The 9 most spectacular beaches on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands: welcome to paradise

You don't know it yet, but St Thomas is the tropical paradise of your dreams. Sugar-white sands line this US Virgin Island, and swaying green palms provide gentle shade when you're not floating dreamily in the Caribbean Sea.

Whether you want to stretch out on the beach and relax, snorkel amidst the rich marine life or park yourself at a beach bar, St Thomas has the ideal beach to suit your needs. These are seven of our favorites, from the heavy hitters that keep travelers coming back for more to the tucked-away coves locals love.

1. Magens Bay

Best beach for families and facilities

A frequent inclusion on lists of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Magens Bay really is worth the hype. Yes, you will have to pay a fee to enter (US$7/21, day/month for non-residents). And yes, it does get packed with tourists (especially when cruise ships are in port). But there's no other beach on St Thomas quite like it – it's tucked at the end of a deep horseshoe-shaped cove with green hills snaking off into the horizon on either end. Changing facilities, restaurants, water sports rentals, picnic tables and lifeguards all make it a great choice for families.

2. Honeymoon Beach

Best beach for laidback adventures

Take a 15-minute ferry from the Crown Bay Marina to the dock on nearby Water Island, hike for 10 minutes over a small hill, and you'll find yourself at a picturesque cove lined with towering palms known as Honeymoon Beach. Blessed with incredibly calm waters, it's a great place to rent a kayak or paddleboard for a leisurely mid-morning adventure. It's also dotted with the umbrellas of low-key beach bars, making it an ideal spot for one of those lunches that accidentally turns into an early happy hour.

3. Lindbergh Bay

Best beach for budding aviators

Plane spotters love Lindbergh Bay – as you lay back on a towel basking in the tropical sun, you can watch jets descend into the neighboring Cyril E. King Airport. Named after the pioneering American aviator Charles Lindbergh – who landed here on a victory tour in 1928 after completing the first solo transatlantic flight – this long, broad beach shaded by seagrape trees is great for strolls or swimming laps. Anyone flying out early should consider the two hotels on either end, Lindbergh Bay Hotel and Emerald Beach Resort, which make convenient final-night stays.

4. Lindquist Beach

Best beach for photo opportunities

Nestled in the protected Smith Bay Park, Lindquist Beach is a true vision of paradise, with soft white sands leading out to calm aquamarine waters. Off in the distance, emerald green cays roll across the horizon, making it a favored backdrop for both island weddings and American commercials. Families love the place, too, because there's always a lifeguard on duty, picnic tables for lunching and a bathhouse with showers where you can rinse off the salty sea.

5. Brewers Bay

Best beach for budget travelers

Sea turtles and stingrays are frequently spotted ambling through the seagrass of this wide bay behind the airport, which is a favorite with students from the nearby University of the Virgin Islands. Despite being one of the best places on the island for sea life, Brewers Bay sees far more locals than tourists, who often come for picnics and gatherings on the weekend, chowing down on pates (meat pies) or johnnycakes (fluffy fried bread). On weekdays, it's often deserted. With snack vans, restroom facilities and easy access by public bus, it makes a great destination for travelers on a budget.

6. Sapphire Beach

Best beach for windsurfing

It may be called Sapphire Beach, but the water here is so turquoise that you'll think your eyes are tricking you. Visitors often base themselves in the condo rentals and resort hotels that encase this East End beach for its sweeping views over St John and offshore cays that are as spectacular as the snorkeling at the reef near Pettyklip Point. Yes, it's unabashedly touristy, but it never feels overrun with day-trippers. And with a steady breeze, it's also the best spot on the island for windsurfing.

7. Neltjeberg Bay

Best beach for privacy and peace

Pristine sand lines and a perfect half-moon bay are the rewards at the end of a 20-minute hike out to St Thomas's finest secret beach. Neltjeberg Bay lies on the far side of a thick tangle of bush – including wild-growing pineapple and guava – to the west of the more accessible Dorothea Beach. The only sign of civilization is a solitary – and quite opulent – house atop Ruy Point, as well as the vine-clad ruins of an old sugar plantation. BYO everything (and cart it back out) as there are zero facilities; it'll just be you, the sand and a few curving coconut palms!

8. Coki Beach

Best beach for snorkeling

If you want to snorkel right off the coast of St Thomas, just about everyone will point you in the direction of Coki Beach. While the corals here aren't what they used to be – and the scene is anything but serene – most visitors do encounter plenty of tropical fish (thanks, in no small part, to the controversial practice of fish feeding). Keep in mind that because it lies adjacent to the flashy theme park, Coral World, this narrow strip of sand can get absolutely slammed with tourists.

9. Mermaid's Chair

Best beach to paddle from the sea to the ocean

The chance to put one foot in the Caribbean, then another in the Atlantic, is what lures intrepid travelers to the remote double-sided beach known as Mermaid's Chair. This small strip of sand on the wild western tip of St Thomas is best viewed at low tide. To reach it, plan to hike about 1.3 miles (2km) downhill from The Preserve at Botany Bay on a mostly paved road with extensive views over the westerly cays.