Day trip to Water Island USVI
If you have a few days vacationing in St Thomas, how about you take a day trip out to Water Island in US VI? Water Island is the fourth and the smallest of the US Virgin Islands, with not many cars, and no gas stations. It is mostly a residential island but world-famous for its own Honeymoon Beach and laid-back vibe. Here’s our day trip guide to Water Island from St Thomas.
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Part of the appeal of Water Island is its proximity to St Thomas: it is a bit off the beaten path yet only a 10-minute ferry ride away. The ferry station is located in Crown Bay Marina, in front of Tickles restaurant, and the station is just a small docking slip. In fact, the boat itself is a small motorized boat, so don’t expect an actual passenger ferry with padded seats, a/c, and a minibar.
There are no ticket booths that sell tickets to water island. In fact, you pay your fare directly to the boat captain. He only takes cash so make sure to bring cash with you. Alternatively, there are ATMs available by Tickles.
The boat captain does have change, so even if you have bigger bills, he can probably break it. The captain will then hand you a laminated card once you pay, which you will need to hand back on your return journey from Water Island back to St Thomas.
The ferry leaves every hour, on the hour to Water Island US VI from St Thomas. So the ferry leaves at 8 am, 9 am, 10 am, etc. The trip back from Water Island leaves every quarter-hour, so 815am, 915am, 1015am, and so on.
The last ferry from Water Island US VI to St Thomas is at 615pm. Make sure you catch that last trip, otherwise, you will have to pay extra after hours to take you back to St Thomas.
The boat can take around 30 people and has a roof. However, you are still open to the elements so make sure your valuables are kept in a waterproof or water-resistant bag in case it rains and the water goes in. The ferry operates regardless of weather, rain, or shine unless there’s inclement weather that prevents the boat from operating.
Most people take the free shuttle straight from the ferry station to Honeymoon Beach (thanks to Dinghy’s), which we will discuss in more detail later. What we did, however, was head straight to Rachael’s Golf Cart Rentals.
This is the only company that rents out golf carts on the island. During peak times, golf carts may run out so best to reserve online using their form. There is no advance payment required, once you get an email back from Rachael, consider your cart reserved.
Costs for a one-day rental are $55 for a 2 to 4-person cart, while a 6-person cart goes for $65 a day. The rental place is a short 5-minute walk uphill from the ferry station, or they could send a golf cart down to meet you if you have mobility issues.
Rental rates include gas and require a $500 hold on the credit card. A quick tutorial on how to drive and use the parking brake is included before you leave the lot, and you are free to explore! The rental place also provides a map of the island with a list of places to explore, so you can tick off places in the list as you wish.
Here is a list of what you can see and do on Water Island. The island is very small, and with a golf cart, everything is doable within 3 hours, and that doesn’t mean just staying in one spot, taking a photo, and leaving. The three hours included our exploration of the fort, hiking around Limestone Beach, having lunch at Dinghy’s, driving around the island, and swimming and sunbathing in Honeymoon Beach.
During the height of the Second World War, a submarine station was set up in Water Island. Now abandoned, Fort Segarra has great views of St Thomas and other surrounding islands of the US Virgin Islands. On a great visibility day, one can even see Culebra, in Puerto Rico!
While the view is amazing, the best part is exploring the underground tunnels that lead to empty gun emplacements and climbing up empty chambers in the tower.
Warning: these tunnels and chambers are not maintained, so one has to exercise caution when exploring. There are no lights, bring your own headlamps, and best to walk on the sides of the tunnel so you won’t fall or get in an accident. There are no signs or history lessons or even an entrance fee. No park rangers to tell you the way. You are on your own!
The entrance to the tunnel is located off the road just before you turn to go up the tower. Just park off the side of the road, leaving enough space for other golf carts or cars to pass by. It is a blink and you miss its site, and if it weren’t for two nice semi-locals showing us where to go, we wouldn’t have found it!
There are residential properties within the area, so be respectful and don’t park your golf cart by their driveway. Be friendly to the locals if you do come across them because you never know if you can’t find the entrance they will be more than happy to tell you where it is!
This experience is definitely a highlight of our trip.
After Fort Segarra, we went on a quick drive around the island. The views are fantastic on the drive up to Fort Segarra, so prepare to take photos and videos of the scene. If there are no other golf carts behind you, take your time, but don’t go slow or you may end up rolling down the hill.
Limestone Beach is our next destination, which is a short hike from the road. To get there, park on the road close to the Virgin Islands Campground, and signs show where to start walking to get to the beach.
It is rocky with coral on the way to the beach so may not be the best hike to do while on flip flops but it is the island life, so no need to worry about bringing hiking shoes or sneakers.
Some plants may interfere with your progress to the beach but just brush them aside as you walk through.
Limestone Beach is not a place for swimming, as it is a bit too shallow and is full of sharp corals. However, it is a good spot to stroll around as it is absolutely gorgeous. You may not be able to walk around as comfortably when wearing flip-flops, so wearing shoes is a plus.
The most famous site on Water Island US VI is Honeymoon Beach. A powdery beach with shallow, cool water makes it ideal for a quick day trip.
While swimming in Honeymoon Beach, we saw sea turtles grazing on the seagrass below! Just goes to show you can see sea turtles pretty much anywhere there’s seagrass in the Virgin Islands.
There are bathrooms available on the beach, and Dinghy’s is a quick walk from the water.
There are only two main options to eat lunch on Water Island, Dinghy’s and Heidi’s Honeymoon Grill.
Arguably the most popular food joint on the island, Dinghy’s sits directly on the sand, so you can get your eating on the beach feel.
The prices are moderate, considering they are beachfront, and one can enjoy lunch for $30 for 2 people if one does not buy alcoholic beverages. Dinghy’s also has a small gift and supply store, in case you forget or run out of essentials like sunscreen or beach towels.
Dining underneath the umbrellas while looking at Honeymoon Beach is a must-do. The quality of the food is good as well!
Heidi’s is a food truck located uphill on Water Island US VI. The only way to get there is through a long walk uphill or by golf cart.
Amazing views of the water abound on the terrace, with tables and benches dotted around. Prices are the same level as Dinghy’s, but there are fewer options available.
Heidi’s closes earlier than Dinghy’s, so if you are still hungry after 2 pm or if you don’t have a golf cart then Dinghy’s might be a better choice.
These are the only two options for food that you can get on Water Island. If staying overnight, you can bring groceries bought from St Thomas and cook in your vacation rental.
Are you planning a day trip to Water Island as part of your US VI trip? We have covered as much as we can, and if we have missed anything or if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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Like to reserve golf cart for tomorrow. Saturday the 21st please.
Steve Sliter
Hiya! You'll need to email the company that I've mentioned on the post directly to reserve a golf cart.
Alternatively, you can walk to their lot and see if there's anything left.