The "flagship" beach of St. Thomas, Magens Bay does offer a lot of amenities and commodities in addition to the natural beauty that abounds. The tradeoff, of course - is that you run the high risk of seeing with and encountering other people. A few notes about my visit in April of 2013:
Location: 4 out of 5
I suspect that most people who come to St. Thomas will eventually have to go to Magens, either by choice or by force. You cruise goers butt out of this conversation, because you've likely booked an excursion or a taxi cab to take you from the port to the beach, but for those that fly in or are staying on the island, the roads leading to Magens are well-maintained and easy to navigate. Once there (and as others have mentioned), there is an admission fee for both human and car, unless you get there before 8am. The parking lots are ample, and there are adequate spots for those needing additional accessibility.
Commodities and Amenities: 5 out of 5
If you happen to be one of those hapless folks who comes unprepared (or from the cruise ship), they have what you need here. Chair rental, umbrella rental, watersports rental, small sundries shop, a restaurant that I would consider to be "Fast food/Americana", etc. For everyone in general - you'll be pleased to know that the showers are in wonderful shape, there are little foot showers right outside of the regular shower stalls, and everything is clean and organized. Like I said, this type of stuff brings in the crowd. Of course, you're allowed to bring in your own chairs, cooler, etc. Lifeguards are on duty, which is a definite asset for those that can't swim very well.
Seclusion/Ambiance: 3.5 out of 5
We lucked out pretty well since we went early on a Friday morning when there wasn't a cruise ship in port. While not empty, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, and as a testament that this is not just a touristy beach, there were plenty of family picnics and parties being held. I mean - don't get me wrong, right? The ambiance is still great (a beach, after all), and there is enough space for you to find your own little spot of sand, but it's just not quite as idyllic as say, Lindquist Beach, or even Brewers Bay (sans airplanes).
Snorkeling: 2.5
This was not my preferred place to snorkel while on STT and STJ for a few reasons. While there are fish and coral to be seen, most of them are either at the edge of the marked swimming zone, or past them. One should not swim past the marked zone, lest s/he be lightly reprimanded by one of the lifeguards. Aside from the occasional schools of bait fish and one or two lone larger fish, I spent most of my snorkeling time trying to find things in the sand that people had dropped, and came up pretty good that day with a bracelet and a pair of cheap sunglasses. I wish I could tell you that I traded them for a beer or something, but upon giving these "gifts" to my fiance, she told me promptly to "leave them on the sand." Tsk tsk, people can be so ungrateful.
Accessibility Options: 3.5 out of 5
This isn't a typical metric I use, but the fiance did break her ankle in January of 2013 and was on the mend in April when we went, so it was nice that there were dedicated parking spots for those needing extra time/less distance. Also, the walk from the parking lot to the beach wasn't too bad, so pain on her ankle was minimized.
Overall: 4 out of 5
Probably the most well known beach on STT, and it has the nicest amenities. I mean...depending on what you're looking for, this may be a blessing or a trade off. I don't regret going, of course - but next time when I'm in the area, I'd probably spend the majority of my time at Hawksnest or Cinnamon. on STJ. read more