Hello everyone,

I am new here. I chartered with our friends two years ago from Fajardo. We went to Culebrita (among other places) and it was magical! This time I am planning a charter from St.Thomas this upcoming February. Are there places around St.Thomas that can deliver similar experience without having to go to SVI? I am into freediving and spearfishing while my wife and kids are more into secluded sandy beaches. Culebrita was great for both! Any info and advise are much appreciated...

Plenty of secluded sandy beaches in the National Park on St John, but no spearfishing. For more seclusion, go to the south side (Lameshur, Salt Pond).

We visited Culebrita in June and I understand the attraction. There are a lot of great options near St. Thomas. The cays between St. Thomas and St. John are great, but not a lot of white sand beaches. There are dive balls you can hit for free diving. Honeymoon Bay on St. John gives you some of the beach vibe; most of the North shore of St. John is National Park. Christmas Cove at Great St. James Island has is a preserve and has the Pizza Pi pizza boat.

Cheers, RickG

Culebrita, especially Bahia de Tortugas, is indeed magical and my favorite bay in the SVI/USVI/BVI. For an equally remote feel, I head to the south shore of Vieques.

I think the next best option is the south shore of St John - both Salt Pond Bay and Little Lameshur Bay have nice sand beaches with excellent snorkeling and are relatively uncrowded. Also they will be unaffected by the north swell common in February.

On the north shore of St John, Leinster Bay is well protected (especially if you can get one of the inner moorings) with a remote feel and a decent beach, nearby snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay, and short hike to Annaberg Plantation ruins. Nearby Maho Bay and Francis Bay are also well protected in almost all conditions and have great beaches, lots of sea turtles, and plenty of mooring balls.

Around St Thomas, you have a nice anchorage at Buck Island just south of Charlotte Amalie that is usually deserted after 3 pm. No sandy beach but good snorkeling and great sundown views. Christmas Cove at Little St James Island is similar. Brewers Bay near the airport is extremely well protected with nice beach and snorkeling.

Christmas Cove is actually on the west side of Great St James Island. Both Little and Great SJI's are owned by the estate of the late Jeffrey Epstein, who on August 10, 2019 died in his cell in federal prison in Manhattan. News stories to the effect that Epstein "closed" Christmas Cove when he bought Great SJI in 2018 are incorrect. Pizza PI was doing an active business through July 28, 2019, when it shut down for the rest of the hurricane season. According to its FB page, it will be back up and running in November.

Maho, Francis and Cinnamon Bay get large swells when the winds are out of the North or West