FAQ
St. John does not have municipal trash collection so trash must be disposed of in any of the roadside dumpsters throughout the island.
Dress on St. John is casual but we do recommend that you avoid wearing beach clothes while in town. Local law requires cover ups and shirts. Gentlemen will feel comfortable at restaurants in Polo style shirts and Bermuda shorts (Caneel Bay requires long pants) while ladies will be comfortable in the same or summer dresses.
Estates are the way land is separated in the Virgin Islands-as the Us is divided into States, St. John is divided into Estates. The word is best defined as a neighborhood. For instance Estate Chocolate Hole is the neighborhood of Chocolate Hole and Great Cruz Bay.
Restaurant and store hours do fluctuate with the season but in general retail shops open between 9am and 10am and close between 6pm and 8pm. There are some obvious exceptions which include the grocery stores which have longer hours and the banks which have shorter hours. Restaurants are generally open around 11am for lunch (if they serve lunch) and for dinner around 4pm. They typically stop serving by 10pm. Some bars and restaurants are open past midnight.
High season is the busier winter and spring months on St. John and generally spans from Thanksgiving through mid-April. The weather on St. John during the high season is nearly perfect with temperatures holding in the mid to low 80’s during the day and mid 70’s at night. The island is at its most lively during the high season and the tourism oriented industries are in full gear so you can expect the best of St. John. It is worth noting that with increased demand during the high season come higher prices for vacation rentals and less availability, so be sure to plan your travel in advance especially if it falls during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter and President’s Day Weekend. You won’t regret it.
Low season (May – November) has some distinct advantages. Vacation rentals and air travel are both significantly less expensive and more available. St. John visitors find the island to be at its most quiet and manageable state except during our Carnival week around July 4th. The weather is warmer in the summer months with temperatures between the mid 80’s and low 90’s during the day with the chance of brief scattered showers. The water temperature approaches 82 this time of year. Shopping areas are easy to access during the low season and restaurants won’t typically require a reservation. Moreover, you will find our splendid beaches sparsely attended and seemingly private. The low season offers a more traditional Caribbean experience and with the value added by reduced pricing its worth considering coming during the high and low seasons!
Phenomenal! Whether you are looking for a quick deli style bite to eat, casual beach dining or an upscale open air dinner St. John is a foodie’s wonderland. The island has long attracted gourmands and the top rated culinary minds that cater to them. The healthy restaurant culture and appreciation of good food permeates the St. Johnian lifestyle and can be found hiding in the prepared meals at the grocery store, the outdoor nooks serving the best of local Caribbean street food and on virtually every menu regardless of how simple or exotic.
There are ample places for church services on St. John. Please see the list below:
- Bahai’s National Spiritual Assembly (340) 776 6254
- Bethany Moravian Church (340) 776 6291
- Christian Science Society of St. John (340) 776 6273
- Cruz Bay Baptist Church (340) 776 6315
- Cruz Bay Seventh Day Adventist (340) 779 4477
- Emmaus Moravian Church, Coral Bay (340) 776 6713
- Jehovah’s Witness Nazareth Lutheran Church (340) 776 6731
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Mission (340) 776 6339
- St. John Missionary Baptist Church (340) 693 8884
- St. Ursula’s Anglican Church (340) 693 8580
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (340) 776 6922
(ask for Unitarian Information) - United Methodist Church (340) 693 8830
There are no airports on St. John, but St. Thomas’ Cyril E. King Airport has direct flights from numerous major hubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Visitors to St. John fly into St. Thomas, then take a taxi to one of the two ferry docks, and then transfer to St. John via large ferryboats: Red Hook ferry is 20 minutes and the Charlotte Amalie (downtown) ferry takes about 45 minutes. There are also private “water taxis” and charter helicopter service available by advanced reservations. Our latitude is 18.2 degrees north and our longitude is 64.5 degrees west.
Cruz Bay is the main port of entry to St. John and is the location of most of the island’s amenities. Cruz Bay is a quaint town with plenty of shopping, art galleries, restaurants/nightlife, and other service. The ferry and barge docks are in Cruz Bay . And, while it is bigger than Coral Bay, Cruz Bay is still significantly smaller than Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas or Christiansted on St. Croix. – Coral Bay is a small grouping of shops and restaurants which is marching steadily toward becoming a town as well. The Coral Bay area is quieter and more secluded than Cruz Bay but still offers some notable dining and tourist attractions. And, Coral Bay is only a twenty-five minute drive from Cruz Bay so you are never too far from our “big city.”
Having a rental car on St. John is strongly recommended. If you want to be able to access all parts of the island at your leisure including the beaches within the boundaries of the National Park a 4WD or AWD rental will come in handy. It is also important to note where your rental property is located as taxis don’t always pick up customers all over the island. Please contact us at the St. John Properties office and we will be glad to help arrange a car rental.