Why We Keep Returning to St John

We have lost count of how many times we have taken the ferry across to St John. Enough to have opinions. Enough to know that the island rewards repetition in a way most places do not.

Two thirds of it is national park, which means the beaches are protected and the roads to the best of them are steep, narrow and unpaved in places. We rent a Jeep every single time, on day one, before anything else. That one decision determines the entire trip.

Our routine barely changes. Early to a north shore bay before the day boats arrive from St Thomas. A long swim. Back up over the hill for lunch. Late afternoon somewhere quieter. Dinner in Cruz Bay at a table we now book before we book the flights.

And yet on the last trip we found a bay we had never swum in, at the end of a road we had always driven past. That is why we return. Firsthand knowledge is not a thing you acquire once. It compounds.

When we plan St John for someone, we are not reading reviews. We are telling you what we did last month, and what we would do differently if we had the week again.