Welcome to America’s Paradise in the US Virgin Islands! Known for its soft white sand and turquoise waters, the pristine US Virgin Islands beaches are some of the most renowned in all of the Caribbean.
If it’s your first time visiting the three main islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, it may be difficult to choose from the dozens of beautiful beaches nearby. After all, your time is limited and you’re certainly going to want to see the best of the best
That’s why I’ve included my favorite beaches on each island below! Beaches with plenty of activity, or quiet beaches for a little more rest and relaxation. Whatever type of sandy shore you’re looking for, you’re sure to discover it here!
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15 Best Beaches in the US Virgin Islands
Magens Bay Beach – St. Thomas
This mile-long sandy shoreline is the most popular beach on St. Thomas.
📍 Google Maps | Magens Bay Authority | 🅿️ Parking: $2 parking fee + $5.00 per person facility fee for nonresidents | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Flamboyan on the Bay Resort & Villas
Not only is Magens Bay Beach one of the best beaches on St. Thomas, but one of the best beaches in the entire Caribbean. By far, it’s the most visited on the island but also the largest. So even when the beach is busy, it’s incredibly easy to spread out.
The soft sand is lined with sea grape trees and coconut palms providing ample shade and an idyllic atmosphere for beachgoers. The beach also includes amenities like beach chairs, a beach bar, picnic tables, restroom facilities, volleyball courts, and water sports rentals.
👉 Pro Tip: The only time I would avoid visiting Magens Bay is when a large cruise ship is in town. The influx of beachgoers arrives by the busload, making the beach more crowded compared to other days. Plan your trip accordingly by checking the St. Thomas cruise ship schedule.
Trunk Bay Beach – Virgin Islands National Park, St. John
The most popular beach on St. John features a nearby reef with an underwater trail.
📍 Google Maps | Virgin Islands National Park | 🅿️ Parking: $5 individual day pass | 🛎️ Where to Stay on St. John
Quite literally, Trunk Bay Beach is THE postcard image of St. John, Virgin Islands National Park, and the US Virgin Islands at large. In fact, it’s often dubbed as one of the best beaches in the world. It’s THAT gorgeous.
But beauty aside, Trunk Bay is also a great place for a bit of adventure as it features one of the best snorkeling reefs accessible from shore. Along an underwater snorkel trail, you’ll discover tropical fish, vibrant coral, and rare marine life like eagle rays, nurse sharks, and green sea turtles.
🤿 Travel Snorkel Gear: Most of the beaches on St. John, Trunk Bay Beach included, feature epic snorkeling directly from the shore. By packing a travel snorkeling set, you’ll open up an entire underwater world worthy of exploring during your trip.
Sandy Point Beach – St. Croix
This National Wildlife Refuge is one of the busiest leatherback sea turtle nesting sites in the world.
📍 Google Maps | Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge | 🅿️ Parking: Several parking lots along the shoreline | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Georges Royal Inn
Sandy Point Beach is easily the most scenic of the St. Croix beaches. The miles of shoreline fall under the protection of a National Wildlife Refuge. In fact, this beach is so protected that it’s only open during the weekends and closed off entirely between the months of April through August when leatherback turtle nesting season is in full swing.
When visiting, keep in mind that there are no facilities and you are not allowed to stake anything into the ground including beach umbrellas. So plan and pack accordingly for a successful day at one of the best beaches in the Caribbean!
👉 Related Reading: There’s never a bad time to visit the US Virgin Islands, but with beach closures like the one at Sandy Point plus hurricanes, sweltering heat, and high prices, you might want to consider when the best time to visit the US Virgin Islands is for you.
Honeymoon Beach – Water Island
Common beach stop for day charters exploring the waters surrounding St. Thomas.
📍 Google Maps | VI Now – Honeymoon Beach | ⛵ Search St. Thomas Boat Charters
Only accessible by ferry departing Crown Bay Marina on St. Thomas, Water Island is often considered the 4th US Virgin Island. It’s a fun day trip on its own featuring a WW2-era fort, golf cart rentals, a beach bar, and the stunning Honeymoon Beach. The best way of exploring the beautiful beach is via a St. Thomas boat charter making a stop for a drink refresher, food, or snorkeling.
Neltjeberg Bay Beach – St. Thomas
This secluded beach is a local’s favorite on the north side of the island.
📍 Google Maps | VI Now – Neltjeberg Bay | 🅿️ Parking: Dirt spots nestled amongst the trees along the rugged roadway
Neltjeberg Bay Beach is my top choice for secluded beaches on St. Thomas. The road to the beach is a long, steep dirt road so I would NOT recommend coming here without a four-wheel drive. Once you’ve made the trek, there’s a good chance you’ll have the pristine beach to yourself. Be sure to explore the nearby sugar mill ruins before relaxing under one of the swaying palm trees extending over the turquoise waters.
Cinnamon Bay Beach – St. John
Camp at one of the best white sandy beaches in the US Virgin Islands.
📍 Google Maps | Virgin Islands National Park | 🅿️ Parking: free but limited parking in a paved lot | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Cinnamon Bay Campground
Cinnamon Bay Beach in the Virgin Islands National Park is another jewel of St. John’s north shore beaches. The white sand beach is equally as stunning as nearby Trunk Bay while providing all the same amenities without a parking fee. Across the road is a self-guided walking tour through a series of sugar mill ruins and the trailhead to the strenuous Cinnamon Bay Trail.
🇻🇮 Staying on St. Thomas? It’s easy to visit St. John for the day by hopping aboard the ferry or car barge. Be sure to read my article, How to Go from St. Thomas to St. John, before you go!
Cane Bay Beach – St. Croix
The most popular beach near Christiansted with vibrant snorkeling and scuba diving reefs.
📍 Google Maps | Go to St. Croix – Cane Bay | 🅿️ Parking: plenty of free street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: The Waves at Cane Bay
Cane Bay is one of the most beautiful and active beaches on St. Croix for tourists and locals alike. With public spaces, resorts, and beach bars lining the coast, it’s the perfect spot for beachcombing, lounging, snorkeling, and even scuba diving. In fact, after a short surface swim, scuba divers will descend upon an epic wall as the sea floor suddenly bottoms out thousands of feet.
Brewers Bay Beach – St. Thomas
The calm waters of Brewers Bay are the best place to snorkel with sea turtles on St. Thomas.
📍 Google Maps | VI Now – Brewers Bay | 🅿️ Parking: ample street parking along Brewers Bay Rd | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Emerald Beach Resort
Brewers Bay Beach is nestled beside the St. Thomas airport towards the island’s west end. It’s a true local beach with many residents of Charlotte Amalie visiting the shoreline on the weekends. During the week, it tends to be extremely quiet compared to other beaches on the island. Be sure to bring your snorkel gear as a plethora of sea turtles are often found steps from shore.
💸 Save Money in the USVI: These islands aren’t cheap, but there are ways to make them cheaper during your visit. Find out how in our article, US Virgin Islands on a Budget.
Maho Bay Beach – St. John
Green sea turtles are commonly spotted in the bright turquoise waters of this bustling beach .
📍 Google Maps | Virgin Islands National Park | 🅿️ Parking: small gravel lot and street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Estate Lindholm
Since the hurricanes of 2017, Maho Bay Beach has been built up as one of the top places to visit in the US Virgin Islandswith newly added beach bars, tiki huts, and water sports rentals. Certainly, it’s one of the busier beaches in St. John, but you’d be remiss if you skipped out on snorkeling with the many green sea turtles living in the calm waters.
🏝️ More adventures on St. John: Snorkeling at Maho Bay is certainly one of them, but don’t forget to add all of our top things to do in St. John to your vacation bucket list!
Rainbow Beach – St. Croix
The most popular beach on the West End of St. Croix is near Frederiksted.
📍 Google Maps | Go to St. Croix – Rainbow Beach | 🅿️ Parking: ample amounts of street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Hotels in Frederiksted, St. Croix
During the week, Rainbow Beach is a quiet getaway with calm surface conditions and turquoise waters. On cruise ship days or the weekends, it turns into one of the most lively places to be in all of the US Virgin Islands. Locals descend upon the beautiful beach to enjoy the stunning scenery of St. Croix’s west end before heading to the nearby beach bar for live music and Caribbean eats.
Lindquist Beach – St. Thomas
The best beach on the popular East End of St. Thomas overlooks the British Virgin Islands.
📍 Google Maps | VI Now – Lindquist Beach | 🅿️ Parking: $2 for parking + $5 per nonresident | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: The Ritz Carlton – St. Thomas
The East End of St. Thomas is the best area to stay on the island with many tourist attractions and popular beaches like Sapphire Beach, Coki Beach, and Secret Harbor. However, the best of the bunch is Lindquist Beach. It tends to be amongst the quietest beaches in the US Virgin Islands with striking views of the British Virgin Islands while still providing amenities like clean restrooms, beach chairs, and tables.
Turtle Beach – Buck Island, St. Croix
Federally protected beach on Buck Island is only accessible by boat from St. Croix.
📍 Google Maps | Buck Island Reef National Monument | ⛵ Search St. Croix Boat Charters
Buck Island is a National Marine Monument off the northern coast of St. Croix and the most popular boat charter destination around the island. Buck Island features Turtle Beach, a picturesque white sand beach overlooking Christiansted, the turquoise sea, and a beautiful coral reef teeming with colorful fish.
See my ultimate guide to visiting Buck Island for more.
Salt Pond Bay Beach – St. John
Both quiet beachgoers and adventure seekers will love Salt Pond Bay Beach.
📍 Google Maps | Virgin Islands National Park | 🅿️ Parking: small gravel lot at the Salt Pond Bay Trailhead south of Coral Bay | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Concordia Eco Resort
For whatever reason, many of the south beaches on St. John are far more rugged than the white sand beaches along the north shore road – except for Salt Pond Beach. The sandy beach is tucked away in a small, crystal-blue cove offering a quiet beach, some amazing snorkeling opportunities, and trailheads to Ram Head and Drunk Bay – two of the best hiking trails on St. John.
Jack and Isaacs Bay – St. Croix
Two secluded beaches are only accessible via a hiking trail.
📍 Google Maps | Go to St. Croix | 🅿️ Parking: at Point Udall on the easternmost end of St. Croix
For adventure seekers, it’s easy to spend an entire morning exploring the east end of St. Croix. Start your day by witnessing the sunrise at the easternmost point of the US at Point Udall before hiking up to Goat Hill for panoramic views of St. Croix. Finally, hike down to Jack and Isaacs Bay to soak up the sun at two of the most secluded beaches in the US Virgin Islands.
Coki Beach – St. Thomas
Bustling beach with a dive shop, beach bars, and Coral World Ocean Park.
📍 Google Maps | VI Now – Coki Beach | 🅿️ Parking: limited street parking | 🛎️ Where to Stay Nearby: Margaritaville – St. Thomas
Coki Beach is a small but beautiful shoreline on the East End of St. Thomas. With many of the top things to do in St. Thomas right within its vicinity, the beach boasts an eclectic atmosphere and a vibrant Caribbean attitude. One of the best shore dives in the Virgin Islands is found right off the beach while also providing non-divers amazing snorkeling opportunities.
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What beach are you most looking forward to visiting in the US Virgin Islands? Which beaches should we add to our list? Be sure to let us know in the comment below!
