One Of The World's Best Beaches Is A Pristine US Virgin Islands Beauty With Clear Waters And Sea Turtles

Situated in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. Virgin Islands archipelago is renowned for its stunning white-sand shores and turquoise waters, and one of the top ten best beaches in the world (via Beach.com) also resides here: St. Croix's Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. Beach.com bases its rankings on a rigorous process, including consulting travel experts for nominations, analyzing NASA satellite imagery to determine water color and quality, and using Google Maps to assess beach accessibility. 

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge encompasses nearly 400 acres along the southwestern corner of St. Croix. It was originally formed over 40 years ago to protect the nesting site of leatherback sea turtles, and to this day, the refuge is committed to protecting the three species of sea turtles that nest here. The beach is closed to the public during nesting season, which typically runs from April through August. Outside of these months, the beach is open to the public, and visitors can enjoy the refuge's two miles of scenic beach lapped by clear waters. This remote swath is an uncrowded escape for a quiet beach day, but there are strict restrictions on what visitors can bring and no facilities available.

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is open between September through March on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to enter. The entrance road is unpaved, but there is parking near the beach. The refuge entrance is about a 6-mile drive from Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX), which receives nonstop flights from St. Thomas, San Juan, Miami, and other major U.S. cities.

Cradled between wild tropical vegetation and crystalline waters, the sandy shore of Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge resembles the ultimate castaway beach. Its cinematic beauty was even captured in the final scene of the 1994 Oscar-nominated film "The Shawshank Redemption." To reach the beach, there's an unpaved two-mile road to the refuge's parking lots. Since the beach has little shade from the sun, beach goers should be prepared with sunscreen, hats, drinking water, and food. However, don't pack much more beach gear than towels, as no chairs or umbrellas are allowed to puncture the sand due to its status as a wildlife refuge.

The beach's tucked-away location and two-mile shore means visitors often have plenty of space and serenity. Here, you can lounge on the sand, embark on long beach walks, or swim in the refreshing waters, which are renowned for remarkable clarity and ever-shifting colors, ranging from translucent aquamarine to deep turquoise. "The water is so beautiful. It's so clear," raved a reviewer on Google where the beach has a 4.9-star rating. "It's really secluded; there aren't many people there and you can just enjoy the sun, the sand, and the sea in peace," they concluded. According to Beach.com, the best place to swim is along the beach's tranquil southwestern coast, since the water along the northwestern side can get deep quickly with more powerful surf. Everyone entering the water at any point should take proper precautions, as there is no lifeguard supervision.

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is the largest leatherback turtle nesting site in the country. The refuge is also a habitat for hawksbill sea turtles and green sea turtles that nest here year-round. During the refuge's open months, you may even encounter these sea turtles swimming past you in the clear waters. However, besides sea turtles, you will see little marine life underwater as there are no offshore reefs.  

If you're an avid snorkeler, you shouldn't miss a trip to Buck Island, which is one of the best snorkeling spots in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Cast off St. Croix's northeastern coast — about 20 miles from Sandy Point — this uninhabited island has been designated as Buck Island Reef National Monument due to its roughly 19,000-acre reef ecosystem brimming with diverse marine life.

As St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the island deserves a few days to discover all of its treasures. An excellent base on St. Croix is The Buccaneer Resort, one of the Caribbean's oldest family-run resorts, which is top-rated on Tripadvisor. This beloved resort boasts over 130 rooms and suites, an 18-hole golf course, and three sandy beaches on the property. Here, you can even dine within a well-preserved sugar mill that dates to 1733. After exploring St. Croix, consider pairing your trip with a stop on St. John where you can visit Virgin Islands National Park, one of the most mesmerizing national parks in the Caribbean.