You can explore the Virgin Islands by hiring a sailboat with a skipper or if you have sailing skills, you can sail around the islands on your own. Afternoon, evening and even all-inclusive week-long sailing trips are available. In March, St. Thomas also hosts Rolex Cup Regatta, an international boat race with sailboats and crews from all over the world. If you want to learn how to sail, several sailing courses with different levels are offered all year around.
St. Thomas is one of the best diving destinations in the Caribbean, with abundant colorful fish and other marine life, clear and warm waters and calm seas. If you are not a certified diver, you can take a PADI Open Water Diver course on the island, but it is recommended to do your pool sessions at home and then finish your course with the four open-water dives on the island. If you are already certified, you have numerous dive sites to choose from. The peak diving season is December to April, and you need to book your dive trip in advance if you want to dive then.
St. Thomas is an excellent location for sport fishing, especially for blue and white marlin, sailfish and wahoo. If you want to test your skills and luck against professional and other amateur fishers, you can participate in either of the two open fishing tournaments, Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament or Open Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament, held annually on the island.
St. Thomas has very interesting fauna, both underwater and on land. You can visit the Coral World Ocean Park where you can pet a shark and hand feed a stingray or a rainbow lorikeet. If that is not enough, you also have the chance to swim with turtles or sea lions and feed an iguana or colorful birds. All these animal encounters are also educational.
Steady tropical breezes make windsurfing and kitesurfing possible on St. Thomas. The water and wave conditions around St. Thomas also allow surfers to get their adrenalin rush. The warm weather makes the surfing season last all year. The best surfing conditions are on the east end of the island.
Nothing else spells vacation better than lying on the beach. If working on your tan and floating in the water is not enough for you, you can snorkel or rent a kayak or jet ski.
