Come to the U.S. Virgin Islands for its palm-tree-lined sands, stay to explore beyond the beach. Take your kids and teens on hikes through the tropical forest and to tidepools. Kayak calm lagoons and bio-luminescent bays, horseback ride to centuries-old ruins, snorkel dazzling reefs, see incredible views from St. Thomas’ Mountain Top, and explore historic forts. Off-the-sand eco-adventures and explorations immerse your kids in the beauty and history of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas—building bonds and creating memories that last a lifetime.
If you’re hesitant to try something new in a place you don’t know, our family often goes with experienced guides on private or small-group tours. Drivers deliver us to out-of-the-way locations, understand important safety concerns, and delight us with fascinating details about the plants and critters in the tropical forest and the sea.
Hike to Taíno petroglyphs, plantation ruins, and scenic tidepools
Lind Point Trail in St. John
Courtesy of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
Pick your hiking pleasure at the Virgin Islands National Park in St. John. More than 20 trails wind through the park’s 7,260 acres of land. A favorite of ours, the relatively easy two-mile round-trip Lind Point Trail, leads through the dry forest to Honeymoon Beach. We always wear a bathing suit under our pants so we can reward ourselves with a refreshing swim in the calm, turquoise water.
Teens may like the more active experience and the wonders of the nearly three-mile, one-way Petroglyph Trail, a branch of the Reef Bay Trail. Consider tackling the hike on a park ranger–led tour. The knowledgeable guides explain the history of the Taino people and the significance of their petroglyphs created between 700 C.E. and 1400 C.E. Instead of the uphill return, you can instead enjoy the breeze on the 40-minute boat ride back to the Cruz Bay dock.
With young kids, opt for the Cinnamon Bay Nature Loop. The nearly mile-long boardwalk makes the walk easy, the lush kapok and bay trees reveal the tropical forest, and the sugar plantation ruins provide a sense of long ago. Ask your kids to keep an eye out for termite nests and lizards. Before you leave the park, stop by the National Park Service Office, Cruz Bay, so your children can fill out an activity booklet, answer a few questions, and then proudly earn an official Junior Ranger Badge.
St. Croix’s Annaly Bay Tide Pools, about a 5.2-mile round-trip trek, is best for in-shape teens and adults who crave a challenge. The challenging route with steep descents requires scrambling over rocks and slogging through mud. The work is worth the reward of scenic hill and sea views, plus the chance to soak in the rock-edged tide pools. (Pro tip: Go with a guide who knows the terrain and the tide schedule.)
Kayak rivers and a bioluminescent bay
Kayaking Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve in St. Croix takes you back centuries. When Columbus anchored there in search of fresh water in November 1493 on his second voyage to North America, Indigenous people met him with a fierce barrage of arrows that forced his retreat.
On a guided tour, leaders share fascinating facts about the area’s ancient burial grounds and the ecological importance of the mangroves. As you glide through the estuaries and mangrove lagoons, look for spotted eagle rays and sea turtles. We prefer outfitters who offer pedal kayaks because they require less work and leave our hands free for photos.
Enjoy more Salt River Bay enchantment on an after-dark bio-luminescent kayak outing. The abundant red mangroves help create conditions that sustain the dinoflagellates, tiny organisms that glow when the water moves. On moonless nights in good weather, the movement of your kayak and paddle creates ribbons of blue light in the bay.
In St. Thomas’ Marine Sanctuary and Wildlife Refuge, the mangrove lagoons are nurseries for reef fish. You may spot juvenile parrotfish, yellowtail snapper, and jellyfish, as well as brown pelicans and frigate birds looking for their next meal. Outfitters often add a paddle to Cas Cay, an island within the refuge, to see the blowhole and the tidal pools and to snorkel offshore.
Explore Fort Christian and Fort Christiansvaern
Fort Christian in St. Thomas
Courtesy of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
Constructed between 1672 and 1680 to fend off pirates and foreign powers, Fort Christian, the oldest standing structure in the USVI, rises as a formidable figure in St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie. With its red exterior, thick stone walls, diamond-shaped bastions for defense, and clock tower (added in 1874), the structure more than fits a grade-schooler’s fantasy. Kids grow wide-eyed at the cannons, the dungeon, the prison cells, and the views from the ramparts.
St. Croix’s Fort Christiansvaern was built between 1738 and 1749 by Danish soldiers and enslaved Africans. The star-shaped, bright yellow fort overlooks Gallows Bay and offers sweeping views from its ramparts. On your self-guided tour, see the kitchen, soldiers’ quarters, cannons, dungeon, and the cell where Alexander Hamilton’s mother, Rachel Lavien, was held.
Snorkel the Virgin Islands National Park and the Buck Island National Reef Monument
The Buck Island Reef Underwater Trail
Courtesy of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
Fin and mask enthusiasts head to the Virgin Islands National Park in St. John and the Buck Island National Reef Monument in St. Croix. In the national park, Trunk Bay is famous for its white-sand beach and 225-yard underwater trail, where you spot staghorn and brain coral, and swim near sponges, parrotfish, trumpetfish, and, often, turtles. The snorkeling is good for beginners. Plan to arrive early, as Trunk Bay draws cruise crowds. My family and I like to snorkel in less busy Honeymoon Bay.
Less-visited, Buck Island National Reef Monument in St. Croix is home to 250 species of fish and is a favorite snorkeling spot for my family. We love the breezy, 1.5-mile boat tour, the only way to reach the reef, and we appreciate the lack of crowds. Hovering over sea fans, fire, brain, and elkhorn coral, we often spot blue tang, butterfly fish, angelfish, and other tropical beauties. Kids too young to snorkel will delight in the underwater views available from the Undersea Observatory Tower at Coral World Ocean Park in St. Thomas. Standing 100 feet offshore, the sunken tower lets kids stay dry while observing the sea life swimming past the viewing window, one of many USVI experiences that kids and their parents will treasure for years to come.
