A small, calm crescent of sand on the east shore of Nazareth Bay, on the south-east end of St. Thomas about a mile from Red Hook. Snorkellers swim straight out to the coral in the bay, a dive shop rents the gear on the beach, the restaurant faces the sunset — and, though a resort wraps round it, the beach is public.
The south-east end of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands — on Nazareth Bay, about a mile from Red Hook, off Route 322
The beach
A short crescent of sand on the east shore of Nazareth Bay, facing south-west, with a point of land to the south
Entry
Free. No day pass is needed: the shoreline is public under the Virgin Islands' Open Shorelines Act, and the resort says so too
Behind the sand
Secret Harbour Beach Resort, a condominium resort of 48 beachfront and 20 hillside units
On the sand
Aqua Action Dive Center (snorkel gear, kayaks, paddleboards, chairs, dives and boat trips) and the resort's restaurant and beach bar, open to the public
The water
Usually calm: the beach faces south-west, away from the easterly trade-wind swell
Snorkeling
From the sand: the resort's "nearby coral reef" is a short swim out; Aqua Action also runs guided and night snorkels from the beach
Protected
The bay is in the St. Thomas East End Reserves, where fishing is limited and needs a DPNR permit
Lifeguards
None that we could find. Swim with a buddy and stay clear of boats coming in to the beach
Water quality
One of the beaches DPNR samples for bacteria most weeks; it met the standard in the week of October 5 to 9, 2026
Today
Is Secret Harbour good today?
Good Glassy, snorkel-clear water · No cruise crowd today. The best stretch left today is 8 am–11 am.
Day
The call
Why
Best time
Cruise guests here
Sea at the beach
Rain
Today
Good
Glassy, snorkel-clear water · No cruise crowd today
8 am–11 am
None
Calm · 0.2 ft
Thunder
Tomorrow
Good
Glassy, snorkel-clear water · No cruise crowd today
10 am–1 pm
None
Calm · 0.3 ft
Thunder
Sun, Nov 8
Go
Glassy, snorkel-clear water · Showers likely (67%)
8 am–11 am
~200, 10 am–2 pm
Calm · 0.2 ft
67%
Mon, Nov 9
Go
Glassy, snorkel-clear water
8 am–11 am
~90
Calm · 0.5 ft
41%
Tue, Nov 10
Go
Glassy, snorkel-clear water
8 am–11 am
~100
Calm · 0.6 ft
28%
The call is the same one our beach report makes, refreshed every half hour: the swell reaching the island (Open-Meteo's marine forecast), the cruise passengers our crowd model puts on the sand, NOAA's sargassum satellite and the rain forecast. It is a model, not a lifeguard's report — and we found no lifeguards at Secret Harbour, so look at the water before you swim. The bars under each call are the hours from 8 am to 5 pm. Today's beach report
Taxi fares from town and the airport, the ferry from Red Hook, the ships, today's beach, reef and weather reads and the island around it — each one opens the full page.
Secret Harbour from OpenStreetMap: the sand on the east shore of Nazareth Bay, the resort's buildings round it, Secret Harbor Road behind the sand, Route 322 (Bluebeards Beach Road) up the hill and Nazareth Bay to the south-west. On the federal place-name register the beach is Secret Harbor Beach. Tap the pin for its section.
Getting there
How to get to Secret Harbour
Secret Harbour is on the south-east end of St. Thomas, about a mile from Red Hook. From Red Hook, Route 322 (Ridge Road, which becomes Bluebeards Beach Road) leaves Route 32 at the metal sailboat sculpture marked Vessup Bay Estates; from there the resort's directions follow its signs — the first right, then the first sharp left — down to the resort and the beach. The resort puts the cruise docks about eight miles away and the airport ten.
Most visitors come by taxi: the official fares in the table run from Charlotte Amalie — the tariff's start for the downtown cruise docks — and from the airport. Tell the driver Secret Harbour Beach Resort. Driving, the island keeps left, and the roads east are narrow and hilly.
An open-air safari taxi at Red Hook Photo: Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0
Per person, one way: fares set by the VI Taxicab Commission (rates revised October 24, 2022); night, luggage and waiting surcharges apply. Drive times are Google's for an ordinary day. Fare calculator for any two stops
Agree the fare and a pick-up time before you set off — fares are per person, one way. Aqua Action says drivers will wait to take cruise passengers back to their ship.
The resort lists $8 for one person from Red Hook (October 2026); the Taxicab Commission's tariff in our table has no Red Hook row, so agree it with the driver.
The resort's parking spaces belong to its condominiums, and day visitors may not use them. We found no public lot by the beach: come by taxi if you can.
Do not walk from Red Hook: the resort warns that the road has no sidewalk, blind bends and steep hills.
Secret Harbour is free, and no day pass is needed. Under the Virgin Islands' Open Shorelines Act the public has the right to use the shoreline — from the low-tide line inland 50 feet, or to the line of vegetation or a natural barrier, whichever is shorter — and no one may block it; the resort's own FAQ says that all beaches in the Virgin Islands are open to the public and that visitors are welcome on its beach and in its restaurant. Its lounge chairs, umbrellas and towels are for its guests: bring a towel, and rent a chair from Aqua Action on the sand.
Aqua Action's beach prices
Entry to the beach
Free
Snorkel set (mask, snorkel, fins), per day
$25
Single kayak, per hour
$35
Double kayak, per hour
$40
Stand-up paddleboard, per hour
$45
Beach chair / umbrella, per day
$15 / $10
Chair set-up fee (2 chairs + 1 umbrella, cash)
$5
Guided snorkel / night snorkel
$60 / $65
Shore dive, full scuba kit (1 tank)
$70
Prices from Aqua Action Dive Center's own rate card, October 2026. The resort's watersports page lists older, lower prices for kayaks ($30 single, $35 double); the dive shop's card is the one that applies at its counter.
Restaurant and bar hours
The Patio at Sunset Grille
8 am – 10 pm daily
The Patio: breakfast / lunch & dinner
8–11 am / 11 am – 10 pm
Beach bar at The Patio, Mon–Thu
8 am – 10 pm
Beach bar at The Patio, Fri–Sun
8 am – 11 pm
Happy hour
4 – 6 pm daily
Sunset Grille, dinner
5 – 10 pm daily
Aqua Action's boat dives
Leave 9 am (check in 8:30)
Sunset Grille's own site gives dinner from 5 pm; the resort's dining page says 5 pm in one place and 5:30 pm in another. The bar's hours are the resort's. We found no published opening hours for Aqua Action's shop. The beach itself has no closing time.
Using the beach
✓The sand and the water — public shoreline, by law — no day pass
✓The restaurant, bar and Aqua Action — open to the public
✕The resort's chairs, umbrellas, towels, pool, gym and tennis court — guests only
✕Fishing without a DPNR permit — the bay is in the St. Thomas East End Reserves
✕Dogs — the resort's rule, approved support animals excepted
✕Smoking or vaping on the beach, in the restaurant or on the grounds — the resort's rule; there is a smoking gazebo near the restaurant
✕Parking in the condominium spaces — they are for resort guests
✕Sunscreen with oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene — banned in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Everything is within a short walk along the sand: the resort's beachfront building with the lobby, the restaurant and the bar in the middle, and Aqua Action's dive and watersports shop at the end of the beach by the restaurant. Prices are the businesses' own, as listed in October 2026.
This is a beach you snorkel from the sand: snorkellers swim out from the shore to what the resort calls its "nearby coral reef", and Aqua Action's shore dives are in the same bay. The resort calls its bay a marine sanctuary, home to coral, reef fish, sea turtles, small octopus and lobster; NOAA's photographer met the hawksbill at the top of this page here. Watch for long-spined sea urchins on the rocks, keep your feet off the coral, and snorkel with a buddy — there are no lifeguards.
The dive and watersports shop on the beach, a PADI five-star dive and instructor-training centre. It rents snorkel sets ($25 a day), kayaks ($35 single, $40 double, by the hour) and paddleboards ($45 an hour), and beach chairs ($15) and umbrellas ($10), with a $5 cash set-up fee for two chairs and an umbrella. From the beach it runs guided snorkels ($60), night snorkels ($65) and shore dives (a full scuba kit $70; guided $120); its two-tank boat dive is $150 with a three-diver minimum, plus $10 for gear, leaving at 9 am. Discover Scuba for beginners starts at $120. Sunscreen and bug spray are sold at the shop.
The resort's restaurants are open to the public. The Patio at Sunset Grille sits on the sand next to the lobby: breakfast from 8 to 11, then pizzas, sandwiches, salads and entrées until 10 pm — sandwiches and burgers from $17 and entrées from $29 on the resort's page — with no reservation needed. The cabana-style bar at The Patio opens at 8 am and runs to 10 pm Monday to Thursday and 11 pm Friday to Sunday, with happy hour from 4 to 6 every day. Sunset Grille is the dinner restaurant, 5 to 10 pm, open-air over the bay: book a table.
The bay is part of the St. Thomas East End Reserves, the marine reserves and wildlife sanctuaries DPNR designated in 1994 along the south-east end of the island, from the Mangrove Lagoon and Cas Cay to the St. James islands. Fishing there is limited and needs a DPNR permit. DPNR's 2011 plan for the reserves names Secret Harbor among the beaches the public uses to reach them and among the coral sites it monitors.
Aqua Action's boat leaves from the beach by the restaurant at 9 am for the south-side reefs: Cow and Calf Rocks, a short run off the coast with swim-throughs, ledges, lobster and turtles (Cow Rock bottoms out at about 45 feet), the wall at Buck Island, French Cap six miles out on calm days, and the wrecks. Booking ahead is required; the two-tank trip is $150 with a three-diver minimum.
West along the coast, Cas Cay and the Mangrove Lagoon are the heart of the St. Thomas East End Reserves. Virgin Islands Ecotours runs a three-hour guided kayak, hike and snorkel trip there, mornings and afternoons every day, with sit-on-top kayaks, masks and life jackets included.
Aqua Action's half-day snorkel trip and its private charters board on the beach: the St. John trip stops at Hawksnest Bay and Waterlemon Cay in Virgin Islands National Park. Or take the ferry from Red Hook, about a mile away — the boats to Cruz Bay run all day, and international ferries leave for the BVI (bring a passport).
On the East End past Red Hook, Sapphire faces east to St. John, with a beach bar, rentals and a live camera. It catches the trade wind that Secret Harbour is tucked away from, so the two make a good pair: Sapphire for the view, Secret Harbour for calm water.
On the north-east shore beside Coral World, Coki is the island's best-known snorkel from the sand: livelier and busier than Secret Harbour, with vendors and a crowd on ship days.
Everything at the beach is the resort's, and open to the public. The Patio at Sunset Grille, on the sand next to the lobby, serves breakfast from 8, then a casual menu of pizzas, sandwiches, salads and entrées until 10 pm, with a cabana-style bar beside it (happy hour 4 to 6 every day) — feet in the sand, no reservation needed.
Sunset Grille is the dinner restaurant: open-air over the bay, with a steakhouse-leaning menu (appetizers from $14, entrées from $36 on the resort's page) and a private air-conditioned wine room. Book a table for sunset. Red Hook, about five minutes by taxi, has many more places to eat and a grocery.
Red Hook from the bay, about a mile from Secret Harbour: boats in the marina and red-roofed buildings along the waterfront (December 2016) Photo: elisfkc from Orlando, FL, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
On the sand
The Patio at Sunset GrilleBreakfast 8–11, then lunch and dinner to 10 pm daily; sandwiches from $17, entrées from $29.
Beach bar at The Patio8 am–10 pm Monday to Thursday, to 11 pm Friday to Sunday; happy hour 4–6 daily.
Dinner and nearby
Sunset GrilleDinner daily from 5 pm (its own site) to 10 pm; resort casual; reservations taken.
Red HookThe East End's harbour village, about five minutes away by taxi: bars, restaurants, a grocery and the ferry docks.
Weather & sea
Secret Harbour weather and the best time to go
Warm all year: highs in the mid-80s °F in winter and around 90 °F in late summer, with short tropical showers rather than all-day rain. December to April is the dry season and the heart of the winter visitor season.
Secret Harbour faces south-west, away from the easterly trade wind and the swell it drives, which is why its water is usually calm when east-facing beaches such as Sapphire are choppy. It is also why the beach faces the sunset. A storm to the south, or a hurricane passing in the summer and autumn, can still send a swell in; the call at the top of the page reads the swell, the seaweed and the rain every half hour.
The next 7 days on St. Thomas
Day
Sky
High / low
Rain
Wind
Seas offshore
Today
Thunderstorms
84° / 78°F
95%
SW 17 mph, gusts 24
3.1 ft
Tomorrow
Thunderstorms
82° / 79°F
88%
WSW 19 mph, gusts 26
3.3 ft
Sun, Nov 8
Drizzle
83° / 81°F
67%
WSW 13 mph
3 ft
Mon, Nov 9
Partly cloudy
83° / 81°F
41%
NNW 7 mph
2.4 ft
Tue, Nov 10
Drizzle
83° / 80°F
31%
NE 14 mph
1.8 ft
Wed, Nov 11
Overcast
83° / 82°F
25%
E 14 mph
2.2 ft
Thu, Nov 12
Drizzle
84° / 82°F
25%
ESE 12 mph
2.6 ft
Open-Meteo forecast for St. Thomas, refreshed every half hour. The seas are offshore; how much of it reaches the sand is the call above. NWS alerts & marine forecast · North swell season
Sea temperature by month
80°Jan
80°Feb
80°Mar
81°Apr
83°May
85°Jun
85°Jul
85°Aug
86°Sep
86°Oct
84°Nov
82°Dec
Daily-mean sea-surface temperature off St. Thomas, averaged 2021–2024 (Open-Meteo marine reanalysis): warmest in Sep (86.4°F), coolest in Feb (79.8°F).
Cruise crowds
Cruise ships and the crowd at Secret Harbour
Secret Harbour is across the island from the cruise docks — about eight miles, the resort says, and Aqua Action calls it an easy 20-minute taxi ride. Aqua Action takes cruise passengers diving and fits its schedule round the ship's all-aboard time. Our crowd model sends Secret Harbour a small share of each ship, but the beach is small too: on the biggest ship days the excursion crowd can still fill it from late morning, so come early.
25 of the next 31 days have a ship in Charlotte Amalie. The busiest at Secret Harbour, by our model:
Wed, Nov 11 — 3 ships, 14,555 guests in port. Busy: ~450 expected here, 9 am–4 pm
Thu, Nov 12 — 4 ships, 17,041 guests in port. Packed: ~700 expected here, 9 am–4 pm
Tue, Nov 17 — 4 ships, 15,246 guests in port. Busy: ~550 expected here, 9 am–4 pm
Thu, Nov 19 — 3 ships, 12,871 guests in port. Busy: ~450 expected here, 9 am–6 pm
Wed, Nov 25 — 4 ships, 17,831 guests in port. Busy: ~500 expected here, 9 am–4 pm
Wed, Dec 2 — 5 ships, 19,835 guests in port. Busy: ~650 expected here, 10 am–6 pm
Our crowd model, not a head count: it puts about 4% of each ship's passengers on Secret Harbour, starting about 75 minutes after the ship is alongside and gone 90 minutes before it sails; past 700 on the sand we call it packed. The same model makes the call at the top of the page and on our beach report.
Not a working one that we could find. Aqua Action's site links to a "dive cam" over the beach, but it is a still camera on Windy, and when we checked on October 15, 2026 its last picture was from September 8. The nearest live camera on the island is at Sapphire Beach, on the East End — it faces east into the trade wind, so it shows a rougher sea than Secret Harbour's.
DPNR designates the Cas Cay/Mangrove Lagoon and St. James Marine Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries along the south-east end of St. Thomas — together, today's St. Thomas East End Reserves.
July 2009
"Nicely protected"
The St. Thomas Source's beach column calls Secret Harbor nicely protected and generally quite calm, good for snorkelling close to shore, with a restaurant, a bar and a PADI dive shop on the beach.
May 2011
A plan for the reserves
DPNR's management plan for the East End Reserves lists Secret Harbor among the beaches the public uses to reach the reserves' waters, and among the coral sites monitored inside them.
September 2017
Irma and Maria
The two hurricanes strike the islands. In April 2018 the territory's government lists Secret Harbour among the St. Thomas resorts still to reopen, planning a June 1 relaunch.
2020–2026
The resort today
The resort, 64 condominium units in 2020, is named a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice hotel year after year; in 2026 it says it has held the award for 16 consecutive years.
October 9, 2026
The weekly water test
Secret Harbor is among the St. Thomas beaches DPNR finds meeting the water-quality standard for swimming in the week of October 5 to 9.
The resort's loungers, umbrellas and towels are for its guests. Bring your own towel, or rent a chair and umbrella from Aqua Action on the beach.
Book the dive boat ahead
Aqua Action requires reservations for its boat dives (9 am, check-in 8:30) and for guided shore dives; an unguided shore dive with rented gear needs no booking. Cancelling 12 to 48 hours ahead costs half the fee; later than that, all of it.
No lifeguards
We could not find a lifeguard service at Secret Harbour. Snorkel with a buddy, use a float or vest if you are unsure, and watch for boats coming in to pick up from the beach.
Mind the urchins
Long-spined sea urchins live on the rocks and coral here — both underwater photos on this page have one in frame. Wear fins, and keep your hands and feet off the bottom.
Reef-safe sunscreen is the law
The U.S. Virgin Islands ban sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene, and the resort asks for mineral ones; its gift shop sells reef-safe sunscreen.
Bug spray at dusk
The resort warns that no-see-ums bite on Virgin Islands beaches, especially at dawn and dusk. Bring repellent if you are staying for the sunset.
Yes. Under the Virgin Islands' Open Shorelines Act the shoreline is public — the sand from the low-tide line inland 50 feet, or to the vegetation line if that is shorter — even in front of a resort, and Secret Harbour Beach Resort's own FAQ says all Virgin Islands beaches are open to the public and that no day pass is needed for its beach, restaurant or watersports. The resort's chairs, umbrellas, towels and pool are for its guests.
Do I need a day pass for Secret Harbour?
No. The resort says no day pass is required to use its beach, restaurant and watersports. Bring a towel; you can rent a beach chair ($15 a day) and umbrella ($10) from Aqua Action on the sand, plus a $5 cash set-up fee, as listed in October 2026.
How much is a taxi to Secret Harbour?
Taxis charge fixed per-person fares set by the VI Taxicab Commission. From Charlotte Amalie, the start for the downtown cruise docks, it is $23 for one rider, $15 each for two or more; from the airport $27 for one rider, $18 each for two or more. Night, luggage and waiting surcharges apply. Ask for Secret Harbour Beach Resort.
How far is Secret Harbour from the cruise port and the airport?
About 23 minutes (13 km) by road from Charlotte Amalie, and 33 minutes (17.5 km) from the airport. The resort puts the cruise docks about eight miles away; Red Hook and its ferry dock are about a mile.
Is Secret Harbour good for snorkeling?
Yes — it is the reason many people come. You snorkel straight from the sand to the coral in the bay, and the bay is in the St. Thomas East End Reserves, where fishing needs a DPNR permit. Aqua Action on the beach rents a snorkel set for $25 a day and runs guided snorkels ($60) and night snorkels ($65).
Can you scuba dive at Secret Harbour?
Yes. Aqua Action Dive Center, a PADI five-star dive centre on the beach, rents a full scuba kit for a shore dive in the bay ($70, or $120 guided), runs a two-tank boat dive at 9 am ($150, three-diver minimum, plus $10 for gear) to sites such as Cow and Calf Rocks, and teaches beginners: Discover Scuba starts at $120, as listed in October 2026.
Where do you eat at Secret Harbour?
At the resort's restaurants, which are open to the public: The Patio at Sunset Grille on the sand (breakfast from 8 am, lunch and dinner until 10 pm), its beach bar (8 am to 10 pm Monday to Thursday, 11 pm Friday to Sunday, happy hour 4 to 6) and Sunset Grille for dinner from 5 to 10 pm. Red Hook, five minutes away by taxi, has more.
Is Secret Harbour good for sunsets?
Yes. The beach faces south-west across Nazareth Bay, and the resort's dinner restaurant, Sunset Grille, is named for the view — book a table for the hour before sunset. Bring bug spray: the resort warns that no-see-ums bite at dusk.
Is there parking at Secret Harbour?
Not for day visitors that we could find. The resort's parking spaces belong to its condominiums, and its FAQ says day visitors may not use them. Come by taxi; from Red Hook it is about five minutes.
Does Secret Harbour have lifeguards?
We could not find any lifeguard service at Secret Harbour. The water is usually calm, but swim and snorkel with a buddy, and keep clear of boats coming in to the beach to pick up divers and charter guests.
Are dogs allowed at Secret Harbour?
The resort says no: its beach is in a protected marine area, so no dogs are allowed, with the exception of approved support animals.
Is the water clean at Secret Harbour?
Secret Harbor is one of the beaches the Department of Planning and Natural Resources samples for bacteria most weeks; in the week of October 5 to 9, 2026 it met the standard. DPNR advises staying out of water that is discoloured, smells, or has run-off or heavy sargassum in it.
Photo & map credits
An adult hawksbill turtle over the rocks and coral at Secret Harbor, with a long-spined sea urchin in the corner (2004) — Becky A. Dayhuff, Environmental Educator, NOAA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
A small striped fish sheltering under the spines of a long-spined sea urchin in Secret Harbor — J. Vasques, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Cas Cay from the water: a low, mangrove-fringed cay inside the St. Thomas East End Reserves, south-west of Nazareth Bay (December 2014) — Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Red Hook from the bay, about a mile from Secret Harbour: boats in the marina and red-roofed buildings along the waterfront (December 2016) — elisfkc from Orlando, FL, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
An open-air safari taxi at Red Hook — Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
The Red Hook ferry terminal, where the boats to St. John and the BVI leave — Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Sapphire Beach on the East End, looking out over Pillsbury Sound — PunctuatedArt, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Coki Beach, looking out to Thatch Cay, with the Coral World observatory tower on the point — Gruepig, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
The sand and shallow, calm water at Magens Bay — socaltraveler, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Lindquist Beach in Smith Bay Park, on the east end of St. Thomas — Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Morningstar Beach from the Frenchman's Reef bluff in May 2009, looking east along the sand: the tennis courts below, palms and beach umbrellas, the headland at the far end and the open sea to the south — Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
Brewers Bay from the hillside above its north shore in September 2013: the calm bay below, a wooded point, and beyond it the airport runway reaching out into the sea (cropped from a panorama) — Kberg115, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped and resized).
Hull Bay from the sand: the curve of the beach, small boats on their moorings and the cays offshore on the horizon (July 2015, cropped from a panorama) — Matt H. Wade, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped and resized).
Photo: Becky A. Dayhuff, Environmental Educator, NOAA, Public domain
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