, rocky and best for snorkeling.
However, Honeymoon Beach is another sandy beach great for lounging. Honeymoon Beach is also accessible from the Caneel Bay Resort and has all the amenities of the resort nearby – though the hours of the amenities are very unpredictable since the resort is still closed.
Lameshur Beach
Lameshur Beach is great for snorkeling, or so we were told. However, there is a long and bumpy dirt road to get here that a majority of rental companies do not allow you to drive. So due to this trek, it is a very quiet beach for those looking to escape the “crowds”. (PS: no “crowd” in St. John really meets our definition of crowd in the U.S.).
Additionally, there are small beaches around every bend – or so it seems – in St. John. Some of them only have private land access, meaning you need a boat to get there. Some of them are tucked into little cliff areas, which also means you need a boat to get there. And some of them are just plain small. So while this list does not include all of the St. John beaches, it does include all of the ones that are easily accessible.
Choosing A St. John Beach
When choosing the perfect beach from the list above, it’s not just about choosing the perfect beach, it’s about knowing the weather.
Wind and inclement weather can create dangerous waves and dangerous rip tides on beaches. It’s always a good idea to check the wind patterns and find a beach secluded from the wind if the wind speed is high.
If the wind is coming from the south, go to a north shore beach. If the wind is coming from the north, go to Waterlemom or a south shore beach.
Packing For The Beach
Gone are the days when I thought you could just show up to a beach with towels alone. Nay, St John beach goers have taught me how to do it right. First, you need your base layer, a beach blanket. Then you need your lounge chairs. Next, you need your swim gear, including a rash guard and quick dry towels. Lastly, you need your toys. This could be your own floaties, your own snorkel gear or boogie boards. People bring it all to the beach so they can spend an entire day there.
Don’t forget either your GoPro, so you can get great underwater photos. Or at the very minimum, a waterproof case for your phone.
All of this stuff can be dumped into a dry bag. Dry bags are great for the beach because they keep the water out, whether that’s a rouge wave or an unpredictable rainstorm.
Additionally, you’ll want to pack food and drink for the beach if you’re going to one without a food stand. We love this soft sided cooler that’s great for traveling. Don’t pack glass for the beach – that would be an accident waiting to happen and it’s not allowed.
We hope this list has helped you to choose the perfect St. John beach (or two or three) for your time on the island. We had some of the most fun on these beaches, especially the ones with snorkeling areas! And St. John beach goers really know how to beach well – from drinks, to lounge chairs, the water sports – we know there is a great beach on St. John for you. Please feel free to reach out in the comments section below if you have any questions.
