Located just three miles east of St Thomas and only accessible by boat, St John, the smallest and most pristine of the US Virgin Islands, is the perfect hideaway and a paradise for nature lovers.

Twenty square miles of lush mountains rise from perfect white-sand beaches, and with two-thirds of the island designated a National Park - one of the largest areas of wilderness in the whole of the Caribbean - there's an abundance of flora and fauna, including wild cats and burros, hummingbirds and iguanas to look out for.

 You really need to come for longer than a day trip to get the most out of the scenery, miles of hiking trails, numerous secluded beaches, and many reefs to snorkel.

A hike into the mountains will also take you past man-made sights - ruins dating from the eighteenth century when the island had over one hundred successful sugar plantations and a population of two hundred whites and one thousand slaves.

The main town on St John is Cruz Bay, home to half of the island's four thousand inhabitants and the best of the island's shopping, eating and nightlife.

U.S. Virgin Islands
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Caribbean guide