The last full day of our Southern Caribbean cruise was spent on the island of St. Thomas, with the ship docking in the city of Charlotte Amalie. St. Thomas is one of the three U.S. Virgin Islands (along with St. John and St. Croix) and is a very popular tourist destination. Multiple cruise ships are typically in port on any given day.
With the multitude of tourists present in St. Thomas, it can be hard to find a quiet slice of paradise to enjoy. However, we spent our morning at the gorgeous Lindquist Beach (also known as Smith Bay Park), and I was both surprised and happy to find only about 15 other people there with us. It was not crowded at all, and I instantly fell in love with the spectacular beauty of Lindquist. From the expanse of white sand to the many shades of calm, turquoise water, this was the quintessential Caribbean beach I had been waiting for!
Aside from the beach’s abundant beauty, the water was the perfect temperature for swimming. We snorkeled a bit and glimpsed some pretty small silver fish shimmering in the water’s fractured sunlight, but beyond that, all we could see was the smooth sandy bottom of the ocean floor.
The rest of our time at the beach was spent simply relaxing and unwinding in the shade, reflecting on the previous days of our trip and trying to hold onto it for just a little longer. The view from this beach is something I could never get tired of gazing at. Beyond the multihued, glistening bay are other nearby islands jutting out of the water, creating so many different focal points.
Those few hours at Lindquist Beach were the best way to spend the last day after our fun, yet tiring, week of cruising.
On our way back to the ship, we made a quick stop at the Skyline Drive Overlook — what beautiful views of Charlotte Amalie and the sea!
Looking out over Charlotte Amalie from the Skyline Drive Overlook
I had been hoping to explore the town of Charlotte Amalie in the afternoon after our morning at Lindquist Beach, but it didn’t happen. I was tired and hot, and the town wasn’t within walking distance of the port our ship was docked at. Next time! This is what I am learning about traveling — it is easy to plan all of the things you’d like to do when you visit a place, but sometimes, your body has had enough and just needs a nap — and that’s ok! A trip is best enjoyed when it’s not too rushed and you are well-rested.
St. Thomas was a great way to end our weeklong Southern Caribbean cruise. This was my first cruise experience, and while I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, I would definitely cruise again. I found that cruising offers a lot of convenience and flexibility — you can make of it whatever you choose!
Goodbye, St. Thomas!
This was Day 7 of our cruise. Read about Day 1 of our Southern Caribbean cruise here.
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Did you take a taxi there and back? Did you have to call for one or are they readily available at both the port and this beach? And about how much was the taxi ride?
Thanks!
Hey Larissa! We didn’t take a taxi to Lindquist Beach, but in retrospect, I think that definitely would have been doable! We booked an excursion to the beach through the cruise line. However, a taxi would be cheaper and would give you more flexibility. I don’t remember noticing whether or not there were taxis waiting near the cruise pier when we got off the ship, but it seems like there probably would be. The only (minor) challenge I can think of about taking a taxi is that Lindquist Beach isn’t one of the busy popular beaches (which is part of it’s appeal for me), so you might need to arrange for a taxi to pick you up when you are done. (I don’t think there were any taxis waiting around at the beach.) If you end up going to Lindquist, let me know how you like it!