The best beach, hands down, is Trunk Bay, the biggest attraction on St. John and a family favorite. To miss its picture-perfect shoreline of white sand would be like touring Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower. One of the loveliest beaches in the Caribbean, it offers ideal conditions for diving, snorkeling, swimming, and sailing. The only drawback is the crowds (watch for pickpockets). Beginning snorkelers in particular are attracted to the underwater trail near the shore; you can rent snorkel gear here. Lifeguards are on duty. Admission is $4 per person for those age 17 and older. If you're coming from St. Thomas, both taxis and "safari buses" to Trunk Bay meet the ferry from Red Hook when it docks at Cruz Bay.

Caneel Bay, the stomping ground of the rich and famous, has seven beautiful beaches on its 170 acres, and all are open to the public. Caneel Bay Beach is open to everyone and easy to reach from the main entrance of the Caneel Bay resort. A staff member at the gatehouse will provide directions. Hawksnest Beach is one of the most beautiful near the Caneel Bay properties. It's not a wide beach, but what's there is choice. Because it lies near Cruz Bay, where the ferry docks, it is the most overpopulated especially when cruise-ship passengers come over from St. Thomas. Safari buses and taxis from Cruz Bay will take you along North Shore Road.

The campgrounds of Cinnamon Bay have their own beach, where forest rangers sometimes have to remind visitors to put their swim trunks back on. This is our personal favorite, a beautiful strip of white sand with hiking trails, great windsurfing, ruins, and wild donkeys (don't feed or pet them!). Couples are attracted to this beach. Changing rooms and showers are available, and you can rent watersports equipment. Snorkeling is especially popular; you'll often see big schools of purple triggerfish. This beach is better in the morning or at midday; afternoons are likely to be windy. A marked nature trail, with signs identifying the flora, loops through a tropical forest on even turf before leading straight up to Centerline Road.

Maho Bay Beach is immediately to the east of Cinnamon Bay, and also borders campgrounds. As you lie on the sand here, you can take in a whole hillside of pitched tents. This is also a popular beach, often with the campers themselves, mainly couples.

Francis Bay Beach and Watermelon Cay Beach are just a few more of the beaches you'll encounter traveling eastward along St. John's gently curving coastline. The beach at Leinster Bay is another haven for those seeking the solace of a private sunny retreat. Singles often frequent this beach. You can swim in the bay's shallow water or snorkel over the spectacular and colorful coral reef, perhaps in the company of an occasional turtle or stingray.

The remote Salt Pond Bay is known to locals, couples, and singles but often missed by visitors. It's on the beautiful coast in the southeast, adjacent to Coral Bay. The bay is tranquil, but the beach is somewhat rocky. It's a short walk down the hill from a parking lot (be careful if you park here, as a few cars have recently been broken into). The snorkeling is good, and the bay has some fascinating tidal pools. The Ram Head Trail beginning here and winding for a mile leads to a belvedere overlooking the bay. Facilities are meager but include an outhouse and a scattering of tattered picnic tables.

If you want to escape the crowds, head for Lameshur Bay Beach, along the rugged south coast, west of Salt Pond Bay and accessible only via a bumpy dirt road. The sands are beautiful and the snorkeling is excellent. The beach is popular with singles. You can also take a 5-minute stroll down the road past the beach to explore the nearby ruins of an old plantation estate that was destroyed in a slave revolt.

Bay Beach is a contender; this is another beach where park rangers sometimes have to remind beach buffs, mainly couples and singles, to put their swimwear back on. Leave Cruz Bay on Route 20 and turn left at the park service sign, about a quarter mile past the visitor center. Park at the end of a cul-de-sac, then walk along the trail for about 15 minutes. Go early, and you'll practically have the beach to yourself.