Last Updated on October 2, 2024 by Bonnie
All across the United States, the national parks hold some of our country’s most breathtaking landscapes and historic places. You’ll even find some of those wonders in the US territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. If you’re ready to explore the national parks but prefer a bathing suit to hiking boots, we’ve got the perfect Caribbean national parks itinerary for you.
The Caribbean is home to only one designated National Park… Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John. But there are five additional national park sites scattered across St. John, St. Croix and Puerto Rico.
Our itinerary focuses on these six national park sites. You’ll need at least a week just to see these sites. Of course, the islands hold much more than just the national parks. If you have more time, we encourage you to slow down and spend a little extra time in the islands. I’ll even throw in some ideas of other things to do with more time.
So, if you are ready to hit the beach and soak up some sun in the national parks of the Caribbean, keep reading to get started planning your trip now.
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Caribbean National Parks Itinerary Overview
- Day 1 – Arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Day 2 – Tour San Juan National Historic Site and Old Town
- Day 3 – Fly to St. Croix; Visit Christiansted National Historic Site
- Day 4 – Join a snorkeling tour at Buck Island Reef National Monument and drive to the beach at Salt River Bay National Historical Park & Ecological Preserve
- Day 5 – Fly to St. Thomas, then ferry to St. John; spend the afternoon on the beach
- Day 6 – Drive around St. John to explore Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
- Day 7 – Ferry to St. Thomas and Fly Home
*You could do the three islands of Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. John in just about any order. The order I’ve outlined saves most of the relaxing on the beach for the end. Flights between the islands are frequent and relatively inexpensive. We based our order on the best flights between the Caribbean and Atlanta (our home airport).
Day 1: Arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico
The first stop on this Caribbean national parks itinerary is San Juan, Puerto Rico. When you arrive in Puerto Rico, take the first day to get settled into your hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Hit the beach, wander the streets of Old Town or enjoy one of Puerto Rico’s amazing restaurants.
For a quick and inexpensive dinner that’s a favorite among locals, head over to El Hamburguer, just east of Old Town. If you’re looking to splurge for a special occasion, we recommend getting a reservation at Marmalade Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Day 2: San Juan National Historic Site
The next morning, it’s time to visit your first park: San Juan National Historic Site. Truthfully, no visit to Puerto Rico would be complete without a stop here. It’s a fantastic way to learn about the history of the island and take in some amazing views of the city and coastline.
The San Juan National Historic Site consists of three separate units. The main two forts are right in Old Town San Juan and can easily be explored in one day. Start at Castillo San Cristobal, which is located at the entrance to Old Town San Juan. Following your tour of the fort, walk the old city walls along the edge of Old Town to Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
You can easily spend at least a half-day touring the two forts. The third unit of the park (El Canuelo) is about 30 minutes away, on the other side of the bay.
Spend the rest of the day wandering through Old Town or check out one of the many beaches in and around San Juan. One of the best and easiest to reach is Condado Beach, about 2 miles east of Old Town and Castillo San Cristobal. The sandy beach is near the Condado Plaza Hotel but all beaches in Puerto Rico are open to the public.
For your final night in San Juan, check out the nightlife at DISTRITO T-Mobile. Here you’ll find a large variety of restaurants and entertainment.
Check out my article on visiting the San Juan National Historic Site for more details on touring the fort and city.
Additional Tips for Visiting Puerto Rico
Getting around San Juan is very easy. Old Town is a very walkable area. In fact, I’d much rather walk than drive. Additionally, both taxis and Ubers are easy to find. I would not rent a car unless you are staying longer and want to venture outside the city.
With more time, there are many other things to do around the island. You can easily spend a week or longer visiting the rest of Puerto Rico. Some of the most popular destinations include the El Yunque National Forest, the mountains of central Puerto Rico and the coastal cities and geological wonders on the western side of the island. Many sites around Puerto Rico can also be toured as a day trip from San Juan if you are limited on time or just don’t want to change hotels.
Additionally, the smaller islands of Culebra and Vieques (off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico) offer even more opportunities to slow down and relax. Culebra is home to some fantastic snorkeling. Vieques is best known for the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, which keeps most of the island undeveloped.
Get more information on Puerto Rico day trips from San Juan or an overnight visit to Vieques.
Day 3: St. Croix and Christiansted National Historic Site
On your third day, take a morning flight to St. Croix, where you’ll find three additional national park sites. All three are located near the town of Christiansted, so that’s the best place to stay.
Spend the afternoon wandering around the fort and other buildings at Christiansted National Historic Site. The park is located right on the waterfront at the edge of town. Again, the fort tells the history of the island, most notably the sugar industry, which flourished under the island’s Danish control in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
The fort also serves as the headquarters for the other two park sites. In particular, be sure to pick up a map and ask about conditions at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.
Grab dinner at one of the many waterfront restaurants in downtown Christiansted.
Day 4: Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
Start the next day with a half-day snorkeling tour to Buck Island Reef National Monument with Big Beard’s Adventure Tours (advance reservations recommended). We thoroughly enjoyed this tour which provided time on the island’s sandy beach and at the underwater snorkeling trail.
The captain and crew took good care of us, even with some rough seas since Hurricane Beryl had passed south of the island just a couple of days before our visit in July 2024. They were extremely knowledgeable about the park and provided all the information and equipment you need to enjoy your visit.
After we finished snorkeling, the crew mixed up fruit punch (with and without the island’s Mutiny Vodka). That was the perfect way to end our tour!
Upon your return to Christiansted, grab some lunch and a rental car and drive out to Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, which is about 15-20 west of town. Supposedly, this is where Christoper Columbus landed on his second voyage to the “New World.”
There isn’t anything at this park, so you don’t need to spend much time here. That said, it is a nice, sandy beach, so you could easily spend some time relaxing on the beach or swimming.
With additional daylight, you can drive around the island and check out other beaches and the scenery.
Additional Tips for Visiting St. Croix
If you are staying in downtown Christiansted, you don’t need a car other than, maybe, to visit Salt River Bay. You can easily get a taxi from the airport to Christiansted and then walk around town. Even getting a taxi to Salt River Bay would probably be easy, especially if you don’t want to stay too long. Note: There are no ride-share companies (such as Uber or Lyft) in the Virgin Islands.
We had an entire day to visit Salt River Bay and drive around the rest of the island, which we really enjoyed. So, we rented a car just for that one day from Centerline Car Rental. They have an office right by the seaplane terminal at the Christiansted waterfront.
If you are not staying in Christiansted or just prefer to have a vehicle, there are several different rental companies at the airport. It is worth noting that in all of the US Virgin Islands, vehicles have the steering wheel on the left, just like in the States. But, they drive on the left side of the road. It takes some getting used to, but it’s not too bad.
We visited in the off-season (July) when there really wasn’t much going on. So, the national parks truly were our focus. That said, we did spend the better part of a full day driving around the perimeter of the entire island. In particular, the east side of the island was a very nice drive.
And, if you’re into notable geographical locations, Point Udall is the easternmost point in the United States.
Read more about visiting St. Croix and its three national park sites.
Day 5: Fly to St. Thomas, then Ferry to St. John
While there is a ferry that takes you directly from St. Croix to St. John, we’ve heard the water tends to be a bit rough. So, we recommend flying to St. Thomas and then taking the ferry to St. John. (There is no airport in St. John.)
If you are traveling fairly light, we recommend taking the seaplane with Seaborne Airways. This was our first time in a seaplane or any plane that small and it was a really cool experience!
First, you don’t have to deal with TSA. That is a plus in and of itself. Second, you are flying fairly low and have great views of the water and islands as you are taking off and arriving. Third, being on a small plane was much different than being on a large commercial flight. It’s something you should experience if you can.
Pro Tip: You are limited to two 30-pound bags per person. Bear in mind large luggage is not allowed.
Note: If you are flying out via seaplane, be sure to not rent a car that you’ll have to return to the airport. The main airport is on the opposite side of the island from the seaplane terminal.
Once you make it to St. Thomas, take a taxi to Red Hook. From there, you’ll take the ferry to St. John, which docks right in the center of Cruz Bay, the island’s main town. The ferry runs every hour all day long and you can purchase tickets when you arrive.
Virgin Islands National Park covers about 60% of the island of St. John. Once on the island, you don’t have to travel far to reach the park. In fact, the visitor center is within a 5-minute walk of the ferry terminal.
You’ll likely want a rental car while in St. John and we recommend picking that up when you arrive. We rented from Mr. Piper’s Jeeps. They picked us up at the ferry terminal, we completed all the paperwork on the short drive back to the office and we were quickly on our way.
If you want to stay inside the park, we recommend the Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground. We spent three nights here and it was absolutely amazing. They have a variety of clamping tents and cottages to choose from. We stayed in an oceanside tent, which was literally just steps from the beach.
Spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach or snorkeling at Cinnamon Bay (onsite snorkel and fins rental available) before it’s time to grab dinner.
Day 6: Explore Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
St. John and Virgin Islands National Park are home to some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. Along North Shore Drive you’ll find Hawksnest Bay, Trunk Bay, Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay. Parking at all of these beaches is limited and fills quickly. Arrive very early in the day or take a taxi if you want to explore any of them.
In particular, Trunk Bay has a 225-yard Underwater Snorkel Trail, which is great for beginners. Unfortunately, we were not able to snag a parking space and opted to just stay at Cinnamon Bay for our snorkeling.
But, there are plenty of other things to do in the park, so even if you spend the morning snorkeling, we hope you’ll get out and explore the rest of the island in the afternoon.
Be sure to stop at the Annaberg Historic District and Sugar Mill. Here, you can walk a series of pathways through the ruins of an old sugar mill. The site also offers sweeping views of Leinster Bay and several of the British Virgin Islands.
If you are looking to do a little hiking, there are several trails around the park, ranging from easy to strenuous. Check out the park’s website for one that fits your skill level and interests.
The final Caribbean national park is the Virgin Island Coral Reef National Monument. This park mostly covers the waters around the island. It has no facilities other than a few mooring balls for boaters.
Drive to Hurricane Hole on the northeast side of the island for the only small piece of land in the park. To truly experience this site, you’d need to do a snorkeling or scuba diving tour. Fishing and anchoring are prohibited within park boundaries.
Driving around St. John is an experience in and of itself since the roads are quite steep and curvy. Just take it slow and remember to stay to the left!
End your day with dinner in Cruz Bay. In particular, we enjoyed the food, drinks and views at High Tide Bar & Seafood Grill.
Check out my in-depth article on visiting St. John and Virgin Islands National Park.
Day 7: Return Home
If you have time, spend one final morning relaxing on the beach. Then, it’s time to return your rental car, take the ferry to St. Thomas and taxi to the airport.
Pro tip: If you have Global Entry, stay to the right when you enter the airport terminal. You must clear customs and immigration at the airport even if you have not left the US.
Additional Tips for Visiting St. John
Just like the other islands, there are plenty more beaches and hiking trails in St. John if you have more time. Of course, you could also take a snorkel tour through Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument or even over to the British Virgin Islands.
Seriously, there are plenty of things to keep you occupied for several days. Even if that’s just sitting on the beach and soaking up some sun while sipping on a cocktail. After all, that’s what the islands are best known for!
Final Thoughts on Visiting the Caribbean National Parks
The six national park sites of the Caribbean have a lot in common with the park sites in the States – breathtaking scenery and historical significance. We’ve toured more forts than we can count and those in San Juan and Christiansted are not that different.
But, there’s just something about being in the islands that is different. You can’t help but relax when surrounded by the turquoise blue waters lapping at your toes in the sand. And, it certainly is a different history than you find in the States.
Getting to these parks may not be easy. But it is worth it.
When it comes right down to it, we’re probably more “mountain people” than “beach people.” Even we had a blast in the Caribbean. All told, we spent 17 days visiting St. Croix (3 nights), St. John (3 nights) and Puerto Rico (11 nights). That included a 4-day conference in San Juan. Still, even that felt a little rushed.
If a week is all you have, you can see the parks and squeeze in a few other sites. Adding just 1-2 more days on each island would provide even more time to relax and enjoy your surroundings.
Be sure to check out our additional articles with more in-depth information on each island and national park sites. If you’re concerned about how much it will cost to visit these parks, we’ve even got an article breaking down our exact expenses.
| Check out all of our articles on visiting the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
|---|
| How to Visit the National Park Sites in St. Croix |
| Visiting Virgin Islands National Park in St. John |
| Touring the San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico |
| Our Exact Costs to Visit the Caribbean National Parks |
| Six Puerto Rico Day Trips from San Juan |
| An Overnight Visit to Vieques, Puerto Rico |
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