50 miles east of Puerto Rico lies the US Virgin Islands, nestled amongst the warm and tropical Caribbean Sea. I had always thought vacationing in a spot like this would cost a fortune. That is, until a co-worker of mine just returned from there. Believe it or not, he actually camped right on the beach. I would have never thought that such a resort island would have camping. But they do, and I actually believe it would make for an even better experience than staying at a hotel... not to mention all the money you save. Well, I was pretty excited about this, as I'm sure you can tell, and just had to share it with everyone.

The campground is located in Cinnamon Bay, which is the center northern section of the island St. John. You would fly into St. Thomas (STT) and then take a ferry over to St. John. Both islands are part of the US, so no need for a passport and you can use your driver's license in case you'd like to rent a car. The nice thing about St. John is the island is very remote and only built up around town. Over 3/4's of the island is made up of national park, including over 20 excellent beach sights. Cinnamon Bay is a short 5-mile drive from the ferry dock and has an amazing beach with incredible snorkeling.

Cinnamon Bay campground offers bare tent sights, or the option to rent a sight with their own tent and linens. You can also splurge on a cottage if you really feel like getting pampered. They also offer a store with basic amenities, restaurant, and multiple bathroom/shower facilities. The best sights are actually the bare tent sights, with many located just off the beach with an unobstructed view of the ocean. The picture just above is the view from one of the tent sights; there's not a hotel in the world that can beat that. I think every morning I would wake up and jump into the 80 degree crystal clear water. The below map shows just some of the wonderful beaches surrounding St. John island. Cinnamon Bay is number 8.