4. Best St Thomas Beach for Privacy and Seclusion
Do you prize your privacy over bars and restaurants and all the crowds that come with them? I’m right there with you. I actually have several recommendations.
We absolutely love Santa Maria Bay beach, but you have to be a bit of a rebel to visit. It is located on the northside of the island. There is no formal parking lot and you will park on the side of the road near a gate marked “no trespassing.” There is no need to climb the gate as you can just walk around it and head down a very well-worn half mile half to the beach. The downside to visiting secluded places like this is you have to pack in all your refreshments and pack out your trash. Please don’t litter.
My second recommendation is Mermaid Chair at the westernmost point of the island. You have to park outside the ultra-upscale gated community, Botany Bay, and check in with the gate attendant which includes them taking a photo of you and recording your name and phone number. You also check out with them when you leave. You then walk 1.5 miles on paved roads to reach this beautiful rocky beach. We actually watched a cruise ship come around the corner while we there. We also never saw another person the entire 3 hours we spent relaxing and swimming here.
Are you just looking for a less crowded beach but still want a real bathroom without all the walking? Check out Lindqvist beach. It is located near Coral World. There is a small fee to enter but a smattering of picnic tables and picnic pavilions with plenty of shade and a really nice bathroom/shower area. There are no restaurants here so pack your lunch. I suspect this beach is busier on the weekends but when we went there were less than a dozen people. They also have a lifeguard on duty. This was the only beach I was able to actually see rays while snorkeling.
5. Best St Thomas Beach for Beautiful Views
All St Thomas beaches are beautiful there is no doubt about that. While this may be a subjective question, we found Sapphire Beach to be the most beautiful beach in St Thomas. There are bars, restaurants, and coffee shops here not to mention a pizzeria. It’s hard to resist pizza with a view. The have a higher end restaurant here too, Sea Salt, with a highly recommended “Golden Hour” happy hour. While this is definitely a popular beach you won’t see crowds like Magen’s Bay. There is a gate to enter but we just stated we were heading to one of the restaurants and had no problems. There are multiple parking lots and it was free to enter.
