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Alisandra Photography Blog

The island of St. John grew on me daily. It’s so different than any place I’ve ever been. First impressions were overshadowed by the driving. On St. John you drive on the other side of the road, but the roads are crazy. You’re either on a massive hill or gnarly switchback… or both. It took me longer than expected to appreciate the beauty of this island, but once we arrived at our villa in Chocolate Hole, my breath caught in my chest. The view, colors, water, topography… my first thought was that God had a blast designing this place. Second thought? “Can’t.Look.Away…”

We stayed at a villa called Blue Agave, a typical villa on St. John that has a main living area and separate buildings for bedrooms. You have to go outside to go to your room which really keeps you connected with nature. Speaking of nature, 60% of the island is a National Park making the entire island feel remote and private. Also, the island has many random animals. I loved seeing the wild donkeys, herds of goats, chickens… and of course the abundance of sea life about which I could go on forEVER.

On the typical day, we’d wake up early and leave the house by 8:30 to head to the beach. We would either stay until later afternoon, or leave to eat lunch and then go on to another beach. We ate out and cooked in the villa a few times. We did leave the island for a day trip to Virgin Gorda [photos with the big rocks]. I can’t say enough words about the beauty of that place. I’ll just say that when we go back to the Virgin Islands, that will be a place we stay longer.

If you’re interested in visiting St. John, don’t hesitate to email me for restaurant ideas, beach overviews, packing tips, and travel advice! Otherwise, enjoy the views!