Notes from St. Thomas
- Lauren
- Aug 7, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 17, 2024
In late July 2024, I did a little trip to St. Thomas for a father/daughter getaway.
We spent five full days on the island and I loved every minute of it. If you go, here are the things Dad and I both agreed we'd do again, along with some excursions I'd try next time:
Stay
We chose a fantastic Airbnb in the mountains overlooking Hull Bay. The view was incredible, and the location is close to Hull Bay and Magens Bay, but a 20- to 30-minute drive down twisting roads to everything else. I would stay here again but if resorts are your thing, the Ritz Carlton, the Westin at Frenchman's Reef and the Buoy Haus were all beautiful.
Play
We explored the island, ate great food and hit the bays on three out of our five days, but two of them were devoted to excursions. We would definitely do these again:
Excursion Day 1
Jet Ski tour of St. Thomas in the morning
This one-hour tour departs from the Westin at Frenchman's Reef. It was a total blast and a great way to see the island as well as outlying islands and beaches that are only accessible by boat. I had never jet skied before, but it was easy, and I had no problem zipping through the bays at top speed as soon as I got the hang of it.
Sunset cruise to St. John on the Lady Lynsey
We sailed to St. John on the Lady Lynsey, a beautiful catamaran that anchors at the Ritz Carlton. The boat features an open bar and appetizers on the 45-minute cruise to St. John. For dinner, we went to Ocean 362. We would definitely go back. The food was incredible as was the view. On the trip back, the boat serves dessert along with more cocktails. Amazing way to end the evening.
Excursion Day 2
All-day sailing & snorkeling
The second day, we booked an all-day sailing trip through Max Charters, which took us around to several incredible beaches and bays in the Virgin Islands National Park. The boat furnishes all your gear as well as lunch, which they grill on the boat. Our guide snorkeled with us to make sure we saw lots of marine life. It was incredible how many sea turtles and fish we saw. Besides swimming with several sea turtles, the highlight was swimming just above a school of tarpon that were waiting for smaller fish.
Max Charters departs from the American Yacht Club. There's a coffee shop there called Lattes in Paradise, and they cook a great breakfast which I would grab before you go so you've got energy for the day. Hook'd USVI is also a great breakfast/lunch/dinner spot overlooking the marina.
Eat
We were lucky to eat at several incredible restaurants, but a few stood out. They were:
Fish Bar
Everyone on the island told us to go to Fish Bar, and I'm so glad we did. They're known for their raw fish and ceviche, but they also have cooked entrees, if you prefer that. The food was creative but delicious and very fresh. This restaurant was in the mountains and overlooked the bays from that view—couldn't be beat.
Ocean 362
There are several great restaurants on St. John, and I believe this one was newer and less well-known to our guides, but I loved it. The view was absolutely spectacular as was the food. Best way to watch the sunset.
Oceana
I absolutely loved Oceana. Located in the French Quarter on St. Thomas, the restaurant is built off of a historic island home. The atmosphere was great as was the food, and the service was the best I experienced during my stay.
Old Stone Farmhouse
This is the other must-see restaurant on St. Thomas! Located in a restored plantation house, the walls are two-foot-thick stone with beautiful woodworking. We arrived without a reservation and split scallops, a steak and dessert at the bar, which was more than enough for two people. Loved it.
The Sunset Grille at Secret Harbour
We ate brunch here twice, it was so good. The Sunset Grille is located at a resort which takes up the entire small bay where it's situated. It's small, beautiful and very natural, not overrun or overly commercialized and the food is great.
Salt Shack at Frenchman's Reef
Any restaurants on Frenchman's Reef will have great food and a beautiful, upscale atmosphere. We ate at the Salt Shack twice. Incredible beach, incredible views, great food, no complaints!
To Do Next Time
There were several incredible things I'd plan to do next time, time and budget permitting. These include:
Inshore or offshore fishing
Sailing to the British Virgin Islands or St. Croix
A helicopter tour of the islands
OR... an all-day helicopter adventure, island-hopping to snorkel at different bays
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