Starfish Market is between Cruz Bay and WSJ, so you'll want to pick up groceries there.
Not much sightseeing on St. John other than the beautiful scenery. There's the ruin of a sugar plantation, but that takes all of 20 minutes. The main draw is the NP and snorkeling. Here are things we've done, but I'm not sure if any of these are feasible during the pandemic:
- Charter a boat for a day or half day, which is expensive but so worth it IMO.
- Take the USVI NP hike w a ranger. Book in advance.
- Day trip to The Baths, which is spectacular, but requires passports, etc.
Snorkeling
As far as the best snorkeling, much depends on the weather, currents, and your swimming ability. Our personal 3 favorite beaches are: Trunk Bay, Waterlemon, and Salt Pond.
Trunk Bay is an easy drive or shuttle ride from WSJ, has nice facilities including showers, nice flat sand and shade to sprawl on, beach rentals, and a pretty good restaurant (assuming any of these are open). Normally, Trunk Bay is hopping with cruise ship daytrippers, so enjoy it now that you get it all to yourself. The bay is protected, so very calm, and the snorkeling is decent. Entry into the water is a piece of cake. A lot of the coral has been beaten up by a thousand fins, but the bay itself is still postcard perfect.
Waterlemon Cay requires more effort, but is one of the best snorkeling spots, as long as the currents aren't too strong. This is definitely the day to wear your Teva sandals as you'll be walking a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile. Park at the Annaberg plantation and follow the oceanfront trail. Based on what we're hauling, we either stop halfway (finding a spot where we can safely enter the water to avoid long-spined sea urchins) and swim to the Cay, or keep walking to cut down on the swimming. It's a hassle to bring chairs, but you'll be glad you did. Definitely pack a lunch and extra drinks cause you'll want to stay awhile.
The area between the mainland and the Cay is where we've seen the most diverse sea life. However. We've been here when the sea is very rough, and it's not the place to be when it's windy and choppy. When there's a lot of choppiness, the visibility is poor and the current can get very dangerous. So use your common sense.
Salt Pond Bay is on the other side of the island, so it'll take awhile to get there. Beware that it's down a pretty significant hill from the parking lot, and what goes down must go back up. This is the place you'll want to bring extra water and rental chairs, as it's very arid and hot and not a very welcoming beach. Definitely bring an umbrella if you have one or extra towels that you can drape in the scrub trees to create shade if you want to hang out on the beach.
The draw here is the great snorkeling. We've seen eels, rays, and barracuda here.
But, perhaps the best part of SPB is heading to Skinny Legs in Coral Bay afterward for drinks and lunch!
Car Rental
- Daily car rentals may seem cheaper on paper, but don't dismiss the hassle of having to fill out paperwork and waiting til they open in the morning. Posted hours of operation may also be...flexible. We normally just rent for the week and consider it the cost of enjoying ourselves.
- If you rent a jeep, do not remove the cover as this will also earn you a fee.
- Pack some XL trash bags or an old sheet to spread them out on the floors and trunk of your rental car to catch sand. Rental car companies charge a ridiculous fee to sweep out cars.
Other tips:
- Definitely pack lightly, but bring quality flip-flops as you'll do a ton of walking. We pack 1 pair of high quality flip-flops and 1 pair of Teva sandals.
- Pack band aids for blisters.
- Pack a rash guard, as the water is still pretty chilly and you'll want the extra layer.
- Bring plenty of singles and fives for tipping shuttle drivers, ferry staff.
- Stock up at the airport Duty free liquor store (which is just around the corner from baggage claim) to save some money.
- Line up early for the ferry so that you can climb to the al fresco upper level and enjoy the sunshine.
- Put shorts and a t-shirt in your carry on so that you can change in the airport after landing.
- We always pack a Yeti cup these days, as they're light and great for the beach/pool. Walmart's Ozark Trails brand is a great knockoff for less than $7.
- Definitely pack a soft-sided cooler and ice pack for picnics at the beach, and throw in a variety of sandwich/snack/gallon sized baggies for picnics.
- Definitely pack a beach bag (or better yet, use a beach bag as your carry on) to haul your towels, etc.
- Pack an XL nylon net laundry bag to haul your snorkeling gear, as it makes rinsing off so much easier.
Hope this helps. So jealous!