First night at Maria's by the Sea will have you near Bobby's market and other shops and Crafts Alive Village gift shops. Nice restaurant's nearby and in the hotel. Last night I would definitely take the ferry to St. Thomas. Why? Well, just suppose the ferry you really needed from Tortola to St. Thomas wasn't running, and the next one was running late and you have ten minutes to get from the ferry dock to the airport. Ooopsie! It happened to us one time and luckily for us our flight was running late. So now we stay last night in St. Thomas and have some fun there. We stay at the Emerald Beach hotel now as it is right by the airport and on a beach, but there are many others and reviews are good. Have fun!