Secret Harbour Beach is less than a 5 minute walk from the condo. It is sheltered, and beautiful.
The Dive Shop rents out paddle boards for a very nominal fee and this is a fun and safe activity. They also have other fun items to rent. The weather is so warm that night swimming is fabulous and the dive shop can take you night snorkelling with underwater flashlights.
There are also countless other gorgeous beaches all over the island.
The island is serviced by the Cyril E. King Airport. Passenger and limited car-ferry services to neighboring islands such as Water Island, St. John, St. Croix, and the British Virgin Islands run regularly out of the Red Hook Terminal, Charlotte Amalie, and Crown Bay Marina.
The United States Virgin Islands is the only place under United States jurisdiction where the rule of the road is to drive on the left. This was inherited from what was the then-current Danish practice at the time of the American acquisition in 1917. However, because St. Thomas is a U.S. territory, most cars are imported from the mainland United States and therefore the steering column is located on the left side of the vehicle.
This zip line is definitely worth doing.
The views from their spot is amazing. It overlooks Magens Bay which has the prestigious title of being one of the top beaches in the world.
The zipping is good and they are very safety conscious and the drive up to the starting point is done in a large military vehicle which is an experience in itself.
There is a most magnificent view at the top of the mountain and this is well worth doing. There is a charge of around $20-$30 per person to ride the cable cars up the mountain however during the times that the cable car and restaurant is open one can also drive up.
In Havensight right next to Avis and the jeep rentals is a road. Follow that road up the mountain and you will arrive at the restaurant. There are some curio shops and a nice casual restaurant for lunch or tea at the top. However, the reason you would go up there is definitely for the view. There is one evening a week when it is open later so that you can watch the sun set and see the lights. Also worth doing especially when they are open at night.
This is an adventure that I would highly recommend. This is a sparsely inhabited island very close to St Thomas. To get there go to the Crown Bay Harbour and go to the D Dock where the boats are all moored to the left of the ship docks. There you will find a tiny ferry & it will be a 10 minute boat ride. Their phone number is 340-690-4159.
Most people get around the island on golf carts including the residents. These can be rented from Kelly's Carts. 340-643-4128 or kellyskarts@yahoo.com. They charge about $30 per day. This is lots of fun. Picnic and swim at Honeymoon Beach. It is beautiful. Buy food on the beach or pack a cooler.
This is a fun trip. Kayaking and then exploring an island and then snorkelling in the Mangrove Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary and marine reserve. Some very interesting sights.
They also have tours on St John and Hassel Island. We have only done the Mangrove Lagoon Kayak.
Their phone number is 340-779-2155
These are an interesting adventure as you get to breathe air in a bubble under the water. If you do not do scuba diving this is a great thing to do. However, if you have done scuba diving you may not find this inspiring.
St. Thomas is home to world renowned shopping! Hundreds of duty free shops line the streets and alleys of the capital, Charlotte Amalie, multiple buildings in Havensight, where most cruise ships dock, house shops and boutiques. There are smaller malls around the island and even the larger hotels offer shopping!
The best buys on St. Thomas include jewelry, alcohol, china, crystal, perfumes, art, clothing, watches and cameras. If you are in the market for something in particular, primarily jewelry and cameras, it is a good idea to know what the going price is in your home town; some items are better deals than others so it pays to know what items cost at home.
An awesome shop in downtown Charlotte Amalie is Local Color. Look out for it. They have some really neat stuff. Havensight, Vendor's Plaza, Main Street in Charlotte Amalie and at the waterfront at Yacht Haven Grande are some of the great places to shop.
At this waterfront be sure to have lunch at the Fat Turtle and watch the yachts of the rich and famous and the cruise ships. If you would like to experience a mall that is not touristy at all and is where the locals shop and you can buy some very cheap items although not name brands then a visit to the TuTu Mall is an interesting experience and totally safe. Remember you can wander all over St Thomas as it is very safe. It is owned by the USA as a protectorate and the people are very friendly and they do value tourists.
Shopping Tips:
Groceries can be bought at Food Centre which you will pass on your way to the East End or an even better option is the new grocery store and delicatessen in Red Hook called Moes.
Also you can go to Cost u Less and even better is Price Smart which is like an island Costco. It even has some of the same products and is laid out the same. You will pay a nominal fee of about $15 to become a member but is really worth it as Moes and Food Centre can be quite expensive. Either google or ask for directions to get to any of these. Be sure to buy some food at the airport in Miami to take on the last flight as when you get there everything will be closed if you come in on the late flight.
Ferries normally run every hour. There are a couple of companies that run. It costs about $50 for your car & it doesn't matter how many people you have in the car. This is the fare for a return ticket. You can go in the morning and return early evening or whenever. There is lots to explore on St John. There is also a passenger ferry at a nominal rate. These ferries leave from Red Hook, about 5 minutes drive from the condo. Be half an hour early for the ferry as they still have to load it. Note which company you go with so that you return with the same company.
This aerial picture taken from the plane as we flew out of St Thomas shows how close St John is to St Thomas. Fabulous beaches. The Westin is worth visiting for a lunch at the restaurant on the beach. There are lots of boat excursions available.
In St John on the beach to the right of where you arrive on the passenger ferry is Noah's Little Arks. One can rent a 12 ft dinghy for a half day for $75 or a full day for $130. A 16 ft dinghy is $195 for a half day and $275 for a full day. Their email is noahslittlearksusvi@gmail.com to check if these rates have changed. This is lots of fun as you can go from bay to bay exploring and you can pull your boat up onto the beach and swim and enjoy the beach and then move onto the next bay. You can also throw down an anchor and hop overboard along the way to snorkel. Their phone number is 340-693-9030.
There is also a company in the East End of St Thomas that does the same thing. Captain Nautica Tours, Excursions and boat rentals. Contact Information Rte 32 St Thomas 00802 U.S. Virgin Islands +1 340-775-9360
This is an amazing adventure:) Pack a picnic cooler to take with you if you do this on St John.
A short sea plane ride to St Croix is not expensive & is a fabulous experience. It is close enough to go for the day. Have lunch and a trip to the beach there and fly back. Seaborneairlines.com or 1-787-946-7800
This island is an hour and a half passenger ferry ride and the ferries only run on a couple of days a week from Red Hook. Google as to what days they leave from Red Hook and what days from Charlotte Amalie.
This is a full day excursion and you will need your passport to enter the British Virgin Islands. You will need to buy food there as you cannot take food over the border into another country. These huge boulders are amazing to see and there is a little trail that will have you creeping through tiny gaps in among them. This is an amazing adventure and when you come to the end of the trail there is the most awesome and beautiful beach.
When you land at the dock and disembark from the ferry there is a short taxi ride to The Baths. You could also go on “The Bad Kitty” tour to do this trip but it is cheaper this way and you get more time at the Baths and you have more freedom to spend your time as you would like.