partment stores and not even a traffic light.
Wonderful Watersports Options
While St. John may seem out in the middle of nowhere, it has 35 excellent restaurants ranging from chic gourmet cuisine to beachside food. The bars are plentiful and the nightlife is lively. The available water sports are endless with snorkeling, scuba diving, paddle boarding, swimming and boating the most popular. You can even go to several of the beaches by kayaking. The island is hilly which is great for hiking and wildlife viewing and there are tennis courts but no golf course. No problem, just take a ferry to St. Thomas and play at Mahogany Run Golf Course, the best in the Caribbean.
The Susannaberg Ruins are what is left of the oldest plantation on the island and today is a small, private outdoor theater. Susannaberg is a small neighborhood inside the Virgin Islands National Park. It has a medical clinic, lumberyard and a few other shops as well as the open theater. Every Friday at 7 pm, a movie is shown. You will sit under the stars and can enjoy homemade popcorn and beer and wine. The theater mainly shows oldies, but you can never tell.
Craft Shopping and More
Mongoose Junction is across from the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor’s Center on Cruz Bay. It is a popular shopping center and has several great restaurants at the shady end of the bay. It is located next to a courtyard that has a tropical garden. You will fine art galleries, unusual retail shops and several attractive bars. Mongoose Junction is a gathering place that both locals and visitors enjoy.
When you take some of the treks across the island, you will see the wildlife that wasn’t always wild. The only indigenous animals are six species of bats that are essential for plant pollination. You may see up to 140 species of birds, 302 species of fish and seven species of amphibians.
A St. John timeshare is the most affordable accommodation on the island if you want resort-style amenities and all the comforts of a vacation home. The island offers a perfect Caribbean vacation throughout the year, but the rates may be higher during the winter. If you own a timeshare, this isn’t your problem. You can arrive at any time you choose for the price you have already paid.
