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My wife and I, after many months of debating have decided we would like to visit the Virgin Islands for our belated honeymoon. While there is plenty to learn online, we would like a local's opinion on which island is best to stay on. We would like it to be romantic, but at the same time, we want to try to enjoy some of the nightlife as well. We are both in our thirties and would like to avoid the hard party/dancing scenes that consist usually of younger people that are visiting. At the same time, we would like to be able to enjoy some nights of dancing with a more moderate crowd. We are looking at visiting around the end of July or so. Also, a nice little romantic bungalow on the beach, small and cozy would be preferable to anything lavish. I appreciate everyones time who responds to this. Thank you.
Bo
Well - St. John is WAY WAY romantic but night life is basically a good book. The reason is that you will wake up at 7:00 every morning. This is a well documented phenomenon which I did not believe until we went to St. John and . . yup! 7:00ish every morning.
bungalow on the beach = if you are tied into this St. John is not your place. St. John is basically the top of a mountain (as with STT) and normally the beach is next to the hill LOL. STT will be better suited for what you are lookign for.
With THAT said - I would never vacation on STT after seeing StJ.
Trip Report. 🙂
While the majority of places are not on the beach, there are a couple of beach side villas I've seen for rent.
Gallows are on a beach on STT I THINK!! I don't think you will find what you normally see in photos for Tropical vacations though. The Virgin Islands are a little more ruggedly beautiful them most Carib Islands.
St. John is definitely where you would want to stay. The night life is a little slow but the island is perfect for relaxing. St. Thomas was not as impressive as St. John, but that was just my thoughts. We have been to STJ two years in a row and are heading there again this December. Can't wait to get back to laying around drinking Corona's and not doing anything!!!
I'm sure others know more, but the couple that I've seen are Gibney Beach Cottage and Gibney Beach Garden Cottage. I don't know anything about them, except they look like they're very nice. And..I've read that Gibney Beach is relatively private. If you're not dead set on a beach front cottage, I'd definitely go to St. John regardless. Get a great villa with views (as most have!).
Another option you might consider is Secret Harbour on STT. Their units are clean, comfortable and have fully equipped kitchens. Many of the units are right on the beach (nice quiet palm lined beach, excellent snorkeing, and a dive shop right on site). Secret Harbour is 1/2 mile from Red Hook.
Red Hook is where you catch the ferry over to STJ ($3.00 1/way). Red Hook also has many restaurants and a grocery store. If you like, you can buy some groceries to save $$$ on food. We normally do breakfast/lunch in our room and then go out for dinner.
With this option, you could experience the best of both islands. STT is faster paced and more crowded but they have more nightlife. STJ is slower paced and has more natural beauty because 3/4 of the island is a national park. Beautiful beaches!
tmax
I think for what your looking for St. Thomas is the way to go. Many poeple only see the downtown area which is very commercial, but once you get out of town to the beaches St. Thomas has a lot to offer. There are many nice resorts right on the beach in STT, such as Sapphire Beach, Secret Harbour, Crystal Cove, and others. You will also have many more options for night life etc in Stt.I think all of the islands are very romantic and I am sure romance will find you.
STJ, just got back from the weddingmoon in Jan., we are in your age range. nothing beats dancing to IZ or Frank, Dean & Sammy on your own private deck overlooking Cruz Bay. 'Cept maybe dancing to IZ or Frank, Dean & Sammy your own private deck overlooking Coral Bay.
We had to go back to STT to pick up our marriage license after being in STJ two days. After the breakfast we were crying to get back on the ferry to our villa. On STJ, the whole island is your beach. I thought not being on the beach would be an issue for us, but we were too happy exploring. happy trails, pupppies!
I vote for St John also and there IS a little night life. Walk around town at night and you'll hear music somewhere, maybe with some dancing. We were there last 5 years ago and had a great time dancing (over 30 crowd) in a small bar with a back patio dance floor in Cruz Bay- don't remember the name. For real romance, if you like to rough it, stay at the Eco resort through Maho Bay on the Salt Pond Bay side- they are slightly more upscale than the Maho Bay tent cottages, private bathrooms, but still like fancy campin and the views and the romantic peace and quiet are unbelievable!
We stayed on ST Thomas with our children, and visited St. John...we decided that if we ever went alone, we would definitely stay on St. John for the peace, the views, the exploration opportunities....
