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What do you do when you have more gorgeous photos of a place than you know what to do with? Share them with others, of course! Today, I am showing you the beauty of one of my favorite places with these St. John pictures taken over years of trips to the Virgin Islands.
If you’ve visited this site before, you know St. John is one of the places I love the most. What started as a vacation I merely tagged along to almost 10 years ago has become a place deeply etched into my heart and soul. St. John is my happy place, and the pull to return there feels stronger year after year.
Today I am sharing photos that just might turn you into a St. John addict as well. With over 60% of this island being covered in national park land, this is one of the last untouched paradises on earth. It has everything you need for the perfect getaway, from pristine beaches to incredible sunrises.
25 Gorgeous St. John Virgin Islands Pictures
If you are not familiar with the beauty of St. John in the US Virgin Islands, these pictures are about to make you swoon. If you were on the fence about booking a trip, chances are you’ll have purchased a flight before you even reach the end of this article. You won’t be sorry!
Beautiful Sunrises
Eastern facing Coral Bay is the place to go to catch the sunrise in St. John. Even better, If you stay in Coral Bay, you can easily view the sunrise as soon as you roll out of bed in the morning.
To see the sunrise, you do need to be a bit of an early bird, and sometimes clouds cover the horizon and obscure it from view. That said, on those mornings where the sun is at its most visible, it really is one of the most glorious sights you’ll ever see and so worth waking up for!
Traveling as a couple? You can stay in a perfect little cottage overlooking Coral Bay at the House of Open Arms. You don’t even have to leave your bed in the morning to see the sun coming up over the horizon. Très romantique!
Perfect Beaches
The number one reason to visit St. John is their wide selection of stunning white sand beaches. Prepare yourself for the various shades of turquoise you will see. They’ll be so hard to tear yourself away from when it’s time to leave.
There is a beach for every type of person on St. John. If you are looking for peace and quiet, you can choose from many options.
There are small, quiet beaches, like Jumbie Bay above. Then there are bigger beaches that still remain quiet due to lack of parking, like Oppenheimer/Gibney Beach below.
On the other hand, you’ve got the very popular beaches that will be crowded by mid-morning. For good reason too!
Maho Bay (below) it just one example that has always been a favorite. The water at Maho is super calm and has some of the most beautiful shades of blue. A lot of people come here to find sea turtles, and rent snorkel gear or paddle boards from a rental shop right across the street.
Hawksnest is also a very popular beach due to how convenient it is to visit. Similar to Maho, there is parking right next to the beach, making it very easy to access. This comes in handy during those unexpected downpours!
Finally, for adventurous types, there are stunning beaches like Denis Bay that need to be accessed by hiking. While it can be a pain to carry beach chairs and coolers over a narrow, bumpy path, the views and solitude make it all worth it.
When many people think of the Caribbean, they picture cruise ports overrun with tourists looking for cheap souvenirs. Or, you know, the all-inclusive resorts the Caribbean is known for with hit-and-miss food and sugary drinks.
St. John will show you a side of the Caribbean you didn’t know existed. Over two-thirds of the island belongs to Virgin Islands National Park, which keeps the island untouched since the land cannot be built up with resorts.
Scenic Hikes
Thanks to Virgin Islands National Park, St. John has more than enough well-maintained hiking trails to fuel your adventurous side. Some hikes lead to a beach, while many offer gorgeous views over the sea. Plus, it’s a great way to earn a burger and drink at Skinny Legs later.
The Peace Hill trail is a short hike with a parking lot right at the trail head for easy access. It’s a bit steep, but leads to an awesome Danish windmill, while providing beautiful views of several North Shore beaches below.
On the way up to Peace Hill, you could also veer right, and take a rough trail to reach quiet Denis Bay Beach. It’s a short hike, but offers a gorgeous end point and the chance to dip your feet in the water.
Heading over to the south shore of St. John, you’ll find quite a different vibe. Many of the beaches are less shady and rockier, but no less beautiful. One of the most dramatic is Atlantic facing Drunk Bay, with it’s strong waves rolling in from the open, unprotected sea.
Nearby Drunk Bay is a scenic, albeit shade-free hike called the Ram Head trail. The terrain is rocky and lined with cacti, but there are beautiful views out over the sparkling water and back towards Salt Pond Bay Beach.
Spectacular Boats
St. John’s beauty, unfortunately, is not a secret. It has long been discovered, and was an early favorite of Laurance Rockefeller, and today Kenny Chesney.
Lots of people with money vacation on St. John, and they display their wealth with rather impressive boats. We caught the above yacht as it was heading into Maho Bay, and there it stayed for the next few days. What a life!
Kenny Chesney’s boat can also be seen around the islands from time to time. We spotted it last year near Lime Out on New Year’s Day.
Rainbow Sightings
St. John just might be that fairy tale land “over the rainbow” that you’ve always dreamed of. Figuratively and literally.
Now, St. John isn’t quite Hawaii status as far as rainbows go. When I was in Hawaii, it felt like there was constantly a rainbow hovering in some direction.
However, it does rain pretty often in St. John’s tropical environment. Thus, you should always keep your eyes open for surprise rainbow sightings over the sea. There’s nothing quite like spotting a rainbow in the Caribbean, let alone a place as special as St. John. In the above photo there is even almost a double rainbow!
Island Animals
When driving around the island, you’ll likely see various animals along the road. Whether it’s slow moving donkeys or adorable little goats, these little guys are very friendly and are used to visitors.
The donkeys may even approach your vehicle in the hopes of being fed. Pet them if you want, but don’t feed them, as it’s not good for them.
Additionally, less fuzzy creatures you may encounter are various types of lizards, hermit crabs, and of course an array of sea life in the water. My husband and I saw our first stingray near shore at Oppenheimer Beach on our most recent visit!
Breathtaking Sunsets
Whether you watch from your villa, Cruz Bay, or on a sunset sail, viewing a St. John sunset is an absolute must. With St. Thomas to the west, you can enjoy a drink at Beach Bar while you watch the bright orange orb ease its way over the island in the distance. It’s the best way to end a perfect day on vacation.
Starry Nights
St. John may shine brightest from sunrise until sunset, but there is still plenty of ambiance to be found after dark.
Night time at Maho Bay is a romantic sight that many people don’t get to see. North Shore Road is pitch black in the evening, and is a less popular route for evening drivers. However, sights of boats illuminating the water make it worth your while.
Of course, I had to include a photo of Coral Bay too. It’s where we typically stay, and the lack of light pollution means you can see tons of stars at night.
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I hope you are as mesmerized by these photos as I was while making this post. Now that you’ve seen these pictures of St. John, are you ready to plan your own trip to the Virgin Islands?
Lovely photographs
Thanks so much!
You should post the date of all the photos. USVI was devastated by hurricanes some years ago, and it is not ethical to post beautiful pictures of places that may no longer exist or have not fully recovered. A date would gi
You should post the date of all the photos. USVI was devastated by hurricanes some years ago, and it is not ethical to post beautiful pictures of places that may no longer exist or have not fully recovered. A date would give an exact time frame relative to the destruction.
Hi! I’m aware of Hurricanes Irma and Maria that devastated the islands in 2017. This article is dated 2020, but here is my official certification that these were all taken in the past 2 or 3 years. The island is looking great these days 🙂