8 Best Sights in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

To explore outside Charlotte Amalie, rent a car or hire a taxi. Your rental car should come with a good map and perhaps a GPS unit; if not, pick up the pocket-size Road Map St. Thomas–St. John at a tourist information center. Roads are marked with route numbers, but they're confusing and seem to switch numbers suddenly. Roads are also identified by signs bearing the St. Thomas–St. John Hotel and Tourism Association's mascot, Tommy the Starfish. More than 100 of these color-coded signs line the island's main routes. Orange signs trace the route from the airport to Red Hook; green signs identify the road from town to Magens Bay; Tommy's face on a yellow background points from Mafolie to Crown Bay through the north side; red signs lead from Smith Bay to Four Corners via Skyline Drive; and blue signs mark the route from the cruise-ship dock at Havensight to Red Hook. These color-coded routes are not marked on most visitor maps, however. Allow yourself a day to explore, especially if you want to stop to take pictures or to enjoy a light bite or refreshing swim. Most gas stations are on the island's more populated eastern side, so fill up before heading to the north side. And remember to drive on the left!

Brewers Beach

Watch jets land at the Cyril E. King Airport as you dip into the usually calm seas. Rocks at either end of the shoreline, patches of grass poking randomly through the sand, and shady tamarind trees 30 feet from the water give this beach a wild, natural feel. Civilization has arrived, in the form of one or two mobile food vans parked on the nearby road. Buy a fried-chicken leg and Johnny cake or burgers and chips to munch on at the picnic tables. This beach can get busy and loud on weekends. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Hull Bay

Watch surfers ride the waves here from December to March, when huge swells roll in from north Atlantic storms. The rest of the year, tranquility prevails at this picturesque neighborhood beach. Enjoy burgers, tacos, and a game of darts at the Shack at Hull Bay. The Hideaway at Hull Bay is the home of the annual Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament held each July. Amenities: food and drink; parking; water sports. Best for: swimming; snorkeling; partiers.

Lindquist Beach

This public beach has a serene sense of wilderness that isn't found on the more crowded beaches. A lifeguard is on duty between 8 am and 5 pm and picnic tables and restrooms are available. Try snorkeling over the offshore reef. Amenities: lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: swimming; snorkeling.

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Lindquist Beach

The newest of the Virgin Islands' public beaches has a serene sense of wilderness that isn't found on the more crowded beaches. A lifeguard is on duty between 8 am and 5 pm. Picnic tables are available. Try snorkeling over the offshore reef. Amenities: lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude.

Morningstar Beach

At this ¼-mile-long (½-km-long) beach, swimming is excellent; there are good-size rolling waves year-round, but do watch the undertow. Water sports rentals offer nonmotorized water sports. The beachfront restaurant at the upscale Buoy Haus hotel serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At 7 am and again at 5 pm, you can catch the cruise ships gliding majestically to or from the Charlotte Amalie harbor. Amenities: parking. Best for: surfing; swimming.

Sapphire Beach

Sapphire Bay

A steady breeze makes this beach a windsurfer's paradise. Also great are the swimming and the snorkeling, especially at the reef near Pettyklip Point—it's part of a marine sanctuary. Beach volleyball is big on the weekends as is a Sunday live music beach jam. A small restaurant at the Sapphire Beach Resort serves breakfast and lunch. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; windsurfing.

Secret Harbour

Placid waters make it easy to stroke your way out to a swim platform offshore from the Secret Harbour Beach Resort & Villas. Nearby reefs give snorkelers a natural show. There's a bar and restaurant as well as a dive shop where you can rent beach lounge chairs. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming.

Vessup Beach

Popular with locals on weekends, this undeveloped beach is lined with sea grape trees and century plants and has calm waters. It's close to Red Hook harbor, so you can watch the ferries depart. Amenities: parking; water sports. Best for: swimming.

St. Thomas

St. Thomas

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