Your wedding day is over and now it’s time to go on your honeymoon! The U.S. Virgin Islands are a fantastic place to choose, and they’ll present you with a honeymoon you’ll never forget. Can you picture you and your brand-new spouse enjoying the Caribbean lifestyle? Gone will be the hustle and bustle of life in the U.S. as you adjust to doing everything on island time. In other words, the scenic and relaxed atmosphere will provide the perfect respite after your wedding!
USVI Honeymoon Overview
Start your marriage off on the right foot by booking a honeymoon to the USVI. After all, the entire purpose of a honeymoon is to celebrate your love and unity, along with the start of your life together. And what better way than taking a trip together to the USVI?
A St John honeymoon is the best choice for those of you who want to spend time alone together in nature or lounge on a beautiful beach. At the same time, there are still shopping and social opportunities, which gives you the perfect blend of nature and modern conveniences! The best part of a USVI honeymoon to St John, though, is that it’s not as packed with people as St Thomas. Simply take the ferry to St John from St Thomas, and you’ll quickly discover one of the best honeymoon destinations on earth!
On a side note, if you’d like to plan a destination wedding and honeymoon, hosting a St John wedding is the way to go. There are at least five venues available, including The Hills, but be sure to book early so you can reserve your special day.
8 of the Best Honeymoon Ideas
Once you arrive, you’ll have a lot of different things competing for your attention. Rather than letting yourself become overwhelmed, consider using the following list to help decide where to go and what you’ll see. After all, we’ve squeezed a bit of everything into the list, including hiking, kayaking, and rum!
1. Unwind at Honeymoon Beach
Is there a better way to unwind together than hitting a beach? Well, how about going to the appropriately named Honeymoon Beach? Once you arrive, you’ll be greeted by coconut palms, easy and shallow water access, and an absolutely beautiful soft white sand beach.
Honeymoon Beach used to be quite easy to reach via the now closed Caneel Bay Resort. Now, however, it takes about a one-mile hike to reach one of the best Honeymoon beach now offers parking and a shuttle to Honemoon beach. This whole section about Honeymoon needs to be re-worked. destinations on St John. Fortunately, it’s an easy, scenic hike that most honeymooners will have no problem doing.
As an added plus, this means that people who don’t want to hike to a beach will go to one of the island’s other beaches instead. Why is this a plus, you ask? Because it means that at certain times of the year, you can have Honeymoon Beach almost all to yourselves!
Another reason to choose this particular beach is because it offers fantastic snorkeling. Get in the water and see turtles, rays, fish, and the coral up-close!
2. Enjoy a Full Day of Snorkeling on St. John, St. Thomas, and Cays
Sometimes, it’s just easier to join a tour and allow someone else to take care of the transportation. That’s exactly what you’ll get when you sign up for this full day excursion!
You’ll board a luxury catamaran and have a continental breakfast to start your day. Next, your experienced tour guides will take you to Watermelon Cay, where you can go snorkeling with the provided equipment. From there, the catamaran will go to Maho Bay, where you’ll have another snorkeling opportunity among the turtles and stingrays.
Your next stop will be Christmas Cove, where you’ll be given the choice between spending an hour in the water or on land. Finally, you’ll head to the Ledges of Little St James to check out the gorgeous coral reef. If you want to snorkel at some of the best spots in the USVI, it’s definitely a good idea to sign up for this tour!
3. Go on a Romantic Nighttime Kayak Tour
Next up on our list of St John activities is something truly unique! When it comes to honeymoon planning, it’s essential that the two of you take some time to be romantic together. And what better way to crank up the romance than with a nighttime kayak tour? If this already sounds great, just wait until you find out the rest!
You see, this isn’t just any nighttime tour. You’ll be setting off in a clear-bottom kayak for easier viewing. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to use glow paint, which means that the water world will be lit up for you! There will also be no more than 16 people total on your tour, so it’ll be much easier to receive a personalized experience.
4. Have a Neo-Caribbean Dining Experience at Morgan’s Mango
You’re on your honeymoon, so naturally you’ll want to dine in opulence at least once. Morgan’s Mango opened in 1992 and offers upscale casual dining. Chow down on neo-Caribbean food that’s sourced from the sea and the land. They also have an extensive list of wine, spirits, and mixed drinks to satisfy your thirst.
Want to take your experience to the next level? Book a reservation for a Tuesday or Saturday night. These are known as their ‘special nights,’ and they serve locally caught lobster. Make sure you save some room for one of their delicious desserts, too!
5. Learn History at the Annaberg Sugar Mill
Are you and your new spouse history buffs? Then it’s a no-brainer to visit the Annaberg Sugar Mill. Here you’ll see the remains of the easiest to access plantation on St John. There are four different areas open for exploration:
- Sugar factory
- Enslaved peoples’ quarters I appreciate the history here but I think we should stick with less controversial topics for a Honeymoon article
- Animal mill
- Windmill
Yes, when you head to the plantation, you’ll be faced with a piece of the island’s harsh past. It was all caused by the global market for sugar. In fact, without sugar, the island may not have been colonialized. Unfortunately, it was, and this led to a culture of oppression for approximately 300 years. This might seem like an unpleasant topic for your honeymoon, but it’s important to honor the sacrifices of those who made the USVI what they are today. Again, the history is important to acknowledge but a vacation blog about honeymoons (imo) is not the correct forum. I think this section should be removed.
6. Go Hiking at Ram Head Trail
Ram Head Trail is a Travelers’ Choice award recipient from Tripadvisor, and it’s easy to see why. Slip on your sneakers or hiking shoes and make your way to the top. Your effort will be rewarded with an absolutely stunning 360-degree view of the islands.
One of the areas you’ll pass by is a blue cobblestone beach, and you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to walk on it. You’ll also get to see cactuses, and there shouldn’t be a lot of people on the trail if you go early in the day. Even better, the best time you can hike the Ram Head Trail is early in the day, so this is a win-win!
7. Take in the Art at Bajo el Sol Gallery, Art Bar & Rum Room
The Bajo el Sol Gallery offers an eclectic mixture of art, rum, coffee, and books. If even just one of these things appeals to you, then it’s definitely a must see!
The locally made art includes paintings, pottery, baskets, wood carvings, jewelry, sculptures, and more. They also sell an interesting collection of books, which take a look at the island’s history. This is part of Bajo el Sol’s way of honoring Black and Brown voices, who were historically oppressed. Again, I would like to keep this piece less controversial and lighthearted / uplifting. If you have any questions about the history of sugar farming, slavery, etc., this is definitely one of the best places to ask.
Of course, if you want to keep your visit on the light side, you can toss back a glass of rum and simply enjoy the ambiance!
8. Try Winning a Jackpot at the Parrot Club
Finally, we’ve got a slice of normal life on the island with the Parrot Club casino. Don’t expect a place to play cards, however. This casino only has slot machines, and none of them have a very big payout.I would remove this. Some of the payouts at Parrot Club can be quite large. Instead, it’s a place you and your spouse can go to have fun for an hour or two. The bigger draw here is cocktails and lots of them!
Stay in a Luxury Rental
Almost as important as where you go during the day is where you’ll rest your head at night. As honeymooners, it’s important to choose a luxury rental that gives you everything you’ll need to create magical memories.
The Hills in St. John is a 22-unit luxury villa rental that’s made for celebrating love! In fact, many people choose to get married here because it’s the very height of romance. Book your villa today to have the honeymoon of your dreams!
