Looking to spend a great day on the water with no passport hassles? Our boat has a permit for the National Park, so we can take you to the most beautiful places on St. John on our "Best of St. John in one day" day trip. This is also a great trip for people visiting St. John for the first time, you will get a great overview of what is where, the captain can show you all the hot spots from the water and give you the best tips of where to go for your following days on the island.
Day Trip St. John - Private Charter Itinerary
This trip can be booked in 2 options:
3/4 day 690$ including fuel
full day all round St. John 790$ including in fuel
The number of stops that are possible will depend on wind weather and ocean conditions and how long you spend at each stop. The stop at Lime Out is only included in the full day "around St. John Trip"
Here is an exemplary itinerary with possible stops, this can be changed according to your interests and preferences and also due to sea and weather conditions. Not every stop will be possible on any given day and it is not always possible to do all stops.
We will meet you at National Park Dock at 9:00 AM (10:00 am for 3/4 day ). We will have fins, masks, water and ice on board for you to use for free. We will have plenty of space in our cooler should you wish to bring your own lunch or we can arrange for food with a local caterer.
Snorkeling the Cays North of St. John
Our first stop will typically be the 3 Cays North of St. John, Mingo, Congo, Lovango where you can go snorkeling. Our experienced captains will suggest the best spots based on your experience and preference and the ocean condition. If you are into fishing he might even throw out some lines for you.
Old Customs (?) House at Whisling Cay
From there we will head along the North Shore towards the 300 year old house on Whisling Cay which is rumored to have been a customs house. It is said the Danes tried to blow the whistle on smuggling between British islands and the Danish West Indies by maintaining a Customs House on this Cay where the prevailing winds do indeed whistle. However access to it is not easy, so it could have also been a guard house supplying some shelter for soldiers guarding the passage into the Narrows and the Sir Francis Drake Channel, discouraging escape attempts from slaves. No matter what the purpose was, you will find some great snorkeling there
North Shore Beaches
On our way back from Whisling Cay we can stop at various North Shore beaches, everything the island is known for, white beaches, turquoise water, sea turtles, palm trees etc. We will pass Francis, Maho, Cinnamon, Trunk, Hawksnest, Salomon and Honeymoon beaches and you can swim to land or snorkel at either one.
Mermaids Chair, St. John
We can also stop at Mermaid's chair, a beautiful tiny pocket of sand beach which has a rock in the middle that looks like a Mermaid's chair. It is not accessible by foot and can only be reached by boat or paddleboard or with a very long swim.
Watch Sea Turtles
You might also see sea turtles from the boat, the captain usually knows their hot spots. For more sea turtle sightings you can also rent a paddleboard from us and go explore. Lucy will tell you about the best beaches for sea turtle spotting.
Stop at the Pizza Boat
by then you might probably be hungry and we can stop at Pizza Pi, a cool boat moored just off Little St. James that makes delicious fresh pizza. They are not there every day so please check before your trip with us. You can also bring your own lunch which we will put in our cooler or we can grab some food for you at a local caterer. Please note that pizza pi is closed during summer months.
Visit Lime Out the Taco Boat (last day for 20/21 season: August 22)
this stop is only included in the full day "Around St. John" not 3/4 day
Reef Bay: Petroglyphs, Waterfalls, Pools, Sugar Mill
from there we will head to reef bay, where you swim to land and do a short uphill hike through amazing nature that will bring you to the Petroglyphs, waterfalls, sweet water pools and the sugar mill ruins.
During the hike you will see rare plants and many different animals: land crabs, deer, bats, mongoose and the likes. As the trail nears leaves from the sea it passes through a low-lying marshy area. The holes in the earth are land crab holes. You will also see some huge termite nests in trees. After a bit of hiking comes a more flat are, which looks like a dense forest. If you are lucky, you will see deer there. The fresh water provides an environment for shrimp, frogs, small fish, dragonflies and hummingbirds. The different shades of green being reflected in the water look truly amazing. They are surrounded by large, smooth rocks onto which dozens of drawings and symbols have been carved. There is no exact way to confirm they are authentic Taíno carvings but the most popular theory is that they are from pre-columbian inhabitants.
Tektite and Booby Rock
If there is still energy and time left, we can take you to Tektike and / or Booby Rock, two great snorkeling spots on the South Shore. We will arrive back in Cruz Bay St. John around 3:30 / 4pm
Logistics:
Please not that there are no docks anywhere on this trip, so you will have to swim to land, prepare to get wet and bring a drybag. For food the options are Lovango Cay restaurant, Pizza Pi and Lime Out (Lime Out full day trip only). These restaurants typically close for hurricane season some time from August-Sept to Oct-November. Please check their Facebook pages for seasonal closures. If they are closed we recommend getting food from North Shore Deli. You can pre-order via phone and pick up before charter they are right across from where we start the trip.
Online Booking
Email us on rockhoppinusvi(at)gmail.com or use the form below to to make a booking. Select your date in the calendar and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain, fuel, water, ice and use of our snorkeling gear. Not included: gratuity for Captain. Should we have to cancel the trip due to adverse weather (which we don't expect) the deposit will of course be refunded.
Searching Availability...