Our trip to the Virgin Islands National Park could be considered a fortuitous adventure. We were enjoying a couples' weekend with our friends in St. Thomas at the amazingly beautiful Villa Ohana (Magens Bay Luxury 5BR Villa Private Beach & Pool - Houses for Rent in st thomas Peterborg, St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands - Airbnb) when the group decided to do a day-trip to St. John to one of the beaches in the national park.
St. John is accessible from St. Thomas via car ferry or person ferry. If you don't have a vehicle, there are plenty of taxis available on St. John. (If you are going for a day trip, pay close attention to the time of the last ferry back to St. Thomas or you'll have to find accommodations on St. John!) The ferry arrives at Cruz Bay, and there are several nice shopping areas and restaurants nearby. It is also close to the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center, which operates on limited hours Monday through Friday from 9 am to 1:30 pm. After some shopping and lunch, we ended up at Trunk Bay, which is one of several beautiful beaches on the north side of the island. The water there was crystal clear with a white sand beach...just gorgeous. We spent most of our time there snorkeling in the beautiful warm waters. There is an Underwater Snorkel Trail at Trunk Bay with underwater signs about the coral reefs and fish in the area as well as information about protecting the reefs.
There is a lot more to do at the Virgin Islands National Park than just snorkeling at one beach, and we will need to return to this park. The park actually covers about two-thirds of St. John. Beyond the numerous beaches, there are many good hiking trails to explore as well as the historic site of the 18th century Annaberg sugar plantation.
We also enjoyed the beauty of Magens Bay where we stayed in St. Thomas, as evidenced by the photos below.
What - No Pubs? These were some great tips. I had never considered going to this National Park, but when you describe the ease from St. Thomas, something I will need to consider. You guys look like you are having a great time. Love it.