I call Magen's Bay paradise! One of my favorite Caribbean…read morebeaches and my mother's favorite beach in the world. We have visited several times while cruising. We usually take the group transport offered from port and pay the entrance free. The rest is a day to enjoy the calm waters and a day of relaxation.

Magens Bay , a place so beautiful it feels like a Caribbean postcard come to life…read more This famous crescent beach on Saint Thomas stretches nearly three-quarters of a mile, tucked between green hills that naturally block the Atlantic swells. That's why the water is so unbelievably calm and clear the kind of crystal blue where you can watch fish glide beneath you while you float or stretch out in the sun. But there's a little history beneath all that beauty. Centuries ago the Taíno people lived along these shores, and legend says the notorious sea rogue Sir Francis Drake once used this peaceful bay to hide ships while waiting to ambush Spanish treasure fleets sailing through the Caribbean. Today it remains protected as a public park a perfect curve of white sand and glassy turquoise water where travelers come to swim, sunbathe, and for a moment... live the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Such a BEAUTIFUL BEACH - highly recommended beach... also with a gift shop with souvenirs and…read moresnacks and more   - - -   June, 2025 Visit   - - -   Short Review,   Cinnamon Bay Beach...   ... has an island you can swim / snorkel to... many fish to see closer to the island   ... has a view of Great Thatch, British Virgin Islands   ... has indoor facilities... gift shop, snack bar (indoors and outside), campsites   ... not crowded       - - - Additional information: - - -   My wonderful wife planned a relaxing trip for us to St. John's, US Virgin Islands (just east of Puerto Rico), in June, 2025; we had a great time... such a beautiful island!     We snorkeled two beaches on St. John, and we enjoyed them both.   Cinnamon Bay Beach stuns you with its beautiful colors... the beach has light tan sand, helping make the water is a light green-blue color... stunningly beautiful!!     - - - Why Cinnamon Bay Beach - - -   Most of St. John is a National Park and most of the northern part of the island provides a nearly continuous beach... nearly continuous because peninsulas that extend into the water separate each beach from the other.    We looked at the map and read the reviews and picked Hawksnest and Cinnamon Bay beaches  because they looked more likely to have slightly smaller crowds, as cruise ships apparently visit other beaches (at least when we visited).  When we visited we were not alone and it was also not crowded.   Both are within a couple miles of each other, so while they are similar in overall look and feel - similar color of the water and sand, similar plants, etc., they are unique in what you can see underwater when you're snorkeling, and unique in the views from the beach.     - - - Taxis to and from - - -   To get to and from Cinnamon Bay Beach, you can drive or take a taxi.  The taxis on St. John, at least the ones we saw, are all trucks, with the driver in the cab, and the passengers sitting, open air, in the back... on benches with a roof over our heads.  The taxis run all day and will stop at multiple beaches to drop off and pick up passengers along the way.      - - - Cell / Mobile service - - -   Cell phone service is present, but the signal is a bit weak - 1 to 2 bars of signal strength.      - - - The beach - - -   Even if you never get in the water, the scene is beautiful... the water color is such a beautiful shade of blue...   Enya's "Caribbean Blue" (from 1991 album "Shepherd Moons") was playing in our heads, and was surely inspired by waters like these...   The sand is light and soft   Beautiful green trees and plants along the beach.     - - - The view from the beach - - -   Cinnamon Bay Beach is a beautiful beach and view of the British Virgin Islands' (BVI's) Jost Van Dyke in the distance and Great Thatch island closer... both BVI; St. John's Whistling Cay is visible, closer to the left, and Mary Point, closer to the right; Cinnamon Brach curbs east, and out into the water to a point that becomes Maho Bay and we stayed within Cinnamon Cay..     - - - The water... snorkeling - - -   On any given day, the water quality and aquatic life are things you cannot control.  The day we visited water quality and aquatic life were both goo -  the water was so clear and we saw so many fish, especially as we snorkeled out toward the island... which is much closer than it looks.. 5-10 minutes of calm to quicker leg kicking should get you there.     - - - Snorkeling - what we saw - - -   While snorkeling we were blessed to see: ⁃            a stingray swam by right as we started out !! ⁃            many more parrotfish-like blue-green-purplish fish and others ⁃            on the way back in, two squid!!     - - - Back on the beach - - -   We enjoy laying back and relaxing... and taking photos of our feet as they point toward the sand + surf... and we captured another one here on Cinnamon Bay Beach.   What a great afternoon!     - - - The surf, the lack of on St. John - - -   We have been blessed to visit the Caribbean a couple times and have noticed that there is not much surf, not many waves. On an early trip someone explained that the Caribbean is just at a position in the ocean that the rides are not small; brief internet searches suggest the tide only varies a few inches to a foot or so... such small changes don't lead to many waves. You'll likely see and enjoy hearing waves "lapping at the shore," but you're not likely to do much body surfing... if you have a boogie board, while you could bring it on your flight, you'll likely be better off leaving it at home. - - - Gift Shop - t-shirts, hat pins and more - - - - - - Thank you - - - Thank you to all the park team members who maintain Cinnamon Bay Beach, and to the taxi drivers getting us visitors to and from the beach! ----- ----- -----

Full disclosure I didn't actually swim at this beach but I spent an hour or so here because it's…read moreactually a huge beach! The internet says it's one of the most famous ones and I can see why - the water is crystal clear, bright blue (as are most of the other national park beaches lol). It's spacious though, and in addition to the beach itself, there is a snack vendor area where you can buy lunch (like sandwiches and drinks), and a gear rental place for snorkeling etc. They also have a small restaurant adjacent to the campground cafeteria area which does breakfast and dinner (but not lunch). They have pretty clean bathrooms and showers too, and the most parking of all the beaches that I went to. They even had an info booth; the lady there was fairly knowledgeable about the park although I don't think she was an actual ranger (she wasn't in the ranger outfit). There's also a little area right at the entrance to the beach that is part of some ruins, it's a nice photo op spot. Overall this is a great beach! Def recommend.

Hidden inside Lindquist Beach, part of the peaceful shoreline of Smith Bay Park, is one of those…read morerare places on Saint Thomas where the crowds seem to disappear. The sand stretches out wide and pale, the water sits calm and glassy, and the trade winds drift through the sea grapes like a quiet whisper. It's the sort of beach where time slows down, where you spread out a towel, listen to the gentle surf, and realize you've stumbled into a corner of the Caribbean that still feels wonderfully untouched. I remember being here with my wife somewhere between the warm sun and that impossibly blue water, the day turned quietly romantic. We wandered down the beach laughing, the breeze tugging at her hair, and at one point she reached for my hand and pulled close enough that the world seemed to shrink to just the two of us and the sound of the tide. We lingered there a while, wrapped in the moment, the kind of simple, sun-soaked memory that makes a place feel a little magical long after you've left the sand behind.

Absolutely beautiful Well kept and less crowds if you're…read morelooking for that. Water is amazing

This is a great little beach without the crowds and noise. Since the large hotel at the point was…read morenot yet open, we had this beach almost all to ourselves. It has great views of the St Croix on the horizon, and is located on a part of the island that has slightly bigger waves than many of the other nearby beaches. Snorkeling on the left (east) side of the beach is pretty good, with some decent aquatic life. We went out beyond the point to the east, and saw lobsters, squid, urchins, and plenty of fish. For the beach, I'd recommend water shoes did you have them. The entry to the beach is pretty rocky with shells and coral. After getting in a few feet past the beach, it's very sandy. The Sandbar and Salt Shack are nice places located along the beach that have food and drinks. We were able to get parking in the kit behind the Sandbar, but with all of the construction, parking was limited. I believe taxis will drop off and pick up from the area behind the Sandbar. This has been in of our family's favorite beaches for years. We're glad it's still maintained and business is coming back to life after the hurricanes a few years ago!

MorningStar Beach is amazing beautiful resort Places is…read morebeautiful love staying here. Can't wait to go back again.

Nice beach in front of a condo complex. Very calm harbor. Not too many people on the beach. There…read moreis a nice bar/and grill on site. Friendly & knowledgeable bartenders. Being your own gear if you aren't staying onsite though. They will ask you to move off the condo lounge chairs (understandable given that those who are staying should have access to those). Bring loads of bug spray or you will be eaten alive by sand fleas. They're voracious!

Secret Harbour Beach is relatively small, but it's got a nice cross-section of underwater landscape…read more(seagrass areas, coral, and sand). Tip: If you go snorkeling here you'll see a fair variety of turtles, rays, and fish, all within a small distance of one another This beach is really good for beginning level snorkeling, but it's still a nice place to go even if you're something of a snorkeling veteran. About the only drawback that comes to mind when I think of returning here is the extremely tight paring situation - virtually all the spaces available are reserved for the restaurant and the resort.

Sapphire Beach is stunning! Come for the sunset and you'll definitely end up staying. Soft light,…read moreblue water, with easy, breezy island energy. There's parking right by the beach followed by a beautiful walk through the cabanas that sets such a peaceful tone. The event space is dreamy! Open, airy, and perfectly placed. Once you step onto the sand the water is clear, glowing blue. Simple, stunning, and a really nice place to unwind.

It's a perfectly nice beach. Supposedly one of the nicer beaches on the island. It is not the best…read morebeach I've ever seen but it is fine. The water is clear and clean. If you go early you can get a spot under the trees because the sun is intense. The beach gets busy but is not overcrowded. The best part IMO is the beachside bar. I have to check it out and write a review.

absolutely heaven on earth!!…read more clear blue waters, soft sand, snorkeling (lots of fishes and saw a permit fish almost a yard big!!), showers & restrooms, bar with alcohol, food & dessert shacks (get the shrimp burger), rentals (for chairs, canopy, snorkel gear), $5 admission I do appreciate how they don't give out plastic!! Please protect the oceans and be green :) recycle + reusable metal straws

Trunk Bay is an absolute must when you're in the USVI National Park! Took the Red Hook Car Ferry…read moreover to St. John. Talk about a wildly stunning ride! Trunk Bay is home to the only underwater snorkeling trail in the U.S. national park system. The beach is pristine, tucked into the park with soft white sand and crystal blue water. The marine life is incredible! Full of depth, color, and light. Totally dreamy, super chill, and the perfect spot to soak up the sun. Out of all the beaches in VI National Park, this is my favorite. A radiant, sun soaked escape!

I live here on st Thomas and this is probably my number 1 beach. It has great snorkeling, and has a…read morelittle something for everyone, in the middle of the beach is great for just sitting in the water or on the beach as there are not many rocks. The left has big rock as and coral all along in the water where you can find octopus, crabs, fish, stingrays. If you are more adapt at snorkeling you can go out towards the left and past the university dock and there is some great snorkeling there with sea cucumbers, giant pufferfish, eagle rays, some have reported lion fish over in that area even. The right of the beach is filled with rocks, coral and sea glass on the sand. I will leave some photos of all the creatures Ive got on my GoPro. Also tons of sea turtles

Exceptional out of the way beach with a local vibe…read more What we loved: * accessible from the terminus Jitney cab university stop (just a short walk up over a hill) * shaded areas to put out your towels * clear calm water perfect for snorkeling * bathrooms with shower to rinse off * cool handmade signs to promote maintaining the environment Loved visiting Brewers Bay Beach which felt clean safe and family friendly. We felt 100% safe leaving our backpack on the shore while snorkeling and swimming. Saw plenty of fish! There were food trucks as well as a kayak rental option but we did not partake of either.

I searched all over the Internet to find a good beach and I have to say the online information is…read moregarbage. This to me was a hands-down, most beautiful white sand beach with calendar type photos. We were greeted by Myra who gave us amazing food and drinks and the people here were super friendly. The water is crystal clear and gorgeous and I promise you won't get a better Caribbean experience than this location.

I loved this beach. It's secluded, clean and as beautiful as all the other ones in St. Croix. It is…read morelocated right next to the buccaneers hotel. Drive like you were going to the buccaneer, but instead of going into the hotel, take a right. You will see a guard for a neighborhood. Tell them your going to the beach and they will let you in. You'll drive straight until it dead ends. There's parking on the right. Then you'll have to carry your stuff through a canopy of trees to get to the beach. Some of the tree canopy is low lying, so you'll have to duck for just a bit. Take your own chairs, blankets, etc. it's just sand and water. No facilities available. Shade is available under trees. The day I went, there was one other small group there, but for the most part, we had the whole beach to ourselves.

This is a nice beach on the island's North Shore. Parking here can get pretty tight. There is no…read moredesignated lot. I had to find a spot on the side of the road. The beach has chair rentals and a boat ramp, but I am not sure if the ramp is operational. It is not a very large beach. I would say it is between a quarter to a half of a mile long. It has white sand and beautiful warm blue water. In addition to sitting out in the sun, you can snorkle, scuba dive or equus horseback ride (ride a horse in the water). They tout scuba divers being able to dive the world famous Wall, which is an area about 150 yards from the shore the depth goes from 35 feet to over 3,000 feet. The beach has access to some nice waterside bar and grills such as Leatherback Landing and Spratnet Beach Bar & Grill. On weekend they have a band out there that jams. Speaking of weekends. This beach can get a bit crowded. While I was there, there was a a large gathering of locals having a good old picnic. It looked like they were having a great time. This is one of the few designated beaches on the North Shore. It is a very low key and laid back place. It is a great time for all. I recommend checking this beach out, doing some of their fun activities and getting a good bite to eat and a savory tropical drink.

Nice beach. Street parking available. Not too busy early December. Lots of spaces to set up your…read moreown chairs, beach towels, etc. Shade available. I didn't see any umbrellas or chairs for rent The water was a little rough, but manageable. I did snorkel finding cute little fish. I did see a sea urchins very close to the shore. I would recommend water shoes at this beach. Right across the street, you can get some good food and drinks.