St John · USVI at a glance
The island at your door
We’re just uphill from Cruz Bay: a short walk downhill to restaurants, beach bars, shops and the ferry, and about a 7-minute drive to the North Shore beaches.
01 — The island
Small, wild and mostly park
St John is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands: 9 miles long and 2 miles wide. The National Park keeps the majority of it untouched, full of picture-perfect hiking trails and pristine white sand beaches.
Location
Three miles east of St Thomas
St John is located 1,075 miles east-southeast of Miami, 50 miles east of Puerto Rico and 3 miles east of St Thomas.
As a U.S. territory, it is easy to travel back and forth from the states without passports via a quick 2-hour flight from Miami. Visitors and year-round residents alike enjoy hiking, fishing, surfing, world-class scuba diving and sailing, along with an array of other outdoor activities. It is certainly a nature lover’s dream!
02 — Cruz Bay on foot
Down the hill, home by taxi
Flamingo House is located just uphill from Cruz Bay. It’s an easy walk downhill into town; the return walk is uphill, which is very typical for St John, so plan accordingly.
Town
Restaurants, bars, ferry
A short walk downhill to town, where you’ll find restaurants, beach bars, shops, and ferry access. Being near town makes it easy to get your bearings and access taxis and ferries.
The walk back
Take a taxi home
Most guests opt for a quick taxi ride home after dinner. We often suggest a taxi for your first trip up with luggage and groceries.
A pool day
Day passes, halfway
There is a pool club offering day passes located just a short walk from Flamingo House, about halfway between the property and Cruz Bay.
03 — The beaches
Where to swim
About a 7-minute drive to the North Shore beaches, including Trunk Bay, Hawksnest and Maho Bay. We provide beach chairs, towels, coolers and snorkel sets (mask and snorkel) to make beach days easy.
Option 1 of 3 · A map with pins
Option 2 of 3 · Expanding panels
Option 3 of 3 · The postcard switcher
04 — Shopping + services
Most conveniences are close
There is 1 resort and ZERO traffic lights!
Shopping + services
Most conveniences can be found on St John. There are 3 small shopping complexes on the island: Mongoose Junction, The Marketplace and Wharfside Village. Grocery shopping is available at Starfish Market, Dolphin Market, St John Market, Pine Peace Market and a variety of other small food shops and delis.
St John has 2 hardware stores, 2 gas stations, a drycleaner, several laundromats, and pharmacy. A 20-minute car barge ride to St Thomas gives residents the opportunity to shop at larger stores such as K-Mart, Home Depot, Cost U Less and downtown Charlotte Amalie. St John boasts a variety of gourmet restaurants, ranging from casual to elegant. Many fine jewelry shops, art galleries and gift stores can be found in Cruz Bay town.
Medical services
- St John: Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic, Island Health & Wellness Clinic, and Cruz Bay Family Practice
- St Thomas: Roy L. Schneider Hospital and private physicians
The island in numbers
- Population: Approximately 5,000 permanent residents
- Average rain fall: 43 inches (September–October & May–June)
- Average temperatures: 77–84 degrees in winter & 82–90 degrees
- Highest elevation: Bordeaux Mountain at 1,277 feet
05 — History
A short history
Archeological discoveries show that native peoples lived on St John as early as 710 B.C. before Columbus made landfall on St Croix and named the Virgin Islands for various saints. The Danes took possession in 1694 and established the first permanent European settlement on St John at Estate Carolina in 1718. By 1733, there were 109 sugar and cotton plantations on the island. Emancipation in 1848 helped lead to their decline, and the population fell to about 900 residents by the 1900s.
The Virgin Islands made headlines in 1917 when the U.S. purchased them from Denmark, and the first seeds of a tourism industry began to sprout. Among those Americans encountering St John was Laurance Rockefeller, who purchased land and transferred it to the Federal Government to be designated as the Virgin Islands National Park. Today the National Park owns over 60% of the island, including 5,650 acres of submerged lands.
06 — The map
Find the hill
Map of St John, USVI, showing The Flamingo House above Cruz Bay.
Come perch with us
See the island from our porch
Seven suites, one hillside above Cruz Bay. Pick your door and check your dates.
Reserve