If you are lucky enough to be on a cruise that makes a stop in Saint Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, you cannot miss Magens Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Here you’ll find out how to get there from the cruise ports, activities you can enjoy on the beach and how to return to your cruise ship with unforgettable memories.
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Although the 1st time I visited St. Thomas, the beach we went to was Secret Harbor which is part of a resort. Less crowded since it is not as popular as Magens Bay, but also smaller.
Magens Bay is more touristy so for that reason it will be easier to reach it from the cruise ship, and without any excursion booked, although cruise ships always offer the option of excursions.
In St. Thomas there are 2 cruise ports, Havensight Cruise Pier and Cruise Port of Charlotte Amalie or Crown Bay Center, just remember which one you’re cruise ship is, so you can return later in the day. The 2 times I’ve been in St. Thomas on a cruise, I arrived at different ports, so the 2nd time I got a bit confused as I expected to see something else upon arrival. But, at both ports there are taxis that are very easy to grab one and you can see the prices depending on your destination.
It can take 15-20 minutes to get to Magens Bay, and back, I always try to give myself an extra 30 minutes so I’m not rushing myself or stressing out that I might be late for the cruise.
Taxis can vary, on the way we got a small van for 8 people (aprox.) and with A/C, on the way back we got an open bus for about 20 people. And on both ways we enjoyed beautiful views since the road is by the mountains, going up so there are areas from where you can see both ports, part of the city and everything is beautiful.
Once on the beach at Magens Bay, the view will take your breath away. The white sand a long the shore is very long, so you have plenty of space to put your things and relax to enjoy the spectacular view of the turquoise and calm water.
On the beach you will find some picnic tables, perfect if your group is big and plan to eat there. There is also a restaurant with a bar and even a shop with souvenirs or in case you have forgotten something like a hat or sunscreen. And if you want a little more action, you can also rent kayaks and enjoy the bay in a different way.
We probably stayed for about 2 hours and had a great time. Enjoying the water so crystal clear that we wanted to stay longer. We walked around the area for a while, we didn’t eat or drink at the restaurant but it looked very good.
The place is truly gorgeous. If I return to St. Thomas I would not hesitate to visit the beach again, although obviously I would like to see other spots in the island and a little more around the area near the ports that I know there are several places that I would like to visit.
To return, we simply went to the same spot where they dropped us off, we let them know where we were going and they placed us on the bus that would take us back to the cruise. We paid the fee and enjoyed the ride.
