St. Thomas– Oh my god. The U.S. Virgin Islands are what I call paradise. St. Thomas is my favorite of the U.S. Virgin Islands with St. John a close second. The beaches here are unreal and the water the clearest I have ever seen. Both islands have fabulous resorts and villas right on the water that will quite literally take your breath away. Out of all the islands I have visited, I must say a must-do on St. Thomas is snorkeling. I would argue it is the best island in all of the Caribbean for snorkeling. Coki Point and Sapphire Beach are the very best spots. The water is so clean, so blue, and full of marine life. In both locations you will find an abundance of colorful fish like the highlighter yellow and blue angelfish, parrotfish, trunkfish, and the goofy frogfish, all just swimming and hanging out in the gorgeous coral reefs inches away. The white sandy beaches here are perfect for sunbathing and an afternoon picnic as well, so don’t think these are strictly snorkeling spots.

Note: When snorkeling or swimming make sure you take off all of your shiny jewelry before entering the water. St. Thomas’s waters have a lot of barracuda and these fish are drawn to flashy things.  They will leave you alone and unprovoked attacks on humans are VERY rare but let’s not give them a reason to swim over to you.

The most photogenic and swimmable beach on the island is definitely Magen’s Beach, which has been said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Shaped like a heart, it is a perfect picture from the mountains above, and the perfect spot to spend an afternoon. There is a sweet beach bar, literally called Magen Bay Beach Bar, perfect for an afternoon drink.  The beach offers paddleboards, kayaks, and paddleboats rentals too- if you enjoy water activities. Also, on-site are a coconut grove, mangrove, and botanical garden which are fun and something different to explore. Showers and bathrooms are found right off the beach as well which is super convenient.  Other beautiful beaches include Lindquist Beach, which is smaller than and not as crowded as Magen’s, Sapphire, or Coki beach and Hull Bay, just a few minutes from Magen’s Bay.

As for food… The local fruit is amazing. The fresh mango and papaya are to die for. For your fruit fix, stop and purchase them at a road side food stand or stop at a road side smoothie stand (these are very popular throughout the Caribbean). Locals literally set up shop in front of their homes with portable blenders and create the tastiest smoothies and juices you have ever slurped down.

Two restaurants I really enjoyed were Gladys’ Café for lunch and Duffy’s Love Shack for snacks, drinks, and entertainment. Gladys’ Café is named after the owner, and she makes the best Caribbean influenced dishes. Found in a small alleyway of a local mall, this place is intimate and beautifully decorated. They play oldies too, which I really liked.  The dishes here are truly amazing and full of flavor. The curry chicken roti and fungi with creole sauce is amazzzzing. The owner makes all of her sauces from scratch and the three that I tried were the perfect mix of sweet, tangy and spicy. Fungi, which might not ring a bell, is a staple comfort food of the island and is kind of like a dumpling, made of salted cornmeal mixed with water and shortening, and in this case okra as the filling. Okra is huge on the island and is VERY good for you. It’s PACKED with dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins sooo eat a lot of okra!

As for Duffy’s Love Shack, this place is a good freaking time. It’s an island beach bar situated in a parking lot roughly 10 minutes from Sapphire beach. Duffy’s is always crowded and the music is always bumping. I love their frozen drinks which are sometimes served in LARGE souvenir plastic cups, depending on what you order. Be careful though because their signature hand crafted drinks like the Shark Tank, which is a 64 oz. concoction of six rums and tropical liquor can send you straight to bed. Another worth mentioning is the Funky Monkey, with bananas, Irish cream, and butternut scotch liquor. I have not had it but it seemed like a popular pick by restaurant goers on my visit. It screams hangover but looked like it was worth the morning headache. The food is decent here, it’s definitely bar food with options like the 7 layer dip which consists of BBQ pork, refried beans, cheese, the works, and Jamaican jerk nachos. They do have good burgers and sandwich options as well. Try the Hula Hula Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich served with grilled pineapple wedges. Yum.

St. Thomas is a stunning island. You must check this beauty out. I also highly recommend taking a ferry over to St. John and doing an overnight there. While in St. John, Trunk Bay is a must.

Cheapest Months for Travel:  The end of January and the very beginning of February are offering the cheapest flights right now at roughly $450 round trip.  Since St. Thomas is well-known it’s harder to score cheap tickets. The end of March looks good too.

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