What to do in St. Thomas

[cfgold]

I am in desperate need of advice! Never been to St. Maarten (8a-5p), St. Thomas (12p-8p), or San Juan (8a-5p) and would like to get help in planning excursions post-hurricane. Here is what I want to do: One port, chill at the beach (prefer adult beach with drinks and food). One port, do shopping (nothing fancy, just walk around and shop). The other port, maybe a little walking around and then hanging at a fun/wild restaurant. Note the times that we will be at each location. It doesn't have to be a ship-sponsored excursion. I have been scouring the internet for weeks and just can't decide which destination is best for our desired activities.

[BrentD]

If it were me and my first time, I'd recommend taking the water taxi to the boardwalk/downtown in St. Maarten to do your shopping, and possibly a taxi ride over to Maho Beach to do the touristy thing watching planes land over your head. Since you've got a whole day there, that's certainly doable.

 

Make St. Thomas your beach day by getting a taxi or safari van to take you to one of the beaches (Magen's Bay is the one most people will go to...I like Sapphire Beach as well). If you want to get a little shopping in there as well, you could since there are shops right there at the pier and downtown is a quick taxi ride. Just make sure you do the shopping first, as stores will start closing up by 5 there. Some shops at the pier will stay open later since a ship is still in port.

 

San Juan should be your walk around and hang out day. Beaches are a good ride from the port there, and there's SO much to do right there at the pier that you really don't need to go anywhere if it's your first time. Old San Juan is right there with so much to eat, see and do, plus they have a free tram that goes around that area. The forts there are inexpensive to visit and make for some great photos and history (Castillo de San Cristobal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro). For shopping, I recommend checking out Ole Curiosidades on Calle Fortaleza and their custom made Panama hats. On the same street, Puerto Rican Arts & Crafts has lots of nice, authentic items to remember your trip. There are lots of stores with cheap, Chinese made souvenirs that say Puerto Rico on them, but stores like Puerto Rican Arts & Crafts are what I love because it's not mass produced stuff, but handmade by natives. Mi Pequeno San Juan is great, too. All of those are on the same street. Worth noting, if you need a restroom, look for Marshall's on that street (the same Marshall's stores that are on US mainland).

[cfgold]

Excellent advice! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

[2PinaColadas]

BrentD has some great suggestions. Bernard's Tours in SXM would include all that was mentioned plus a tour of the island. The hurricane damage is obvious, but it was not nearly as bad as we had thought it would be. The water is as pretty as ever and the locals are very, very welcoming.

 

In STT, I would recommend a beach day as well. Sapphire is not 100% yet, but the views are still amazing and there are loungers, bathrooms, and a bar serving food. We had a wonderful day there.

 

The forts in San Juan are a must see, IMO. Enjoy your trip.

[BrentD]

How could I forget Bernard's Tours! I used Bernard's on my first (and only, until next month!) trip to St. Maarten and they were wonderful. They have a tour that will take you to Marigot (which may or may not be back to normal yet) for shopping, some sights on both sides of the island, and a short stop at Maho Beach to watch the planes. They have another one that I think foregoes the shopping in favor of more beach time. Great folks and well worth the $40-45 per person.