St. John, USVI Travel Guide

Overview

A 20-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas opens the door to the “friendliest” and smallest of the US Virgin Islands, St. John. Over half of St. John's 21 sq. miles is cared for by the park service and is open for exploration with fabulous trails and scenic views. Guests can camp out right at the oceans’ edge at Maho Bay, or, the most famous campsite in the Caribbean, Cinnamon Bay. Both camps offer watersports, food and supplies on-site. (Reservations are a must during high season.) Reef Bay Trail is also worth a hike! This downhill trail includes a 200-year-old sugar plantation and petroglyphs carved by the Carib Indians. Guests shouldn’t overlook Snuba, a combination of snorkeling and scuba diving. St. John is the only place in the Caribbean where it’s offered. Though St. John is not known for its nightlife, Cruz Bay does have colorful shops, lively bars, and some wonderful restaurants.

History

The first human inhabitants of the Virgin Islands were the Arawak Indians. They were descendants of coastal Indians from what is now Venezuela and Guyana who were forced out of that area by more aggressive tribes. They island hopped up the Antillean chain until they reached the Virgin Islands sometime around 300 AD. The Arawaks lived peacefully here, fishing and farming, until the fierce and cannibalistic Carib Indians moved into the area about 100 years before the arrival of Columbus.

Christopher Columbus "discovered" the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the Caribbean in 1493. Because the islands were sited around the time of the feast of St. Ursula, he named them "Once Mil Virgins" after the eleven thousand virgins that were martyred with St. Ursula.

In 1917 the United States, out of fear of German expansion and a potential naval base here, bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark. Residents were granted U.S. citizenship in 1927, but the islands remained under the direct control of the U.S. government until 1968, when Virgin Islanders were first allowed to elect their own Governor (previously, governors had been appointed first by the navy, then by the interior department). In 1972, Virgin Islanders elected their first non voting delegate to congress.

Since the 1950's, the tourist industry in the Virgin Islands has been growing. Nowhere else under the American flag will you find a culture as diverse, a history as exciting, and an environment as breathtaking.

In 1971 the US bought the islands, which had been former pirate hideouts and ruled by over 7 European monarchies. Just minutes apart, each of the US Virgin Islands has its own personality and characteristics. Aristocratic roots are seen in the 17th century castles and homes, 200 year-old sugar plantations and rum factories.


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