Water Island ” The Last U.S. Virgin
Quiet days. Quiet nights. Beautiful, uncrowded, sandy beaches. It does not get much better than this!
The fourth and smallest main island of the U.S. Virgin Islands is Water Island or, what has been called “the last virgin”. Water Island is small, only 491 acres. It has the look and feel of a very private island. In the summer full time residents number about 100. In the winter the number swells to 200!
Because the roads are very often only 10 or 12 wide and in disrepair, the most common mode of transportation is a golf cart. A traffic jam here is defined as when two or three cars pass each other. No joke.
The main attraction for both the handful of full time residents and visitors is Honeymoon Beach. This man-made 1/4 mile white stretch of white sandy beach is perfect for laying in the sun, snorkeling or just floating in the crystal clear blue water. Don’t be surprised if you arrive at the beach and find you have it all to yourself. You can sit on the beach and watch fish jump and Pelicans dive and you will feel like you do not have a care in the world
If you are looking for a place to stay on Water Island some of the homeowners rent their homes out when they are off island. Colorful Bananaquit birds, or also known locally as “Sugar Birds”, Iguamas and gorgeous Hibiscus and Bouganvilla complete the tropical setting.You can quickly see why first time visitors fall in love with the island and return every year.
If you are looking for a lot of tourist shops and fancy restaurants you will not find them on Water Island. There is a little bit of commerce, a lunch wagon on the beach every day and on Saturday nights, a quaint little beach bar serving up libations and a small restaurant that is sometimes open. If you want supplies you have to transport them from St. Thomas.
Getting to and from the island is easy. There is a reliable regularly scheduled small ferry between Crown Bay Marina on St. Thomas and Water Island. Or, like many residents do, use your own boat or dinghy. For the larger items, like vehicles and kitchen appliances you have a good barge service between the islands that can help you.
If you are looking for Real Estate on Water Island the pickings are slim but there are always several houses and lots of land for sale. When a property goes on the market it is usually snatched up fairly quickly.
The Water Island Civic association, founded in the 1960′s takes care of most of the island with intermittent assistance from the Virgin Islands’ government. There is also a Water Island Search and rescue organization that takes care of medical emergencies and fires. They have an ambulance and a fire truck. Both organizations are made up by Water Island resident volunteers.
The island was used by the U.S. Government in the 40′s at the start of World War II. The US Government partially constructed an underground fort, Fort Segarra, as part of the U.S. defenses during WWII. The site is empty now but the lookout post provides a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Control of Water Island was transferred from the federal government to the territorial government on December 12, 1996, making Water Island the “Last Virgin”. In the late 1990′s the Department of the Interior began transferring Water Island land to the long-time residential leaseholders.
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