The Virgin Islands are an archipelago made up of about 90 islands, cays, rocks, and islets located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Governance of the islands is divided between Puerto Rico, Great Britain, and the United States. The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) consists of three main islands: St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. Although it is the smallest of the three islands at only 19 square miles, St. John is a delightful destination for vacationers looking for an idyllic experience on an island paradise.
Getting to St. John is quite an adventure. There are no airports on the island, so all visitors must fly in to a neighboring island and take a ferry to St. John. Fortunately, Charlotte Amalie, the capital city of the USVI, is only four miles away on St. Thomas and boasts an international airport. Island hopping via boats or ferries is a common pastime in the USVI, and traveling to St. John lets guests experience it first-hand.
St. John is renowned for its natural beauty. There are pristine beaches for sunbathing and mountain trails for hiking. An astounding 60% of the island is protected as the Virgin Islands National Park and is administered by the United States National Park Service. More than 5,000 acres of the adjacent ocean are also included as part of the park. As protected land and sea, the park will never be commercially developed and will always be maintained as a beautiful nature preserve. The beaches are routinely named as some of the best in the world and have excellent scuba diving and snorkeling.
Nicknamed Love City, St. John, is a tropical destination for nature enthusiasts and adventurers alike. Restaurants, shops, villas, and hotels are available for every whim a tourist might have while visiting. Temperatures range from the low 70s to the high 80s year-round. Precipitation is heaviest between September and November. Like all Caribbean islands, the potential for hurricanes exists from June to November, and visitors should exercise caution if they visit during this time. Travel enthusiasts recommend visiting St. John between December and March, the peak of winter in the northern hemisphere. The island is warm and breezy, with plenty of potential for late-night swims and early-morning hikes. Amazing time is sure to be had by all!