Denis Bay

How do you get a white-sand tropical beach, like this one,



all to yourself for an entire afternoon?

Well, apparently you drive from Cruz Bay



to the north shore of St. John,




park at the Peace Hill trailhead, and hike the unmarked trail ~10 minutes through jungle switchbacks




filled with night-blooming cerius





and hermit crabs the size of your fist (sadly, not pictured; camera sucks at low-light close-ups).


And then, you arrive here:

The snorkeling off Perkins Cay (foremost island to the left) is divine. Ginormous coral, fish of all colors and stripes. All without another human being around. This is the stuff they sell in the guidebooks. Bliss!