North shore · ~30 minutes
Magens Bay is famous for a reason, and it is not snorkeling
A long calm crescent on the north shore, consistently named among the best beaches in the Caribbean. It is about half an hour from the condo, it costs a small entry fee, and it is a completely different kind of beach from the one outside your patio.
📍 6720 Estate Smith Bay, Unit D101, St. Thomas, VI 00802, U.S. Virgin Islands
Magens Bay is on the north shore of St. Thomas, about thirty minutes by car from Sapphire Beach Resort on the East End. It is a long, deep, sheltered crescent with very calm shallow water, which is what earns it a place on best-beach lists and what makes it the island's family beach. There is a small per-person entry fee and a parking fee, and it is open daily.
It is not a snorkeling beach. The bottom is sand, the water is calm because there is no reef close to shore, and anyone coming from Sapphire Beach with a mask will be disappointed. Go for the swimming, the shade under the sea-grape trees and the length of the sand. It is also not on the East End safari-bus route, so getting there means a car or a taxi.
What it is
A different kind of beach entirely
Magens Bay is a deep bay with a narrow mouth, which means almost no swell reaches the sand. The water is shallow a long way out and the beach runs for most of a mile, backed by sea-grape trees that give real shade — rarer than it sounds on a Caribbean beach.
That combination is why it is the beach people bring small children to, and why it has been on best-of lists for decades. It is managed by a public authority, with facilities, food and watersport rentals on site, and a small entry fee per person plus parking.
The honest verdict
Go once, and know why you are going
If you are staying at Sapphire Beach you already have white sand, turquoise water and a reef you can swim to. Magens does not beat that; it is a contrast rather than an upgrade — calmer water, more shade, more people, and a view of green hills instead of a view across to St. John.
So it is a half-day, not a daily habit. Go on a day when the east side is windy, since the north shore is sheltered from a different direction. Go early if you want the sand to yourself. And if a cruise ship is in, expect company: Magens is a standard excursion.
Nobody should feel they have failed a St. Thomas holiday by skipping it. Several guests never leave the East End, and Lindquist Beach — eighteen minutes on foot from the condo — is a quieter beach than Magens will ever be.
Getting there
Car or taxi, and the road is the interesting part
The drive crosses the spine of the island and climbs over Mountain Top before dropping to the north shore. It is steep, narrow and genuinely scenic — the overlook above the bay is the photograph everyone has seen of St. Thomas.
The open-air safari buses do not serve Magens Bay; they run the East End and the town road. That leaves a rental car or a taxi, and taxi fares here are fixed per person by destination, so settle the price before you leave and agree a pick-up time for the return.
Frequently asked
Questions about magens bay
How do I get to Magens Bay from Sapphire Beach?
By rental car or taxi, about thirty minutes across the island to the north shore. The East End safari buses do not go there, so public transport is not an option for this one.
Is there a fee for Magens Bay?
Yes — a small entry fee per person, plus parking. It is managed by a public authority and the current rates are published on its own site.
Is Magens Bay good for snorkeling?
No. The bottom is sand and there is no reef near shore, which is exactly why the water is so calm. For snorkeling, stay at Sapphire Beach or go to Coki Point.
Is Magens Bay better than Sapphire Beach?
Different, not better. Magens has calmer water and more shade; Sapphire has a reef you can swim to and a view across to St. John. If you are staying on Sapphire Beach, treat Magens as a half-day excursion rather than a replacement.
When is Magens Bay quietest?
Early in the morning, and on days without cruise ships in port. It is a standard cruise excursion, so it fills in the middle of the day when ships are in.
Is there a closer beach than Magens?
Lindquist Beach is about an eighteen-minute walk from the condo and is quieter than Magens at any hour. Sapphire Beach itself is two steps from the patio.
Keep reading
The rest of the area, and the condo it starts from
Everything on this island is close. What changes is how long the road takes and how many cruise ships are in.
Photographs of the island on this page are by Karl Callwood, Joseph Corl, Andy Feliciotti, Roger Darnell, Matthew Valentino, Jamie Tudor and Island Guides, published on Unsplash. Every photograph of the condo itself is our own.
Sapphire Beach Resort & Marina · St. Thomas, USVI
Sapphire Beach Condo D101 — 9.8/10 from 259 stays
Book direct and the host answers you, not a call center. Rates include all fees.