6 best St. Thomas Beaches near the Cruise Port
Want to hop off the cruise ship and float on your back in crystal-clear water? Lounge under a palm tree? Sip rum in the sun? St. Thomas is a blast, especially if you go exploring and check out these fantastic beaches!
1. Lindquist/ Smith Bay Beach
Lindquist Beach is my favorite on the island. Sea grape trees line the bay, and the sea is a lovely contrast of turquoise water and darker blue above the sea grass. Locals and families fill the beach. There are no concessions but there are restrooms.
This beach makes you feel like you’re a million miles from everything, lost on a perfect deserted island.
2. Magen’s Bay Beach
Magen’s Bay is a gorgeous horseshoe bay with calm, clear water. It’s absolutely picture perfect. Take a raft and float on your back. All you’ll see are the green-covered hills dotted with houses and sparkling blue waters.
It’s unsurprisingly a very popular beach! There’s a restaurant, bar, and restroom facilities. It’s great for families but does get crowded.
3. Water Island
Water Island is a little farther from the St. Thomas cruise port but it is spectacular! Take a taxi to the Crown Bay Marina. The ferry leaves from right outside Tickles and takes ten minutes to get to the small island.
From where the ferry drops you off walk straight up the road. You’ll see the beach to your right in ~5 minutes.
There’s a restaurant, bar, restrooms, and sea turtles frequent the grassy sea beds! The water is clear and calm. Take bug spray! The mosquitoes are no joke on this beach.
4. Morningstar Beach
Just down the cliff from the well-done Marriott, this is a great beach for catching an iguana running across the sand. The water is clear and the bay is stunningly blue. It gets deep pretty quickly. There’s a restaurant, bar, and restrooms.
5. Coki Beach
Coki is lovely for its clear, calm water and view of Thatch Cay. The many colorful fish have been trained by the many visiting tourists to come say hello, hoping for a treat. If you bring dog treats they will flock to you, which is terrible for their ecosystem but a pretty cool experience for you. The waist-deep water is like standing in an aquarium. There’s a restaurant, bar, and restroom facilities.
6. Sapphire Beach
Another lovely beach, just down the road from Lindquist. It has a stunning view of St. John. The water can be a bit choppy if the wind has picked up. There’s a restaurant, bar, and restrooms.
Bonus Beach – The Baths & Devil’s Bay Beach, Virgin Gorda
The Baths & Devil’s Bay Beach technically aren’t in St. Thomas – they’re a short boat ride away on Virgin Gorda. BUT – it’s so spectacular you have to make the trip.
Interisland Boat Services has a ferry on Thursdays and Sundays from Red Hook. It’s a two hour ferry through beautiful Caribbean water.
When you get to Virgin Gorda you go through customs and pick up a cab right outside to take you to the Baths. The Baths is a unique granite rock formation that has created sea caves. It’s incredible to walk through.
The best bit might be that once you’ve made it through the rocks you arrive at Devil’s Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. There’s a restaurant, bar, and restrooms before you go through The Baths.
Car or Taxi
You will need a taxi or car to do this itinerary. I used one of the local providers, Dependable. They were fine and significantly cheaper than the lowest option on Hotwire. These are the local providers that won’t show up on Hotwire or Priceline: Dependable, Discount, and Amalie. Here are a few more pointers:
- Verify if your car is allowed to go over to St. John (there’s a car ferry).
- Double check with your regular car insurance that you will be covered. Save a copy of your car insurance on your phone.
- Remember to drive on the left!
Taxis are also a great option. They’re easy to find and then you don’t have to worry about driving on the left!
Ok to go Solo?
Absolutely, but rent a car and be careful in the towns at night. Hope you enjoy the St. Thomas beaches near the cruise port.
Happy Wandering!
