Virgin Islands National Park

Virgin Islands National Park, covering roughly two-thirds of the island of St John, is one of the Caribbean's great treasures, protecting a pristine landscape of dazzling white-sand beaches, sheltered turquoise bays, lush green hills and forest. Its beaches are legendary, above all Trunk Bay, with its marked underwater snorkelling trail through the coral, and the quieter, beautiful Cinnamon and Maho bays. Beyond the shore, hiking trails wind through tropical forest past the ruins of old sugar plantations to viewpoints and petroglyphs. Undeveloped and protected, St John offers the most natural, unspoilt and beautiful side of the US Virgin Islands.

What you actually see

• Trunk Bay - the famous beach with its underwater snorkel trail.
• Cinnamon and Maho Bays - the beautiful, quieter beaches.
• The hiking trails - the forest paths, ruins and viewpoints.
• The snorkelling - the coral reefs and marine life.

When to go

December to April, the dry season, for the sunniest, driest weather, the peak season; the summer is hotter and more humid with a hurricane risk from June to November. St John is reached by a short ferry from St Thomas, and its beaches and calm, clear bays are superb for swimming and snorkelling year-round when conditions allow.

Honest expectations

St John is the least developed of the main US Virgin Islands, which is precisely its appeal, so it has fewer resorts and amenities and is a place for nature, beaches and quiet rather than nightlife or shopping; it is also, like all the USVI, a relatively pricey destination and was hit hard by hurricanes in 2017, from which it has recovered. For dazzling, protected beaches, superb snorkelling and lush hiking in a pristine national park, though, St John is a genuine Caribbean paradise.

Nearby

The island of St Thomas and the British Virgin Islands are close by.