The Best Places to Visit by Boat on the Northside of St. Thomas

Follow along our day on the water to get some ideas for an epic boat day on the Northside of St. Thomas! Freediving, snorkeling, bay hopping, cliff jumping, and more!

Boat days are the best days. And this day was no different. We did a little bit of it all on St. Thomas: cruised the beautiful Northside of the island, snorkeled and went freediving on the West End near Mermaid’s Chair, hunted for lionfish, and let’s not forget about cliff jumping!

Just see it all for yourself:

Now, even though we were on a private boat, it’s certainly possible to replicate a similar day on your own!

Below, we’ve provided ideas for an epic day on the water along the Northside of St. Thomas, USVI. We’ve included snorkeling ideas, bays to anchor in, places to see, scuba diving locations, and recommended boat charters!

Boating on the Northside of St. Thomas

If you look up “boating in St. Thomas” you’ll get the usual destination suspects: Buck Island, Little St. James, Christmas Cove, and of course, Virgin Islands National Park. And don’t get me wrong, these places are absolutely wonderful; they’re wildly popular for a reason.

But let’s be honest, it’s nice to get away from the crowds. To visit the spots slightly less traveled. The forgotten coral reefs, the quiet bays, and the hidden gems unbeknownst to most.

That’s why we were fortunate enough to join our local friends on a boat day to the Northside of St. Thomas! It was absolutely mesmerizing and we’d love to share it with all of you!

If you’re planning a boat day in St. Thomas, consider running to the Northside. Here are some ideas to tell your Captain or to check out aboard your vessel:

Weather and Safety

But first, we need to take some precautions. Oftentimes, the weather, particularly the swell, isn’t conducive for an enjoyable day of leisure or adventure on the Northside of St. Thomas. So before you go, consider these few safety tips:

• Christmas Winds: Without fail, it seems, every holiday season the wind direction shifts ever so slightly to the northeast rather than the usual east-southeast.
• North Swell: As a result, a significant swell batters the northside of St. Thomas making most water activities extremely difficult, if not downright dangerous.
• Season. The winds and swell typically last until mid-March to April. Once the spring is in full swing, things tend to calm down through the summer.
• Hurricanes. June through November is hurricane season with peak season occurring in August and September. Waters are insanely calm if you dodge a hurricane.
• Current: Significant currents at many dive sites aren’t uncommon for the northside of St. Thomas.
• Visibility: why go snorkel, SCUBA, or freedive if you can’t see anything beneath the surface?

Notable Bays and Beaches to visit on the Northside of St. Thomas

The US Virgin Islands are filled to the brim with serene bays ideal for anchoring. Consider spending some time in these bays along the northside of St. Thomas:

Magens Bay

📚 Related Reading: Take some time to visit Magens Bay in its entirety, including the Magens Bay nature trail.

Hull Bay

Santa Maria Bay

Sandy Bay and Mermaid’s Chair

Freediving and Snorkeling Spots on the Northside of St. Thomas

Most of the bays I listed above have great spots for snorkeling and freediving. And honestly, as a rule of thumb in the US Virgin Islands, if you see a rocky surface plunging into the water, there’s a good chance it has a nice shallow reef just beneath the surface.

Snorkeling in Magens Bay

🐢 Snorkeling with sea turtles: Magens Bay is a great place to snorkel with sea turtles in the USVI. Just see for yourself!

Snorkeling at Hull Bay

Neltjeberg Bay Snorkeling

Snorkeling in Santa Maria Bay

Mermaid’s Chair Snorkeling – West End, St. Thomas

Scuba Diving Sites on the Northside of St. Thomas

Some of the best dive sites in St. Thomas are found on the Northside of the island. The best part? Few dive operators on the island visit these sites! Locals only!

1. Rough Point, Outer Brass Island: A pinnacle ascending to 20′ before dropping down to 100’+. The ripping current brings in an abundance of reef sharks and pelagic fish.
2. Arches & Tunnels: beautiful architectural dive on the northwest end of Thatch Cay. Mooring ball is available as dive operators do visit this site.
3. Southwest End of Thatch Cay: the very southwest end of Thatch Cay makes for an excellent drift dive.
4. Hans Lollick Island: the waters surrounding Hans Lollick and Little Hans Lollick Islands are ripe with awesome dive sites.
5. Mermaid’s Chair: although much of the reef ascends into the shallows, a series of coral heads and small canyons make for a nice dive down to 50′ of water.
6. Southside of Salt Cay and West Cay, West End of St. Thomas: we found these sites by happenstance. The current was ripping while we were freediving them but I would love to go back on SCUBA to wind through the coral-lined canyons.

🤿 A note on SCUBA diving in the US Virgin Islands and St. Thomas: Part of the fun is finding your own dive sites. Check out google maps and their satellite feature – oftentimes you can literally see the coral reef on the map. Pin it, and go explore!

Other Points of Interest and Places to Visit

Beyond snorkeling and freediving, here are a few other points of interest along the Northside of St. Thomas to check out:

1. The Cheese Block: a climbable (and jumpable) structure on the west side of Outer Brass Island within Cave Cove. I highly recommend visiting this spot only with someone who has done it before!
2. Mandahl Salt Pond: the small bay just outside of the salt pond is a great place for swimming.
3. Stumpy Bay Beach: nice, quiet, and secluded beach. You could anchor and snorkel here given the right conditions.

🇻🇮 Want to move to the US Virgin Islands? Who doesn’t?! Check out our handy guide for the considerations that we took when we made the jump!

Getting There: Best Boat Charters in St. Thomas

Now, I’m extremely aware of our good fortune having a few friends with a boat. So if you’re not in a position like us, or you don’t have your own boat, consider one of these boat charters that tailor day charters to your liking:

Sonic Charters

🛥️ Book a Trip

Sonic Charters is one of the premier day charters in St. Thomas with trips circumnavigating St. John or St. Thomas. Just ask your Captain about the Northside of St. Thomas!

Seas the Day – MV Aquarius

Private Sailing Catamaran

🛥️ Book a trip

For a different change of pace, consider renting a sailing catamaran to check out the Northside of St. Thomas. This exceptional tour departs Yacht Haven Grande and accommodates custom itineraries.