A Perfect Honeymoon – St John, US Virgin Islands, for Romantic Caribbean Getaways
Fifteen years ago today, I married the love of my life. We’ve been on plenty of trips in the past decade and a half, and have passed on our love of travel to our children. One of our best vacations, though, was before we had kids. I’m thinking a lot about our honeymoon today, and about where we went. St. John, in my mind the most romantic of the US Virgin Islands, was where we spent our honeymoon. It was a perfect Caribbean island for a perfect honeymoon, and it didn’t surprise me at all when, a few years later, my brother-in-law had his honeymoon on St John as well.
- Caneel Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands (photo courtesy of CaneelBay.com)
- The Newlywed Relaxes in St. John (Jennifer Miner, 1994)
There are three US Virgin Islands, and St. John is the smallest. St. Thomas’s main port (and capital of the US Virgin Islands) is Charlotte Amalie: There are a ton of duty-free shopping here, so cruise ships let off and pick up passengers there constantly. It’s busy! St. Croix was not really a strong contender for romantic getaways (like honeymoons), and my new husband and I wanted our honeymoon to be a mix of pampering and eco-travel. That meant St. John.
St. John is, famously, 2/3 US National Park land, with a few upscale resorts scattered along its coast. No airport; travelers land on St. Thomas and take a ferry across. The peace and quiet, relative lack of commercialism, and the swathes of preserved natural Caribbean forest, really best suited our honeymoon wishes.
The Best Beaches on St John, US Virgin Islands
With so much less development than the other US Virgin Islands – and certainly much less than other popular Caribbean resort islands, too – the white sand beaches are clean and the water beyond pristine. One of the best beaches in the world is here, in fact; Caneel Bay, which was founded by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller. With 171 preserved acres and seven beaches, it’s really quite a wonderful legacy left by L. Rockefeller.
Other favorite beaches on St. John are Cinnamon Bay (one of the largest, and a National Park campground), Hawksnest, and Trunk Bay. We took a drive to Trunk Bay; it’s one of the most scenic spots in the Caribbean. We loved it; the soft white sand, the snorkeling, and the gorgeous vista were as good as it gets. Trunk Bay is on many lists as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
The best snorkeling on St. John, though, is in Leinster Bay. Not accessible by car, we had to hike (maybe 15 minutes) from the Annaberg Ruins parking lot. It’s worth the trip; hardly any tourists (a day cruise does dock here though), more sea turtles than I’ve seen anywhere except Hawaii, and a remote feel that adds to the romantic experience of a honeymoon vacation.
One last beach worth mentioning is – believe it or not – Honeymoon Beach. Unless things have changed in the past 15 years, this is a “clothing optional” beach. What did I do there? I’ll never tell (it’s technically illegal to go nude, by the way). There are plenty of people on Honeymoon Beach, plus curious boaters cruising slowly by, so this may not be the easiest place to let go of inhibitions; it’s definitely not the most private.
Two Recommended Luxury Resorts on St. John in the Caribbean
Luxury vacations at Caneel Bay Resort are “unplugged,” that is, no phones and no televisions – although there is a business center. Note: Caneel Bay Resort is not where we had our honeymoon. We hiked there, though, and enjoyed some luxury and pampering. Its beaches are open to the public.
The resort we stayed in for our honeymoon was romantic, pampering, fun, and…gone. A tropical hurricane destroyed that Marriott a couple of years later. So sad! However, the resort that replaced it, the Westin St. John, is a 4-star luxury resort hotel as well. Along with all the relaxation and pampering that a romantic honeymoon requires, the Westin has many fun children’s activities.
- Caribbean Honeymoon Sunset (Jennifer Miner, 1994)
I love tropical islands for vacations, and I love being married to my SoCalGuy. Today, on our fifteenth wedding anniversary, I look through old photos of our wonderful honeymoon on St. John, and marvel at the sweet passage of time. This US Virgin Island was the perfect romantic Caribbean getaway for our first week together as a married couple, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
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Wow, what a week! First, TM.com’s anniversary now your wedding anniversary!! I loved reading about St. John (on my list). Hope you have fun celebrating. Congrats!
Hello
Wonderful blog
Nice to remember Honeymoon
We recall the memories
I wish you a happy life
Regards
Happy, happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Mudslide! We always spend so much time focusing as being parents that sometimes we forget to be husband and wife. I hope you guys have a romantic evening planned
Love the pics!
Happy Anniversary!! (from travelling Grandmama)
Congratulations. I’ve now been married just 6 weeks. Glad to connect on here.
Wow.
Now you have me wanting to visit the Caribbean!
Congrats on your wedding anniversary, as well!
My wife and I have been married for 27 years! And, our “honeymoon” was at a Motel 6 in Yuma, AZ. (We got married on Friday evening in L.A. …and had to be back at work in New Mexico on Monday *sigh*)
So, we celebrated our 25th anniversary in Hawaii (I don’t know *why* we brought our 20-year-old daughter along, but it seemed like a good idea at the time… really, it was fun!).
Traveling and experiencing a Tropical Island is something that everyone should try (at least once, if not forever!). We just got back from a long vacation (first one in a long time) in the Philippines–and stayed for a while at Boracay Island (I can imagine it would be similar to the Caribbean’s Virgin Islands). It was a great experience.
Thanks for a great review of St. John! Now I know where we will go for our 30th anniversary!
Dave
http://www.squidoo.com/hawaii_tips
I have been to hawaii and caribbean too some years ago,
It was a really beautiful place and i would love to visit there now it looks much more beautiful
We honeymooned in Hawaii and it was pure bliss. I would love to hit the Virgin Islands one of these days. It sounds like pure heaven!
[...] It’s worth the trip; hardly any tourists (a day cruise does dock here though), more sea turtles than I’ve seen anywhere except Hawaii, and a remote feel that adds to the romantic experience of a honeymoon vacation. … Read On… [...]
I went to St. John’s on my Honeymoon as well. Wonderful! Half at the Westin and Half at the Maho Bay eco-resort. Life does not get much better. So have you been back and why not? As soon as my daughter can snorkel, we are heading back.
Happy Anniversary!
[...] Perfect Honeymoon – St John US Virgin Island Romantic Getaways … I’m thinking a lot about our honeymoon today, and about where we went. St. John, in my mind the most romantic of the US Virgin Islands, was where we spent our honeymoon. [...]
Hey, Backpack to Buggy – your daughter is lucky.
I’ve been back a couple of times, once with my aunt and grandmother. Now, THAT was as far from a romantic getaway as possible!
[...] a luxurious retreat. Choosing where to go is the first step in the planning process. It might be a honeymoon. It might be an anniversary. You may not even be married, but are looking for some special time [...]
Happy Anniversary! My wife and I honeymooned on St. John as well – 10 years ago – and returned for our 10th anniversary last August, to Caneel Bay. The year before we rented a small villa in the hills and brought the kids – had an amazing week there in August. Nice site!
We’re sending our son and his bride to the VI on their honeymoon in Sept 2009. She wants a Jaccuzzi in the room. He wants the option of staying in a “hut” on the beach. They like shopping, nature, clubbing, maybe casino gambling just for fun. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Mother-law-to-be
[...] are diagnosed with some sort of skin cancer or melanoma every year, including me. I traveled to the Caribbean every year when I was a kid, and when I was in high school and college I baked myself mercilessly [...]
I liked so much my honeymoon vacations
. I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
The natural beauty of St John is exciting.I am dreaming St John for my honeymoon trip.
Hello, like your site very much. I found it on bing will add it to bookmark and come back often again to read and follow. Please continue to do awesome job you do on it.