Pristine St. John is true island paradise

Imagine yourself in a land of lush rain forests, brilliant waters and quiet serenity.

Imagine that you're in a heavenly paradise where the temperature rarely dips below 60 degrees.

You've just imagined what it's like on the tiny Caribbean island of St. John.

St. John -- the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands -- is a pristine place, at times surrounded by a gentle mist punctuated by shards of light; at others, enveloped in silvery sunshine. Sailboats and yachts decorate its sheltered harbors, while meringue-like sand edges the water.

"I don't care where else you've been," touts James Penn, the unofficial mayor of the island. "We have the best beaches in the entire world."

As you approach St. John, its volcanic peaks rise gracefully. You are struck by the trees that speckle the green mountainsides -- bright tangerine and mandarin-red canopied leaves reflecting upon the luminescent Caribbean. Then sky and water meld into an intense fusion of jewel- and flower-like hues.

The island is just nine miles long and three miles wide. Development is discouraged to protect its individuality and charm, says Penn, who declared: "This is what our island is going to look like forever!"

There is no air service directly into St. John, but St. Thomas' Cyril E. King Airport, the closest airport, is served by several major carriers. Traveling the short hop between the two islands -- by water taxi, ferry, hydrofoil or charter boat -- is quite easy and provides for astonishing panoramas of the water and uninhabited islands along the way. Once you're there, you can rent vehicles, but taxis with local guides are plentiful and cheap.

St. John has always been uncrowded and tranquil. In keeping with tradition, there are few lodging options. As your home base, you might wish to consider a full-service resort like the Westin. Overlooking Great Cruz Bay, the Westin encompasses more than 47 acres. Its centerpiece is a quarter-acre swimming pool, complete with Jacuzzis, waterfalls, man-made islands and colorful lights.

The Virgin Islands were named after crusading nuns by Columbus. The Tainos Indians first paddled their way to St. John from South America. In the 1600s, the Danes began exploring the islands, eagerly building sugarcane and cotton plantations, before selling the land to the United States.

Become an archaeologist for a day, and help scientists sift through more than 500 years of the Tainos' history, as well as the historic remains of plantation ruins.

But the No. 1 activity on St. John is water sports, including snorkeling and scuba diving. The 50-foot catamaran Adventurer sails from the Westin to the tiny island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. As the vessel glides against the gentle splash of waves, your view includes craggy cliffs, soaring pelicans and palms swaying in the trade winds. At carefully selected dive spots, you can check out a radiant world of gemstone-colored fish and plant life.

It's practically impossible not to visit the Virgin Islands National Park on a trip to St. John, because it covers two-thirds of the island and much of its offshore waters. Highlighted by Bordeaux Mountain, the park contains sugar-white beaches, tropical forests, mangrove swamps and a host of critters. You might catch a glimpse of a sea turtle or even a mongoose as it whisks through the brush. The fauna also includes donkeys, wild goats, butterflies and such feathered friends as parrots, hummingbirds and terns.

All this exploring and sightseeing can work up quite an appetite.

The Westin has several restaurants and lounges, including Chloe and Bernard's. The elegant restaurant, with its Caribbean, Asian and European dishes, was named after a fictional couple who traveled the world in search of new and scrumptious dishes to add to their menu. And in Cruz Bay, Paradiso is island chic, offering fresh seafood.

Another "don't miss" is the Soggy Dollar Bar in White Bay.

Then there's Famous Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke. Not much more than a shack on a beach, Foxy's serves sandwiches and Painkillers. The guitar-playing, joke-telling Foxy Callwood often performs. Add a few friendly, seaside-loving cats, and the picture of the ultimate beach bar is complete.

St. John, as intricately laid as cloisonne, moves at a leisurely pace. So if you come, leave your watch at home. In such an atmosphere, it's easy to forget that there is such a thing as time.

For more information, visit www.stjohnusvi.com or contact Westin Resort St. John at (800) 808-5020 or www.westinresort www.westinresortstjohn.com.

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