Virgin Islands Geography & Climate

The territory is three main islands and roughly fifty islets and cays, at the point where the Greater Antilles meet the Lesser, about 1,600 kilometres southeast of Florida.

St. Thomas and St. John are steep and volcanic, sharing a submarine shelf with the British Virgin Islands just across the water — on a clear day you can see Tortola from a St. John beach. Their deep, sheltered bays are why Charlotte Amalie became a harbour town.

St. Croix is a different structure entirely: separated from the others by a 4,000-metre-deep trench, flatter, and large enough in its west end to have supported serious sugar plantations. This is why its history and its landscape diverge so sharply from the other two.

The whole group sits inside a reef system, which is what makes the snorkelling good and the coastline fragile. About 60% of St. John, plus much of its surrounding water, is Virgin Islands National Park.

The climate barely moves. Daytime temperatures run from the mid-20s Celsius in winter to around 31°C in late summer, and the trade winds keep even the hot months bearable near the coast.

December to April is dry. September to November is the wettest stretch, though rain here usually means a heavy shower rather than a grey day.

Humidity is high year-round and sea temperatures sit around 26-29°C, which is why the water is comfortable in any month.

Hurricane season is 1 June to 30 November. Most seasons pass without a direct hit; 2017 is the reminder of what a direct hit means. If you travel in September or October, take insurance that covers weather disruption and watch the forecasts.