Traveling to St. John During the Pandemic

While Covid-19 is (unfortunately) far from being over, we are (fortunately) not in the same phase of lockdown as we were almost a year ago. We can now dine at restaurants, go to a hair or nail salon, and travel (all while wearing a mask, of course). It’s proven that being outdoors is far safer than indoors in terms of catching the virus, which makes St. John such a great vacation destination right now. Between being on the beach or on a boat, hiking a trail, or dining outside, the only time that we were indoors was when we were in our villa.

There are some rules to travel outside of the continental United States, however. Each country has its own rules, but to be allowed to enter the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix), you must test negative for Covid; it can be either a rapid or a PCR test. After you receive the test results, upload them to usvitravelportal.com. Within a few hours, you’ll receive an email that authorizes you to travel. If you can, print out both the email and the test results.

Jump to: Resorts, Day Trips, Restaurants, Beaches

Where to Stay

The Westin

Every year, my family stays at The Westin. We’ve been staying there since we were little, so it’s definitely a family-friendly resort. The rooms are gorgeous and the property has its own beach and restaurant, which is nice for a relaxing on-site beach day.

Gallows Point

If you’re looking for a resort with less little kids, I would definitely recommend Gallows Point. We stayed there in 2018, when The Westin hadn’t reopened yet after hurricanes Irma and Maria. It’s perfect for smaller groups or couples, as the suites are pretty expansive with a full kitchen and living room, but only one bedroom. The best thing about this property, in my opinion, is the views. You open your door each morning and are greeted by the bluest waters and an equally blue sky.

Caneel Bay

Caneel Bay, which is a pretty well-known resort, still has not opened after Irma and Maria. The National Park Service owns the 170 acres of Caneel Bay. The owners of the resort, which was established by the Rockefeller family, want to extend their “lease” from the Park Service before pouring in the millions of dollars that it will take to restore the property.

Day Trips

Jammin’

For the past five or so years, my family has had a tradition of doing a day trip to Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. More specifically, a day trip to Soggy Dollar Bar in White Bay – the home of the painkiller. We’ve traveled there by ferry and by private boat charter. Unfortunately, we could not this year, as it was too complicated with the U.S. and the U.K. Covid testing requirements. Instead, we spent the day on Jammin’ – a large Catamaran that picked us, and a number of other groups, up right from The Westin and brought us around the island.

The day starts off with a snorkel stop. Then we headed to Lime Out in Coral Bay for lunch. Lime Out, owned by the same people as Lime Inn in Cruz Bay (downtown St. John), is a floating taco boat. That’s right. A. Floating. Taco. Boat. You can anchor your boat at a number of moorings surrounding the “restaurant,” and swim right up to their floating benches. They also have underwater bar stools, but you can’t sit on them right now because of – you guessed it – Covid regulations.

After they take your order, they collect the laminated menus with a long net, and then send out your food and drinks on an inflatable tray (the innovation blows me away). If all of the floating benches are taken, they’ll deliver it straight to your boat via dinghy. I’m a big fan of spicy drinks, so I had to get The Danger, made with Thai chili-infused tequila, fresh watermelon and lime juice, and pineapple simple syrup. To eat I had the ceviche tacos; if you’re a fan of seafood, these are a must. The ceviche is made with the catch of the day, and topped with grapefruit, oranges, red onion, cilantro, jalapeños, chili garlic passion fruit dressing, radishes and chipotle coleslaw. They’re so flavorful and refreshing and since Lime Out is quite literally on the water, you know that the fish is fresh. You can also mix and match the tacos: The shrimp and rib tacos are also very good.

On the way back to Great Cruz Bay, Jammin’ stopped at another snorkeling spot in Rendezvous Bay. I’ve snorkeled a lot in and around St. John and this was definitely the best. Most snorkel charters will take you to a reef where there are lots of brightly colored fish and some sea urchins. But the best place to see marine life is somewhere with seagrass, like Rendezvous. Here, we saw one turtle, five stingrays, five starfish and a group of squids. Before we jumped into the water, the captain said that we had an hour. I thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of time,” but I was so mesmerized by all the sea life that before I knew it, the captain was calling us back onto the boat.

Probably the best part about Jammin’ is that they have an open bar. Even better is that they open it bright and early at 10 a.m. and their rum punch is unparalleled. When this Covid nightmare is over and we can travel to the BVIs again, you can still book Jammin’ for a day charter there. The catamaran also does sunset cruises.

Lovango

We go to St. John every year, but no two trips are exactly the same. There’s always a new restaurant that opened, or a new beach to explore or, in this case, a new island to check out. Lovango Cay is a short, 10-minute ferry ride from St. John. In years prior, there were only private homes on Lovango and the waters surrounding the island were just a snorkel detour on the way to Jost. Now, there’s Lovango Resort and Beach Club. There are private villas if you want to stay on the island, or you can take the ferry over from St. John for either the day or for dinner (or both). The beach club is extremely beautiful and the owner, Mark, gave us a tour himself. There are lounge chairs and cabanas and an incredible infinity pool that looks over the Caribbean Sea, with views of St. John straight ahead and St. Thomas to the west. Words can’t describe how blue the water is, so see for yourself.

We went over to the resort just for dinner, and, in fear of sounding cliche, everything was perfect. The cocktails? Refreshing. Definitely get the passion fruit mojito. The food? Exquisite. We ordered a charcuterie board for the table and then I had the shrimp ceviche to start and the sea urchin gnocchi for the entree. I don’t even know if I was actually eating sea urchin, but it was buttery and garlicky and creamy. The vibes? Immaculate. Once the sun set, the lights that were strung throughout the trees came on, turning the restaurant into a tropical oasis.

If you do go to Lovango during the day, I highly recommend staying for dinner because 1. the food is amazing and 2. the ferry ride back at night under the stars is so magical. The sky is so dark and the stars are so bright here that you can see all the stars and constellations (although I can only ever find Orion’s Belt and the Little Dipper). There’s something peaceful about being under such a big sky and feeling so small.

Where to Eat

Let’s talk about one of my favorite parts of the trip: Food. The culinary scene on the island really is extraordinary and there are so many great restaurants to dine at in Cruz Bay alone.

The Terrace

I’ve only been to The Terrace a few times (it’s relatively new, I think), but it’s definitely becoming one of my favorites. Anyone who knows me knows that a good martini is the key to my heart. And The Terrace has the best on the island – maybe even the best I’ve ever had. The Terrace’s martini, called the Dirty Diana on the cocktail list, is made with olive juice AND pickle juice. It also has Tabasco, so it combines my love of martinis and spicy drinks. The Dirty Diana is garnished with not only olives, but also pickled green beans. Seriously, don’t knock it till you try it, they’re delicious. The glass is lightly rimmed with Tajin, giving it an extra bit of flavor and spice.

Another reason The Terrace is one of my favs is because the menu is French-inspired. I ALWAYS get the escargots to start. This year, I ordered the hanger steak and frites, which was *chef’s kiss* so yummy. There wasn’t any food left on my plate by the end of the meal. Their baked macaroni and cheese is also noteworthy, made with a three cheese mornay sauce and baked with breadcrumbs and parmesan on top. It’s like comfort food, but elevated.

Shaibu’s Garden Oasis

Shaibu’s just opened up in January, so this past year was my first time eating there. They’re located in Meada Plaza in Cruz Bay, where Rhumb Lines used to be. I love dining at new restaurants because the whole staff really goes above and beyond to make sure your dining experience is excellent. We met the pastry chef and even Shaibu himself.

If you take away anything from this article, let it be this: Get the crab cakes. As someone who is good with words, I can hardly find the right ones to describe how amazing they are. They’re soft, unlike the usual crab cakes that have a hard outer layer. I don’t even know what’s in them (it’s probably a secret), but Shaibu is doing everything right with this recipe. The restaurant also has an extensive sushi list. I had one roll as my entree and was full, but if you’re really hungry or have a large appetite, I would get two rolls as an entree or just do one as an appetizer… but then still get the crab cakes.

Ocean 362

Ocean 362 is on the Gallows Point property, which is convenient if you’re staying there. But they’re open to everyone, not just guests of the resort. The restaurant is known for its sunset views, so make a reservation for the upper terrace. Ocean 362 focuses on fresh, local and sustainably sourced ingredients.

For starters, I had the tuna poke and then shrimp and pesto pasta for the entree. (I eat a lot of seafood in the Caribbean if you couldn’t tell). I surprised everyone and didn’t get the El Fuego cocktail, which is a spicy passion fruit margarita. Instead, I went for the Dragons Smoke, which has mezcal, tequila, lime juice, honey syrup and prickly pear. Ever since my trip to Puerto Morelos, Mexico in 2019, I’ve been a huge fan of mezcal: It’s smokey and smooth – hence the name Dragons Smoke. It’s not very common to see a drink with mezcal on the cocktail menu, so I always order it whenever there is.

If you ever need a piece of paradise during your day-to-day life, they have a webcam on their website that shows a live stream from the upstairs bar.

Lime Inn

At Lime Inn, guests have the option to choose between a three, four or six course tasting menu. With the three course, the only entree options are whole snapper or lobster. The three course is also the same price as the four course ($65 per person), so we went with the four course. It sounds like a lot of food, but the first two courses are appetizers, which are relatively small.

Here’s what I got for each course: 1. The hog and the buffalo – prosciutto-wrapped buffalo mozzarella with a balsamic reduction and tomato salsa. 2. A Puerto Rican bite – plantain tostones topped with black bean puree, pico de gallo and guacamole. 3. Tuna + calabaza – fresh tuna served atop a pumpkin and carrot puree, with a tamarind Asian glaze, garlic bok choy, broccoli, red onions and cashews. If you don’t like seafood, my mom gets the wok’d fried rice every year and loves it. It’s vegan by nature, but you can add chicken or shrimp. And 4. Brownie a la mode – a warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream made in-house, and drizzled with chocolate sauce and candied walnuts. They’re known for their frozen key lime pie, but the brownie is better in my opinion.

Morgan’s Mango

I saved the best for last. My family has gone here every year for as long as I can remember. It’s not a trip to St. John without going to Morgan’s Mango. So many restaurants have come and gone, but Morgan’s Mango is a Cruz Bay staple, open since 1992. Morgan’s Mango isn’t just a favorite of my family, it seems to be everyone else’s as well, so you’ll want to make a reservation in advance.

They have an almost overwhelming cocktail list of both frozen and non-frozen drinks. To make it simple, you can never go wrong with the Mango Madness, made with mango vodka, fresh mango and pineapple juice. Mango is a fruit and fruit is healthy, so I’m going to go ahead and make the executive decision that this cocktail is good for you. And it’s served in a martini glass, so you feel fancy. For an after-dinner cocktail, the Iced Cafe Cubano is exceptional. It has Cruzan rum cream, coffee liqueur, espresso and cream, and is shaken and poured over ice. If you’re a coffee lover like me, you’re really going to enjoy this drink.

Morgan’s Mango is known for its seafood and Caribbean cuisine, so, you guessed it, I had fish. I started with the Always Morgan Ceviche, a red snapper ceviche tossed with mango chipotle salsa and served with homemade yucca chips. For the entree I had the Caribbean lobster. They can do up to four pounds, but one is really more than enough. The lobster was delicious, but I really got it for the sides of sweet plantains, rice and black beans (aka comfort food for any Miamian).

Rhumb Lines

I couldn’t write about St. John restaurants and not include Rhumb Lines. It’s truly my favorite restaurant on the island. Sadly, I haven’t been there in a few years, as they didn’t reopen in Cruz Bay after hurricanes Irma and Maria. They are, however, now located in Coral Bay. It’s basically on the other side of the island now, but if you’re staying in/around Coral Bay, or are willing to make the trek, the food is phenomenal.

Every year it was a toss up between the Pad Thai and or the Pupu platter. If you order the Pad Thai, beware of the spice. They’ll ask you what level heat you want and as someone who loves spicy food, I would still give a low number. Even just the little bit of spice will have your nose running for the whole meal. I always loved the Pupu platter because it gives you the option to try so many great dishes, like spicy peanut skewers, spring rolls, potstickers and Szechuan noodles. I would usually split this with one other person as an entree, but it could definitely be an appetizer for the table as well!

Beaches

Honeymoon Beach

Honeymoon is first on the list because, in my opinion, if you only go to one beach on St. John, it should be this one. The sand is white and the water is a bright turquoise. There is a shuttle in from the Caneel Bay property, or by hiking Lind Point Trail. Or, of course, by boat. Despite its secluded location, it still gets crowded, so try to get there on the earlier side to claim your spot on the beach. You’ll definitely want to bring snorkel gear because sea turtles and stingrays – even the occasional barracuda – are frequent sightings here.

One of the many great things about Honeymoon is that, unlike most of the public beaches, they have a stand where you can rent beach chairs for the day. They also have a beach bar where you can buy food and, most importantly, cocktails. They have all the traditional tropical drinks on the menu: Daiquiris, margaritas, etc. But in my opinion, the painkiller is a must. Their reusable cups even have the recipe on the side, so you can make it when you’re at home and pretend that you’re on a tropical beach.

Salomon Beach

Salomon Beach is right next to Honeymoon and can also be accessed by Lind Point Trail. It’s a lot smaller and a lot quieter. We used to actually go to here every year, and didn’t start going to Honeymoon until a few years ago. But Salomon was already a smaller beach and the hurricanes of 2017 made it even smaller, so we hiked a little farther over to Honeymoon. But it’s still a gorgeous beach with beautiful water and great snorkeling. So if you’re looking for a more private beach day, Salomon is your best bet.

Hawksnest Beach

Another beach that I love is Hawksnest. Like Honeymoon and Salomon (and just about every other beach on the island), the sand is soft and the water is clear. If you have a rental car, there is plenty of parking space. If not, you can take a taxi there. If you take a taxi, I would suggest getting the driver’s number so that you can call them to pick you up at the end of the day, as there aren’t many taxis that pass through the area.

You really can’t go wrong with any of the beaches on St. John. After all, it is called America’s paradise for a reason. It really just depends where you’re staying and how much time you want to spend going to and from the beach. If you ever get the chance to visit this incredible island, tag me in your travel pics @coffeeeandcountries so I can live vicariously through you.