St. Thomas / St. John Snorkeling Guide

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St Thomas and St John offers many snorkeling opportunities. Above sea level the islands are very hilly, which causes numerous bays and peninsulas throughout the islands with seemingly endless places to snorkel. We spent a month on the islands snorkeling as many places as we could for this review. As with most islands you can jump in just about anywhere and have a halfway decent time. We did our homework for this snorkeling guide. We started with known snorkel locations, took a few boat tours, asked locals for tips and explored other places on intuition. Together we compiled what we think represents the best snorkeling locations on St Thomas and St John.

Check out our downloadable PDF snorkeling map set for St Thomas / St John that include extra detailed information about each location. Easy to use for quick offline reference.

St Thomas, most of the snorkeling locations are clustered on the east end of the island...

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...both north and south. Most of the locations are easily accessible beach entrances. Staying on this side of the island near Red Hook allows you to access the hourly ferry to St John. There are ferries from Charlotte Amalie, but they are more infrequent. There are many bays to explore across St Thomas we did not include for this review. Many of these are exposed with moderate to heavy wave action. The wave direction generally comes from the south-east and north-east. This causes difficult snorkeling and churns up the water lowering visibility. Other locations across the central and western side of the island are difficult to access. There may be roads or trails down to remote beaches, however these are very rough roads a rental car should not go down. Additionally, there is very limited parking on the island. There may be a trail to the water, but there’s nowhere to park. You would have to stay in the surrounding neighborhood to use the trails.

St John snorkeling locations cluster on the north side of the island, inside Virgin Islands National Park. There is no fee to enter the park except for Trunk Bay. These areas are probably the best shore snorkeling on the islands. Limited development and general seclusion offer generally peaceful beaches. They are popular, but some are less crowded than others. The farther you go east on the island, you should find more seclusion.

There are many boat snorkeling trips throughout the islands. Some offer regular scheduled boats throughout the day while others operate on the scheduled basis, generally if there are enough passengers to make a trip. There are various combinations of trips offered. Some go to St John to some of the locations accessible from shore. There are also boat trips that cross the border to British Virgin Islands for a day trip (bring your passport). Tour operators come and go, so we are hesitant to list recommend specific companies. Instead, we list the destination in this snorkeling guide and hopefully you can research a tour operator that goes to the desired location. The landscape on the islands does define and limit easy travel. Even walking relatively short distances can be dangerous as the roads are winding and hilly with no sidewalks or shoulders. Cars come flying around blind corners in a continuously dangerous situation. Sadly, this limits walking short distances outside the towns.

Parking is a major issue on the islands. Just go about with the impression there is no parking anywhere ever, except the place you are staying. There are a few exceptions noted in the snorkeling location below. Be prepared to pay to park. Going early in the day is always the best to beat the crowds to the beaches, try to be at your destination before 10am for the best results. Don’t go out with the impression you can park anywhere you want at any time.

Every resort and some gated communities are required by law to let you access the beach. They may have intimidating looking guard shacks, don’t let that fool you. They are obligated to let you access the beach, but nothing else. They counter this by limiting parking inside the resort for non-guests. There is no fee to walk in, but you may need to pay to park inside a resort area. Sometimes this fee includes a credit at their beach bars.

Small SUV type vehicles are the best rentals for the islands. The roads are rough with potholes and drop-offs, having some clearance on the vehicle is a plus. The smaller the vehicle allows for easier parking. If you plan to take the car ferry across to St John, the entrance ramps to the ferries are steep enough a 4-door sedan style car could scrape bottom (I’ve seen it). The roads on the island are not for beginners. You will find yourself being amazed at how steep, narrow and windy they can be. Having an AWD vehicle is a plus, as some of the paved roads are so steep you can spin out if they get wet (I’ve seen it). That all being said, drivers on the island are generally courteous. In many places you need to let people in or take your turn driving through narrow areas. Be nice and other drivers will be nice back.

There are taxis and public transportation on the island, but you may not be able to go point-to-point. The taxis at the airport and ferry terminals are large vans (no individual cars or ride-share). They try to fill the van before they leave. As a result, they only want to go to resorts or major destination areas. If you are staying at a rental house off on its own, they won’t take you there. Unless you are staying next to a major destination like a city center, resort, ferry/cruise terminal, marina or airport, plan on renting a vehicle.

The exception is St John USVI National Park. There are regular taxis running loops around the park and back to town. Don’t expect much for the taxi, these are typically the open bed of a truck with benches and a canopy top. On St Thomas these open-truck-type taxis do frequent some popular beaches. These are noted in the snorkeling guide below. Once again though, don’t expect point-to-point service. They will stop at only major destinations, such as the cruise ship terminal.

Different open-truck-type taxis do run one-way loops around St Thomas on a set route. There is no set schedule or general stops. Most of the time you just stand by the side of the road and wave down the truck. These trips are cheap at only a couple dollars. Keep in mind, these only do one-way loops. So in order to go back where you came, you have to ride it all the way around the loop. These loop routes intersect at some point and you can jump on another one to continue your trip to your desired destination. There is not really a website to find out these loops, the best thing to do is talk to a local.

Please enjoy this snorkeling guide and check out our downloadable pdf maps of St Thomas / St John for even more detailed information.

St Thomas / St John Snorkeling Map

(Click the box on the map header to open in Google Maps app)

 

Click to jump to each location: 

 

 

Caneel Bay

The best reef is between Honeymoon Beach and Caneel Bay, with the north side of Caneel Bay a close second. Caneel Bay is accessible by car. There is a gate to enter, but tell them you want to access the beach. Note, there is a private road between Honeymoon and Caneel Bay preventing walking between the two beaches. You can always swim for it.

 

Chocolate Hole

Cute little miniature reef in shallow water. Plenty of small fish and some reef heads. Swim out a bit through the shallow grass until the reef starts on the east side of the bay. The reef grows a bit as you approach the entrance of the bay. Easy to see fish up close in the shallow water. This area is a good warm-up or beginner snorkel area close to town. Small public parking lot at the beach.

 

Christmas Cove

Accessible by boat. A cove by Big St James island offers snorkeling options. Various tour companies offer trips out here; some are for snorkeling and some tours come for the floating restaurant anchored in the cove. For snorkeling, the south side of the cove along the rocks develops into a dive spot as you turn the corner out of the cove. Limited coral, but a variety of marine life. Fish Cay, a small rock island poking out of the cove offers snorkeling around it.

 

Cinnamon Bay

The main feature offshore is a small island, Cinnamon Cay. Wave protected snorkeling on the beach side of the cay with some coral and fish diversity. Swim around the Cay for deeper water and rock formations. Good snorkeling around the cay.

Additional snorkeling off the east side of the beach, along the rocks. Follow the rocks around the corner towards Maho Bay as far as you feel comfortable. Here you will find rock and coral formations in deeper water. Overall good snorkeling in Cinnamon Bay.

Cinnamon Beach itself is a great place, there is a campground and some lodging. Plenty of facilities including snorkel rentals, food trucks and a park gift shop. Keep your eye out for donkeys and deer. Parking is free and can fill up by mid-morning. However there seems to be a lot of people coming and going throughout the day, you might get lucky. Open air truck type taxis frequent the beach.

 

Coki Beach

Popular beach with decent snorkeling. Snorkel along the rocks on the west side as far as you feel comfortable. There is mild coral with good fish diversity. Off the middle of the beach is sandy, that develops into deep coral as you approach the Coral World observatory tower. Right in front of the tower is a moderate drop off. Be mindful of the current out here as it may be pushing east, out to sea. There might be a lazy lifeguard floating around on a paddleboard attempting to tell you to stay within the swim buoys. They don’t appear show up till midday.

This is a small, but very popular beach and will get very crowded. At its busiest, you may find it difficult to walk from the water to inland without stepping on people. If you get there before 10am, you should be ahead of the crowds. Parking is limited. There is a small parking lot right at the beach. You will have to pay a local person a small fee. There is some limited street parking for free. The beach itself is free to access. Facilities and plenty of vendors selling…just about everything. Open truck type taxi’s are plentiful. This is a popular taxi stop.

 

Crescent Beach

Hike to the north side of Lovango Cay and snorkel a strip of reef. Enter the north-west facing side of the beach into the small protected bay. Swim straight out from the beach until you find the narrow strip reef. Follow along this narrow reef in either direction. Also find strange circular rock formations in the southwest corner of the small bay.

 

Honeymoon Beach (St. John)

Solomon and Honeymoon beach are accessible by walking along Lind Point trail, originating next to the national park visitor center. Additionally, there is limited parking area on the top of Lind Point hill.

Snorkel along the rocks on either side of all the beaches in this entire area. The best reef is between Honeymoon Beach and Caneel Bay, with the north side of Caneel Bay a close second. Solomon beach snorkeling is just mediocre; however you can swim out a long way to Lind Point.

 

Hull Bay

Mild snorkeling from a quiet beach. Snorkel off the east side of the bay, following the rocks out. You will need to swim out a fair distance before you start seeing anything interesting. At 500ft distance out and in about 15 ft of water, coral heads develop. Some nice structure and fish diversity. Right about when it gets good, the visibility drops. You will need to dive to see detail. Be mindful of the current, it may start pushing out from here. Watch what direction the sea fans are pointing.

There is a boat launch at the beach, so stay out of the boat channel. The west side of the bay has impressive waves, people will be surfing. No fees to park. Pull right up next to the beach. Plenty of shade trees. A restaurant and bar near the beach have facilities.

 

Little St. James (Ledges dive spot)

Excellent snorkel and dive location accessible by boat. A boulder strewn bottom with various coral and plenty of marine life. The snorkel location starts shallow in the bay and develops into dramatic deep rock ledges and shelves as you exit the bay south around the corner.

Various tour companies may come out here, but at the time of this writing Aqua Marine Dive Center seems to run regular trips out here.

 

Lovango Beach

Large area to snorkel on the south side of the island near the resort. Coral heads are spread out on a shallow sand bottom. Good fish diversity and a fair amount of coral. The resort also has some reef restoration projects. Overall, a good place to snorkel. Enter near the last dock on the west side of the resort. This snorkel area is among the boat mooring area. Snorkel tour boats also visit, so you may need to swim among them. Plenty of space to snorkel though.

 

Magens Bay

The largest beach on the island, in a huge bay protected from waves. Most of the bay is sand, limiting the snorkeling to the rocks on either side. The west side rocks seem to be the best. Limited coral and fish diversity but also browse the sand out a distance from the rocks. You may find creatures that need the sand such as mollusks and the things that feed on them.

The beach is very popular and is quite busy. However, due to its size, you can still find adequate space. You need to pay a fee to enter and park, plenty of facilities and food vendors. This is a popular stop for open air truck type taxis.

 

Maho Bay

The primary reason to come here is turtles. Maho Bay is shallow and sandy with sea grass. The turtles feed on sea grass. They won’t be in any particular area, you will just need to browse around. There is no other coral close in the bay and very little fish. A long swim out as you round the corner towards Cinnamon Bay, is good coral along the rocks.

As with most of USVI NP get here early, there is limited parking next to the beach, with a larger parking lot at the end. Food trucks and limited facilities. Open air truck type taxis frequent the beach.

 

Marriott's Frenchman's

Snorkel off the right (north) side off the resort beach for some moderately good snorkeling. Snorkel below cliffs to enjoy coral and underwater structures. Continue as far as you feel comfortable. Water here is calm and protected from waves. Left (south) side of the beach has a lot of boat activity preventing snorkeling that direction.

As a bonus (at the time of this writing) a catamaran leaves right from the Marriot dock giving snorkeling tours of Buck Island. Perhaps snorkel from shore at the resort, then go on a boat tour. At the time of this writing, parking inside the resort was free if you were going on the boat tour. If you were just visiting the beach they wanted a parking fee, that included a credit at the bar.

 

North Haulover Bay

Short hike to some great snorkeling immediately offshore. The reef hugs the shore around the bay with a few gaps. Steep drop-off on the east opening of the bay with coral all the way down. Great freedive area. Additional snorkeling on the west side of the bay with a more gradual drop off. Park on the side of the road and take the short walk in. Consider snorkeling South Haulover Bay as well.

 

Perkins Cay

Snorkel around a little cay after a short hike. Not a lot of coral or fish, but a really cool spot and a secluded beach. Good underwater structure. The best area seemed to be the east side of the cay. Water can be a little rough on the exposed point, try on a calm day. Additional snorkeling along the opening of Hawksnest Bay.

Did we say it’s a cool spot! Park at the Peace Hill trailhead. About 100ft down the trail is an unmarked trail to the right, heading down to the beach. The trail is unmarked and unadvertised, so not a lot of people hike down to the beach. Most people go to the ruins.

Salomon Beach

Salomon and Honeymoon beach are accessible by walking along Lind Point trail, originating next to the national park visitor center. Additionally, there is limited parking area on the top of Lind Point hill. Snorkel along the rocks on either side of all the beaches in this entire area.  

Salt Pond Beach

Hike to a great beach with a couple snorkeling options. In the middle of the bay, about 1,000ft out are some rocks poking through the bay. There is a wonderful reef surrounding these rocks. Sand bottom at about 20ft with reef features mounding up to the surface. Great coral and fish. Long swim out to the rocks, nothing to see until you get here. Make sure you have the skills to get out here and back before attempting.

If the rock islands are out of reach, the edges of the bay along the rocks offer moderate reef viewing. Additionally, you can hike farther out the peninsula to Rams Head Point. Halfway along this trail brings you to a rock beach. Alternate entry here. Swim back along the shore to Salt Pond Bay.

Sapphire Beach

Mediocre snorkeling off a resort beach on the east side of St Thomas. Enter the beach at the resort and snorkel out towards the small peninsula. You will find limited coral and some fish. Going beyond the peninsula exposes you to increase wave activity. Many signs at the resort discourage entering the water anywhere but the beach.

Overall, mediocre snorkeling with moderate exposure to waves. Internet searches will suggest this is a primary snorkeling area on the island. Our recommendation is, if you are staying nearby maybe try it out, otherwise don’t make a special trip here.

Snorkel rentals and facilities at the resort. They do have abundant parking, unlike most of the island. Check in with security and tell them you are going to the beach.

Secret Beach

Farther down the point from Secret Harbor is Secret Beach. A rock beach that offers secluded snorkeling. Snorkel along the rocks in either direction. Rocks and boulders offer good underwater structure, but limited coral and fish. This area offers deeper snorkeling for those with freediving skills. The beach offers seclusion while being located close to Red Hook. There is a good chance you will be the only one here. Being located near a point, this area has more wave action than other locations. For those reasons, this area is more suited to intermediate or advanced snorkelers.

There is no parking at the beach, but a marked public lane provides access. You should be able to park at the nearby Yacht Club and walk over.

Secret Harbor

Great snorkeling at a resort in a protected bay. Both sides of the bay have good snorkeling options. At either end of the bay you will find a rock point. Good snorkeling in front of either of these points. The south side of the bay has great underwater structure and a drop-off that continues around the corner. Wave activity increases around the corner. To the north side of the bay, the rock point here is a gradual coral wall that drops 20ft to a sand bottom. Plenty of fish with a little bit of coral.

Beach parking at the resort is limited to a couple of spots seem to be continuously occupied. Farther away, up the hill is another public parking lot.

South Haulover Bay

Narrow strips of reef on either side of a deep channel in the middle. There’s nothing to look at until these reef strips a bit farther out. The reef strips do not follow the immediate edges of the bay, they are located maybe 100ft to 200ft off the edges. The reef is in deeper water and follows the edges of the channel down. The reef on the west side of the bay is a bit closer to the shore and starts in shallow water. Consider visiting North Haulover Bay as well for some great snorkeling.

Trunk Bay

The most popular beach on USVI NP, an “Underwater Trail” is the main attraction. Information plaques underwater lead you along a short distance through the reef. Start at the first buoy and head towards the second buoy. This area is on the south side of Trunk Cay, a short distance from shore. The coral and fish along the underwater trail is not bad, considering the popularity of the bay. Continue snorkeling around Trunk Cay if you want to see more. This is a nice easy beginner area for snorkeling.

You need to pay a small fee to enter the beach, the only pay beach in USVI NP. Parking is limited, consider arriving early or later in the afternoon as people are leaving. Open air truck type taxis frequent the beach.

Turtle Cove (Buck Island)

Take a boat tour south of St Thomas to a marine preserve to view sea turtles. Buck Island, located two miles offshore has protected bays. These bays are shallow and sandy with plenty of sea grass. Turtles lie on the bottom and feed on the sea grass. They are wild animals, but the chances seem pretty good you will see one. There is limited reef on either side of the bay, but the majority of the bay is sea grass.

There are various tours that go out here. One departure location is Marriot Frenchman’s Resort. There are shore snorkeling options there as well.

Water Island

Take a short ferry ride to another island near Charlotte Amile. Once on Water Island, either a short walk or a complimentary ride from the beach bar will bring you to Honeymoon Bay.

Snorkel along the rocks on either side of the bay, however the south side seems to be better. A calm shallow sandy bay meets rocks along the edges offering some coral and small fish. As you exit the bay and turn south along the rocks, you find deeper water and more rock formations. Lined up with the first house on shore and about 200ft due west is a large shipwreck at least 100ft long. Aged steel remains of the keel start in about 15ft of water and drop to 30ft. The visibility trails off as the shipwreck goes deeper. Be careful of dinghy boats zipping around this area. Carry a marker buoy if you have it. The water island ferry departs from Crown Bay Marina.

Waterlemon Cay

Short hike to snorkel around a cay. Hike down the beach roughly one mile and enter close to the cay. The ocean side and west tip of the cay are the best areas. There’s a shallow finger on the south east tip, with a minor dropoff on the bay side of the finger. Overall, good snorkeling spot, great reef and fish diversity. Some additional snorkeling options around the corner of the bay as well. Park at the Annaberg trail head. Open air truck type taxis also frequent the beach.

 

 

Hey, check this out:

For even more detailed information on these snorkeling sites, download our St Thomas / St John snorkeling maps. Full color maps in .pdf version. Extra notes, tips and tricks to maximize your experience. Download for offline use and take with you to the snorkel spot.

 





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