Lovango Cay

Lovango Cay lies in Pillsbury Sound between St Thomas and St John, a small privately held island that was largely empty until it was developed as a resort with a beach club, restaurants and cottages, reached by shuttle boat from either island. The name is said to come from Loango on the African coast. The reef and the views across the sound to St John are what the place trades on. The cay was a working settlement in the nineteenth century and had been almost entirely abandoned for decades before the current development.

Background

Lovango, also known at times as Loango and Awango, lies 1 mile northwest of St. John, covers 118 acres, with a high point of 255 feet. A few people have lived here since at least 1728, and the population peaked at 49 in 1917, when the island briefly had a school. Today it runs on its own solar array, wind turbine and desalination plant. The calm bay on the north side, sheltered by Congo Cay, is good for snorkelling, and nurse sharks often rest there by day, while the south side is a regular stop for charter boats. The ashes of J. Robert Oppenheimer were sunk in the water between here, Carval Rock and Congo Cay.

Source: Wikipedia, "Lovango Cay, U.S. Virgin Islands"

What to look for

• The sound position - an island sitting between St Thomas and St John.
• The beach club - the day operation the cay is mostly visited for.
• The reef - the snorkelling ground around the cay.
• The St John views - the national park shoreline across the water.

When to go

December to April is the high season and busiest. Reservations are required and sell out. Shuttle crossings are cancelled in swell.

Things to know

It is a private resort operation and everything requires a reservation and payment. Prices are high. There is no independent public access to the cay.

Nearby

Cruz Bay is east, and Red Hook is west.

Key facts