Cruz Bay airfares, Virgin Islands (SJF)
Cruz Bay airfares, Virgin Islands (SJF)
Cruz Bay is the capital city of Saint John, one of the US Virgin Islands' main islands along Saint Croix and Saint Thomas. Having a population little under three thousand, it is the largest town on the island.
The Cruz Bay Harbor is frequented by ferries and barges which transport tourists and often cars from the surrounding islands.
The main advantage of its small size and population is the unspoiled beauty of the island, which makes it unique in the Caribbean. This makes Cruz Bay, as all of Saint John very popular among the tourists. The best proof of this is that a tourism oriented website ranked the city in the top ten holiday locations in the world.
However, not only today is Cruz Bay so attractive. In the mid 20th century, the island became the favorite holiday location of the Rockefeller family. One of them thought that this beautiful Caribbean island must be preserved in its natural form. He bought large territories and donated it to the National Park Service. Today over two thirds of the island is a national park, this way it is preserved and can be enjoyed by thousands of visitors without destroying the natural beauty of it.
Visitors can chose from almost two dozen different natural trails. Maybe the most popular of them is the Reef Bay Trail. This way hikers can walk in dense forests and visit plantation ruins. The best-known ruin is the Annaberg Sugar Plantation, which was built in the 1700s due to the agricultural needs. Today is a tourists’ favorite because of the breathtaking views from the top of it.
In addition, Saint John is the home of the world’s most photographed beach, the Trunk Bay. Beside the beautiful beach with white sand, the best thing about this beautiful bay is that an underwater snorkeling trail is arranged too. Signs identify the different coral types, so the divers can learn something about the aquatic life that inhabits this area.
Another bay area is also very popular among the tourists because of its beauty and variety of activities it has to offer. The Cinnamon Bay is also a campground, this way visitors can leave the city borders and spend a great time in the middle of nature. Offering basic campsites as well as cottages it is a fully equipped campground. The lovers of water sports will also enjoy their visit to Cinnamon Bay: windsurfing, kayaking and snorkeling is possible. Those who don’t want to get wet should go on a mountain bike trip in the surrounding area. The ones who are not so into sports can go on one of the nature trail where they can see both plantation ruins and the real tourist attractions, the wild donkeys.
Comfortable resting and environment friendliness meets in perfect harmony in the eco-resorts. These low-impact buildings are very popular among the visitors, who can stay in resorts offering porches, kitchens and beautiful views of the untouched forests. Such places are Maho Bay Camps and Concordia Eco-Tents, built of recycled materials, kept in motion by solar and wind power.
Hawksnest Bay is also popular among tourists who are looking for a place for snorkeling or scuba diving because of the reef located here.
This bay is nearby the largest city of the island, also called the “downtown” of the island, Cruz Bay. Because of its size, this town is the cultural and social capital of Saint John. In Elaine lone Sprauve Library as well as in the local museum you can watch artifacts connected to the island’s history. Local artists also have expositions here frequently.
The island is very popular among the US tourists because the available duty-free shopping. You can take home souvenirs and anything else worth as much as $1,600. This is the three times as much as you can take home from Europe and it is double of the Caribbean average. Because of this, several streets became suburbs of the city and today two major “villages” operate to ease the visitors’ needs. These are the Wharfside Village and the Mongoose Junction, where you can find everything from local artist works, jewelry to high-end designers clothing and accessories. It’s not unusual to buy something here for half the price you had to pay for it in the US, especially in case of leather goods, perfumes, tobacco and liquor.
While in Saint John, you won’t see restaurants of large fast food chains, nor discos. This island is more about originality and refined places. Once experienced, you will miss it after you return home. The fine restaurants of Cruz Bay are offering delicious foods of local, Caribbean and international cuisine. Bars and cafés are very popular. The lovers of live music meet in Caneel Bay Bar from Tuesday to Sunday. Beside music, this bar has something else to offer too. Only here you can find the Cool Caneel and Plantation Punch cocktails that are unique. While in Cruz Bay, you shouldn’t miss JJ’s Texas Coast Café and Fred’s. Both have outstanding cocktails and a large variety of rums. If it’s Friday than Fred’s has live music and dancing. Bands also play live Friday and Saturday at Skinny Legs sports bar. Morgan’s Mango is very popular especially in winter, when tourists visit this Caribbean paradise to enjoy the high temperatures. Mango has themed nights over the week, like Lobster or Margarita Night. A traditional Irish pub is also operating in Cruz Bay, The Quiet Mon. Just a few steps away is Woody’s Seafood Saloon, which is the perfect place for those who got hungry partying, because is the only place in the city where you can order food even after midnight.
Just like the other Caribbean cities, Cruz Bay has everything you need, but also has an advantage having a large national park and the perfect beaches; this way it guarantees a perfect vacation.
