Beaches

  • Magens Bay Beach: One of the most beautiful beaches in the world and the closest beach to Paradise Found Villa. Magens has a beach bar and restaurant that serves burgers, pizzas and other snacks as well as a gift shop. Be sure to check the cruise ship schedule and plan your visit on either a non cruise ship day or a light day. When 5 ships are in dock, it’s zoo and you’re better off enjoying the pool here at Paradise Found.

  • Hull Bay Beach is frequented mostly by local families and boaters. It’s a great beach to go to on cruise ship days since they never stop there. It’s a tranquil beach and the home of Hull Bay Hideaway a restaurant and bar just off the beach.

  • Coki Beach is quite lovely and not to be missed, but also a beach to be avoided when there are a lot of cruise ships in dock. Lovely white sand, dive and snorkel shop, cocktail servers right on the beach and several restaurants right on the sand. Coki Beach and Point is also the home of Coral World so you can easily make a day of it.

  • Bolongo Bay Beach is a small resort nestled in a scenic little bay where there is always a cooling breeze. Bolongo Bay is also home to the St. Thomas Dive Club.

  • Secret Harbor Beach is on the road to the Ritz Carlton. It’s another quaint, lovely little bay similar to Bolongo. Eat, drink, snorkel or just relax! A perfect day!

  • Lindquist Beach is at Smith Bay Park located on the road to Red Hook. There is lots of white sand, some tide pools and the beach is great for swimming! There is a $5 per person entrance fee as well as a $2 parking fee.

  • Sapphire Beach is known for its beautifully colored water. It’s free to park and enter the beach area. There is a water sports booth that offers windsurfing, kayaks and snorkel gear rental, as well as chair rentals. Food and drinks are available from a a small open air grill, drink vendor and from the nearby condo restaurant.

Restaurants

  • Root 42 (2.6 miles): A poolside bar located at the Flamboyan Resort with a view of the Bay. It’s a great place for a quick lunch or dinner and is not at all your typical bar food. There is no question that they have a chef, not a cook.

  • Brooks Restaurant & Bar (2.7 miles): A local roadside dive bar that has been serving great food with Caribbean flavor for the last 50 years.

  • The Old Stone Farmhouse (3.3 miles): An award-winning, fine dining restaurant set in a 200-year old, restored plantation field house overlooking the lush countryside of St. Thomas.

  • Mafolie Restaurant (4.2 miles): A seasonal restaurant with a world famous view of Charlotte Amalie and fantastic French Chef.

  • Shoreline Bar & Grille (7 miles): Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Shoreline sits on a wooden dock just 10 inches above the water with Tarpon swimming right next to you.

  • Sudi’s (8.1 miles): Located poolside at Sapphire Village. They always have fresh caught local fish specials and a fabulous chef! The owners are close friends and doing a fabulous job!

  • The Green House (5 miles): Located in Charlotte Amalie with views of the sea planes landing in the water and 2 for 1 drinks during happy hour.

  • Greengos (5.1 miles): Serving authentic Sonoran style Mexican Food with over 300 100% Agave Tequilas, Greengo’s is located in a historic Dutch building on the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie.

  • Rancho Latino (5.8 miles): Traditional West Indies style food.

  • Restaurants in French Town: The Pie Whole (5.9): Come here for pizza and pasta and the best beer selection on the Island, including lots of micro brews. Also check out The Twisted Cork, Hook, Line & Sinker, and French Quarter Bistro.

  • Oceana (5.9 miles): Just behind Frenchtown, on the water with a view of Hassel Island and Water Island. The food is upscale and well worth a visit!

  • Hull Bay Hideaway (6.2 miles): “The Original beach bar” on the island, with great food, live music on weekends, and happy hour everyday from 4pm to 6pm. The beach there is quite pleasant. It’s easy to make a full day of it!

  • The Mirador (6.6 miles): A terrific little restaurant with a fantastic view, excellent food and fabulous location. It’s small, so if you have a large group, call ahead.

Nearby Attractions

Coral World is a must if you have children, however most adults will enjoy it as well! Anyone who is unable to snorkel or dive will be treated to a first hand view of the underwater delights while viewing the Caribbean Reef Encounter. The Semi-Submarine offers an hour long trip which includes a small shipwreck and lots of tropical fish. You can also swim with sea lions, or enjoy the touching pools.

Night Time Kayak Tour: The Adventure Center at the Marriott Resort offers after dark tours in clear bottom kayaks with LEDS for viewing night time sea life. The tour is about 1.5 hours and costs only $49!

Shopping at Mountain Top: This is the shoppers mecca with a vast array clothing, swimwear, souvenirs, jewelry etc. It’s also home of the world famous Banana Daiquiri. The prices are fair and you will not have to deal with negotiating the prices, which is customary at all of the roadside vender kiosks and most of the shops downtown. There are absolutely amazing views to be seen on the large observation deck just behind the daiquiri bar. It’s the highest view of Magen’s Bay and on a clear day you can see many of the BVI’s.

Phantasea Tropical Botanical Garden: A beautifully designed horticultural paradise with a huge array of gorgeous tropical plants and many places to sit and enjoy the beauty of the lush gardens. Admission is $18 for adults, $10 for children. The rates on their website are incorrect.

Paradise Point: has a terrific view of the cruise ship harbor and Charlotte Amalie. The sunsets there are quite special with the town and cruise ship lights aglow. There are two ways to get there: the tram, which is $21 per person or you can drive up, parking and admission are free. The road up is right next to Harley Davidson St Thomas in Havensite. Check to be sure they are open first, as they follow the cruise schedule more often than not. My recommendation is, take the tram up after 5pm on Wednesday night, which is “locals night”. The tram is only $5 at that time and they have live music from 7pm to 10pm. Enjoy the bar, restaurant, shops and view!

Drake’s Seat: on Hull Bay Rd. is another beautiful view point of Magen’s Bay. Not as high up as Mountain Top, but just as beautiful!

Skyline Drive Overlook: A spectacular view of Charlotte Amalie with some vender kiosks for light souvenir shopping. It’s a great photo op.

Blackbeard’s Castle: One of St. Thomas’s most famous historical sites. The entrance is on Maude Lightfoot Dr. With the purchase of the tour ($12.50), you will also have access to the famous 99 steps, several beautiful colonial homes that date back to the 1600’s, and the lovely castle grounds and swimming pool, so bring a swim suit if you are so inclined.

Fort Christian: has been under renovation since 2005 and is not yet open. However, it is a local landmark and quite beautiful. It is located on the waterfront and you pass it on the route to the Villa from the airport.

Red Hook: where to go if you are looking for any sort of night life. It’s a quaint little community with shops, restaurants and bars lining both sides of the street. It’s also the home of the world famous Duffy’s Love Shack. Interestingly, it is located in a parking lot with zero view, but has so much character and such fabulous drinks that it is crowded all the time. Across the street from Duffy’s on the second level are several restaurants the overlook the marina.

Island Excursions

Water Island is hands down one of my personal favorites! Just a short 8 to 10 minute ferry ride from Crown Bay Marina. Dinghy’s Beach Bar and Grille on Honeymoon Bay has a lovely laid back atmosphere and good food and drinks. There’s a wonderful Gilligan’s Island feel about the place.

St John, the home of the world famous Trunk Bay, is also a must! The majority of the island is a National Park, so it is lush and not as developed as St Thomas, with scores of beautiful isolated beaches. Just a short 20 passenger ferry ride from Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal Red Hook. A car ferry is also an option for St John, but be sure your car can handle the very steep roads. Paid parking for the ferry in the terminal lot is newly expanded with an added upper level. Some people park on the road to the ferry (on the opposite side of the road as you approach) which is free, but a bit of a walk. Sunshine parking lot, just past the terminal behind Moe’s Market on the right usually has plenty of parking but is pricey.

One of the most popular excursions is the multi-island boat trip to the BVI’s. I have tried Stormy Pirates, New Horizons Breakaway and the  Bad Kitty Catamaran. My favorites are Stormy Pirates and the Breakaway, which are comfortable speed boats, with shade and comfortable seating. The Bad Kitty has below deck seating, but can cause sea sickness if you have the tendency for it. Both are all-day trips to 4 or 5 of the British Virgin Islands, each starting the day at the famous Virgin Gorda Baths National Park. This is a multi-group trip.

If you forgot to bring your passport and you have a small group and do not want to charter a private boat, New Horizons has a very economical all day sailing trip in the US waters near St John that includes all your drinks and food for the day! A terrific value and a wonderful day on the water with 2 snorkel stops. New Horizons also offers a dinner cruises as well as a fireworks cruise on the 4th of July.

If you have a large group of 10 or 12 you can book your own private excursion at nearly a multi group rate, which I highly recommend!

One of our favorites is The Meow! They have simple pricing, are willing to take groups as small as 6, and are all-inclusive with terrific customer service, and a 5 star captain and first mate!

A big favorite for us is Stormy Pirates Boat Charters. They can accommodate whatever your needs may be, whether it is a weeklong charter, a full day island hopping, half day or a sunset sail! I would put them right at the TOP of the list of who to call first!

The St Thomas Boat Rental is also FANTASTIC! A group of up to 10 can book the 30′ Innovation 1, up to 12 can book the 32′ Innovation 2. Their prices are terrific for a private charter! And . . . .YOU pick your destinations and schedule! It’s a memory of a lifetime! One of our favorite stops is Sandy Spit in the BVI’s. Many a wedding has been planned there. Jost Van Dyke, also in the BVI’s is only 8 square miles and home of the world famous Soggy Dollar Bar the originator of the Painkiller. There is a gorgeous white sandy beach with plenty of things to do and places to eat. A fairly new addition to Jost Van Dyke is the Man Jack Creamery, offering the best ice cream I have ever had the pleasure of tasting!  Norman Island has some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean and is famous for its caves, which were the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel “Treasure Island.”

Scuba Diving: The St Thomas Dive Club is located at the Bolongo Bay Resort, has easy parking and a tranquil uncrowded feel.  There are several other locations for scuba, like Coki Dive Center, which is closer to the Villa, but more difficult for parking and usually has huge crowds of people. Both are good choices for scuba.

If you are thinking of getting your dive certification while in the Caribbean, you can do so in just 2 days. There is an online course that must be completed first. See the Coki Dive Center or the St. Thomas Dive Club websites for info.