I found a fun website that I thought I would share, National Parks Traveler, that talks about Americas National Parks. With our winter here, we all could use a break and I could not think of a better place to go snorkeling, in warm waters.

The site has a checklist for the U.S. Virgin Islands, that is a must to read. The Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean and include St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.

Of the three islands, St. John has the best snorkeling opportunities. I would suggest stopping at the visitor center in Cruz Bay to get a map of the best snorkeling sites. I wont go into details of lodging but they do have a very popular campground, Cinnamon Bay, which has fantastic snorkeling off of the beach and if you are not staying at Cinnamon Bay, you can still snorkel there.

In 2001 President Clinton established the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument to protect the coral reefs. The water surrounding the 12708 acres include coral reefs, seagrass bed, mangroves and sandy bottoms. A must for snorkelers.

Salt Pond Bay is another popular but quiet snorkeling site and sometimes called Concordia Bay which a trail leads you to the beach.

When you are packing your bags to go to St. John, dont forget your snorkeling gear. Have a fantastic vacation!