Cruz Bay: St. John’s vibrant main town

Get the latest news about the U.S. Virgin Islands Virgin Islands Daily News

Find Hotels in the U.S. Virgin Islands: St John, St Thomas, and St Croix. Hotels.com

Click here for the latest Cruise Tour deals and Departures

Island Swimsuits

How would you like to earn US$2000-6000 per month? Live on a luxury cruise ship, pay no living expenses, enjoy tax free income! Click Here!

Quality Handcrafted Bead Jewelry by ArtisanCrafts

Driving Tours

St John Activities

mongoose junction jewelry

Mongoose Junction has the finest and best selection of jewelry on St John. We have many stores offering everything from fun and affordable island jewelry to handmade local jewelry, glamorous name brand watches and fine jewelry. There is definitely a piece of jewelry for every age and budget at Mongoose Junction!

mongoose junction bars/ restaurants Mongoose Junction

is St John's premier collection of fashionable shops and restaurants in a unique architectural and tropical setting unmatched in the Virgin Islands and quite possibly in the entire Caribbean.Visitors consider us one of St. John's favorite attractions after our National Park and beaches.

Simple island Weddings | Simple, Fun, Stress-Free St Thomas weddings can be simple and affordable. Stress-free Virgin Islands weddings are our specialty. We'll do the work - you have the fun.

Cruz Bay:

About 2,000 people live in or around the small settlement. The village is the "downtown" of St John, set in a yacht-filled harbor backing up against steep hills. Until the 1970s, Cruz Bay was a quiet customs port without much activity.

Cruz Bay has evolved into a hip center, acquiring the nickname "Love Town". Many options for shopping and fine dining are found among the pastel-colored houses dotting the hills and lining the shores on the outskirts of town. Mongoose Junction is a must see. Nightlife comes alive during the winter season.

Nights on Cruz Bay are made of romantic moonlit meals cooked by masters of French, Italian, and Caribbean cuisine. Be sure to over-indulge in the heavenly dining the island offers its visitors.

Mongoose Junction Shopping Complex, the large courtyards of this shopping center are made up of various shops and boutiques featuring goods such as jewelry, clothing, and artwork. Salons and various dining options are also found in Mongoose Junction.

Two-thirds of affluent St. John is a national park, and many safari buses and jeeps set out from Cruz Bay. Day trips on St John are limitless. You can go to the National Park, get a free map and hike to a remote beach. Or rent a jeep or scooters and head out the North Shore road for ruins and beaches.

Don’t miss local art and history at Elaine Ione Sprauve Museum.

Cruz Bay Nightlife:

Nightlife on Cruz Bay is as small as the island on which the town is located.

That said, vacationers are attracted to the bars to drink rum that has been directly distilled from molasses and sugar cane. Cruzan rum, actually manufactured on St. Croix, is a specialty of the Virgin Islands.

St. John also hosts a Carnival festival on its island in June and July, during which time the Cruz Bay area booms with fireworks, music, dance, food, and parade. People ferry to Cruz Bay from other Virgin Islands during this time of year to experience all the activity that surrounds the festival.

All this considered, however, island hop to St. Thomas if you demand an active nightlife any time of year.

You can end up in Coral Bay for lunch at Skinny Legs, Shipwreck or Island Blues. Snorkeling off the beaches on St John is good but for a really excellent snorkeling opportunity go on a snorkeling tour.

You can also go fishing, rent a power boat, or get a sail boat rental, hire a yacht, or go sail to wild islands. You can kayak to an island and even go mountain biking.

You can hire a taxi to give you an island tour. Or just hop the bus in Cruz Bay at the ferry dock and take it to the end of the line - Salt Pond Bay. You can snorkel there or hike out to Rams Head point.

Even take a day trip to St Thomas. Take the downtown ferry to Charlotte Amalie and shop till you drop on historic cobblestone streets.

There's a cool cafe on a back alley called Bean's Bytes and Websites. Don't go if there are more than three cruise ships in port!

Here's a day trip for you. Hike to Salomon Beach, snorkel the reef at the end of the beach, then continue hiking to Caneel Resort, eat free nuts and order a delicious cocktail. Then take a taxi back to Cruz Bay.

Given the tiny size of Cruz Bay and the St. John Island , it is shocking how much shopping can be done on this geographical dot.

Mongoose Junction, located not far from the island’s National Park Visitor’s Center. Art(isan) purchases can be made at one of a few stores here, including the Bajo El Sol Gallery & Studio, the Canvas Factory, the Donald Schnell studio (specialty is pottery) and the Clothing Studio (hand-painted cloth).

There are numerous clothing and jewelry stores, and creative gift shops, all specializing in the decorative and the handcrafted.

Another shopping hot spot is the Wharfside Village, home of the Cruz Bay Clothing Company, along with other jewelry shops with pseudo-native names like Freebird Creations and Dreams & Dragonflies.

Downtown presents watersport service companies, a fishtrap market, more art and clothing retail, a flower shop, and a newsstand.

The Lumberyard, a small shopping center, includes dental, nail, and hair services, as well as a wireless center, and other electronics supplies stores.

The Marketplace in Cruz Bay, contains a gym, a bookstore, and dozens of other stores.

Numerous outdoor activities, all revolve around exploration of either the island paradise itself, the beautiful beaches, and hiking trails, sailing, watersports, snorkeling, scuba diving, boat charters, fishing, and enjoying the wonderful turquiose waters of the Caribbean.

Hiking and mountain biking are the choice ways to traverse St. John, soaking in the scenery while putting in a wearying workout. Routes exist for both rookie and expert cyclists.

There are water activities aplenty from which to check out the hidden beauties of the vast beaches and ocean. Snorkeling is optimal at St. John, with relatively shallow waters, calm surfaces, lack of congestion, and high visibility.

You can take a snorkeling tour of islands in the Virgin Islands National Park.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are considered one of the best places to go sailing in the world. With perfect trade winds, calm waters and so many islands to explore it's no wonder.

You can even learn to sail your own boat or rent a sailboat or powerboat. Para sailing is an adventurous way of gaining vantage points over the island trees and crystal waters, and jet skiing and sailing allow one to scope the surroundings without flying so far above sea level.

To check out the beautiful coral reefs, rock faces, and sponges try scuba diving.

Underwater wild life is abundant around St. John. There are tropical fish, rare turtles, spiny lobsters, eagle and sting rays and dozens of other species you will not see on US mainland outside an aquarium.

Water temperature is warm, visibility clear, and dive boats guided by experts to ensure maximum safety.

For a great lunch or dinner to take home try The Deli Grotto at Mongoose Junction. The Lime Inn is a great choice for dinner.

In Cruz Bay, some excellent local food can be had at very reasonable/cheap prices. First, just around the corner from the ferry dock, near the piers along the first road on the left paralleling the water, is Uncle Joe's Barbecue.

No, it's not much on the eyes, but boy is the food GOOD! The BBQ chicken is very tasty, coming in a large portion with sauce that is tangy with a touch of spiciness. The meals come with two sides, and the macaroni salad is particularly yummy. The folks that work the place are friendly, and it's a great way to get a sizeable and scrumptuous meal for about $10 a person!

Have kids? Share a meal! A good option for lunch (NO DINNER) is Hercules' Pates, on the road that leads uphill just west of the Lumberyard. These are NOT French pates, but rather meat or fish-filled fried dough/pastry. Absolutely delicious, and a only $3 a piece (two pates will probably satisfy most folks).

Those seeking decent pizza, pasta, subs or calzones, can try the local pizza place in the shopping center by Dolphin Market. Finally, don't overlook the local food markets.

Dolphin market has a small selection of prepared foods, but Starfish shines with a particularly nice pre-made and made-to-order deli area. It's a great way to save some bucks, and offers an excellent opportunity to create a nice picnic lunch for the beach!

The National Park Service has its headquarters near the waterfront as does U.S. Customs and Immigration. The visitor center for the National Park Service is located downtown, just a few blocks from the public ferry dock.

Frequent ferry, including car ferry service, connects St John to the neighboring more developed island of St Thomas.

Ferries also run regularly to the islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.

The work of the St. John artistic community can be found in many shops, especially at Mongoose Junction, a very popular shopping destination.

Fine dinning, and seaside bars with a Caribbean flavor, are all within walking distance. Cruz Bay has modern services, including banks, grocery stores, a post office, car rentals, taxi-buses to beaches, and tours of the island.

Car barge service is available between Redhook, St. Thomas and Cruz Bay, St. John. There are three independently run car barges. Passengers ride with car at no extra charge.

It is recommend that you arrive at least 25 minutes prior to departure. The Port Authority charges a Port Fee of $3 for cars, small and medium SUVs and motorcycles.

For pick-up trucks, vans and large SUVs the chare is $6. The fee is collected at the Red Hook Ferry Dock on St. Thomas by uniformed fee collectors.

Trunk Bay is about a 20 min. ride by taxi from Cruz Bay.