12 Best Sights in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

This is one of the most interesting hikes on St. John, but the 2.2-mile return climb, rising 900 feet from sea level back to the trailhead, is a real workout. Along the way, one short side trail to the west takes you to a small pool where indigenous inhabitants carved petroglyphs into the rock. Another short side trail to the east leads to the plantation's great house, a gutted but mostly intact structure with vestiges of its former beauty. Down at sea level, walk around the sugar factory ruins or cool off at the beach before hiking back up. The Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park ( 340/779–4940  www.friendsvinp.org) offers a ranger-guided hike with a boat ride back to Cruz Bay for $75.

Preserving natural environments that cover more than two-thirds of St. John, Virgin Islands National Park is a must-see, even if you only have time to visit for a day. Explore plantation history at Annaberg Sugar Mill and Catherineberg Estate ruins, or do some bird-watching along a boardwalk through mangroves at Francis Bay. If you're interested in snorkeling, head to Salt Pond Bay or Trunk Bay, which has an underwater snorkeling trail. Pick one of the more than 20 trails on the north and south shores, and go for a hike.

A full-day trip to Reef Bay is a highlight. Although it's an easy hike through lush and dry forest, it can be a bit arduous for young kids. The nonprofit Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park ( friendsvinp.org) runs a $75 per person ranger-guided tour to Reef Bay that includes a safari bus ride to the trailhead and a boat ride back to the park visitor center. The schedule changes from season to season, and reservations are essential.

If you want to stay overnight, Cinnamon Bay Resort & Campground, inside the park along the island's north shore, has eco-tents and cottages in addition to bare sites. Regardless, stop by the Cruz Bay park visitor center to get oriented; pick up trail maps; and find out about guided walks, cultural presentations, and other park-service programs.

St. John's highest peak rises to 1,277 feet. Route 10 passes near enough to the top to offer breathtaking vistas. Don't stray into the road here—cars whiz by at a good clip along this section. Instead, drive nearly to the end of the dirt road that heads off to Picture Point and the trailhead of the hike downhill to Lameshur. Get a trail map from the park service before you start. It's a relatively easy 2 miles (3 km) down, but the hike back up is strenuous due to the steep incline.

At this fine example of an 18th-century sugar and rum factory, there's a storage vault beneath the windmill. Across the road, look for the round mill, which was later used to hold water. In a 1733 slave revolt Catherineberg served as headquarters for the Amina warriors, a tribe of Africans that had been captured into slavery.

This laid-back community at the island's dry eastern end is named for its shape rather than for its underwater life—the word coral comes from krawl, Dutch for "corral." Coral Bay is growing fast, but it's still a small, neighborly place. You'll probably need a four-wheel-drive vehicle if you plan to stay at this end of the island, as some of the rental houses are up unpaved roads that wind around the mountain. If you come just for lunch, a regular car will be fine.

Because there's little shade, this beach gets toasty in the afternoon, when the sun comes around to the west, but the rest of the day it's a delightful stretch of white sand. The only facilities are a few picnic tables tucked among the trees and a pit toilet, but folks come here to watch the birds that live in the swampy area behind the beach. There's also a boardwalk here for bird-watching. In addition, the park offers weekly bird-watching hikes; sign up at the visitor center in Cruz Bay. To get here, turn left at the Annaberg intersection. Amenities: parking (limited); pit toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Sea grapes and waving palm trees line this narrow beach, and there are portable toilets, cooking grills, picnic tables, and a covered shed for picnicking. It's the closest drivable beach to Cruz Bay, so it's often crowded with locals and visitors. A patchy reef just offshore means snorkeling is an easy swim away, but the best underwater views are reserved for ambitious snorkelers who head farther to the east along the bay's fringes. Watch out for boat traffic: although a channel of buoys marks where dinghies or other small vessels can come up onto the sand to drop off or pick up passengers, the occasional boater strays into the swim area. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

This sea-grape-fringed beach is toward the end of a partially paved, rut-strewn road (don't attempt it without a four-wheel-drive vehicle) on the southeast coast. The reward for your bumpy drive is good snorkeling and a chance to spy on some pelicans. The beach has a couple of picnic tables, rusting barbecue grills, and a pit toilet. The area has good hiking trails, including a trek (nearly 2 miles [3 km]) up Bordeaux Mountain before an easy walk to Yawzi Point. A short walk along the road past the beach will bring you to the ruins of the old plantation. Amenities: parking; pit toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This gorgeous strip of sand sits right along the North Shore Road. It's a popular place, particularly on weekends, when locals come out in droves to party at the picnic tables on the south end of the beach. The snorkeling along the rocky edges is good, but the center is mostly sea grass. If you're lucky, you'll cross paths with turtles. There are pit toilets at the end of the beach. Across the beach is Maho Crossroads, with food trucks, a bar, and a couple of shops. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

It's worth stopping here, just past the Hawksnest Bay overlook, for great views of St. John, St. Thomas, and the BVI. On the flat promontory is an old sugar mill. The viewpoint is about a 1/10-mile walk from the parking area.

If you're adventurous, this rocky beach on the scenic southeastern coast—next to rugged Drunk Bay—is worth exploring. It's a short hike down a hill from the parking lot, and the only facilities are a pit toilet and a few picnic tables. Tide pools are filled with all sorts of marine creatures, and the snorkeling is good, particularly along the bay's edges. A short walk takes you to a pond where salt crystals collect around the edges in dry weather. Hike farther uphill past cactus gardens to Ram Head for see-forever views. Leave nothing valuable in your car, as thefts are common. Amenities: parking; pit toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Pick up a useful guide to St. John's hiking trails, see large maps of the island, and find out about park programs including guided walks and cultural demonstrations at the visitor center.