When adventurous resort builders were expanding their empires into the Caribbean in the 1960s, they found plenty of unspoiled beaches to choose from.

“My role used to be to look for isolated sites of exceptional beauty,” recalled  one of these pioneers, Gilbert Trigano (who co-founded Club Med) in an interview on the UNESCO Courier website. “We made a profession out of offering others what we wanted for ourselves:                                                                     a chance to discover the sea, to breathe deeply                                                                     and live healthily.”

Today, visitors to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands have the rare opportunity to find the pockets of paradise that used to abound, back when the resort industry’s advance guard was “discovering” them from small aircraft.  Because two-thirds of the Manhattan-sized St. John is a national park, its bays remain mercifully free of jet-skis and pizza outlets. No airport, no high-rise hotels, no golf courses (oh-oh, that could be a deal-breaker to some!).

The only dilemma, which travelers and locals love to debate, is the same as Monsieur Trigano’s in the ’60s: Which pristine beach is the very best? A drive along the North Shore Road includes spectacular overlooks that reveal one turquoise bay after another, each ringed by a perfect crescent of white sand, framed in unbroken greenery.

Because many of the sun-dappled coral reefs are just a few dozen yards off shore, novices can enjoy the world-class snorkeling. Tourists drawn to these natural wonders seem to respect frequent reminders to safeguard the coral. Yachts must use mooring buoys to avoid damaging the reefs with anchors.

While coral is endangered in most places worldwide, the National Park Service has actually noted gains among elkhorn coral in some of the island’s protected waters. Park scientists are even experimenting with transplanting live coral to new locations.

In any of these undeveloped coves, it’s no challenge to picture what the first European explorers saw. The producers of the docudrama “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” documented that pristine beauty when they picked Hawksnest Bay for location shooting. But some people claim that other bays are even more beautiful.

Trunk Bay has lifeguards and a marked reef trail for snorkelers, giving it special appeal to families. Adults must pay $4 to get in (most of the other beaches are free), and day visitors from cruise ships calling in St. Thomas sometimes overcrowd this picture-perfect beach.

West-facing Francis Bay basks in afternoon sun and boasts some of the whitest sands anywhere. Toward its north end, seagrass attracts green turtles and stingrays. Parrotfish and squid congregate around the volcanic rocks to the south.

Among several other beautiful coves, Leinster Bay, secluded because it is a mile’s walk from the road, offers the best vistas of the nearby British Virgin Islands. Underwater explorations at nearby Waterlemon Cay are especially dazzling. Beneath the flowering trees along the beach, squirrel-like mongooses scamper in the shadows.

A quick walk up from the Leinster Bay Trail parking lot leads you to the Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins. Along this bluff, as elsewhere on the island, the park service carefully maintains the remnants of slave quarters, windmills and horse mills. The views out to sea have to be some of the most breathtaking in the Caribbean.

Natural preservation on St. John has had the side effect of keeping its history from being buried beneath layers of commercial development. Active archeology projects illuminate both pre-Columbian and Colonial cultures.

This means that the trajectory of social change and oppression, while not necessarily unique on St. John, is more visible than on other islands. And the trend continues with surprising intensity today, as gentrification of the few remaining private properties could force many in the next generation of West Indians off the island.

All of St. John’s treasures are easily accessible from Cruz Bay, the island’s tiny “capital,” where ferries from St. Thomas dock. Live music in beachside bars keeps the town bustling after dark. Eating out is pricey — entrees can be in the $40-$50 range.

At much lower cost, a shop called Baked in the Sun, located  on the top floor of The Marketplace, can provision you with mango curried-chicken-salad wraps and delectable baked goods to go. Nearby is the well-equipped Gym in Paradise.

Cruz Bay’s hills and narrow streets challenge both drivers and pedestrians. Although the U.S. Virgins are a territory of the United States, traffic keeps to the left. Rental vehicles are easily available, and while buses and open-air taxis can save you money, you lose some flexibility without your own vehicle.

In town, efficiency apartments and bed-and-breakfasts provide affordability and comfort. Farther out on the island, high-end venues like the rolling landscapes of Caneel Bay Resort and the expected luxuries of the Westin Resort are complemented by eco-tent campgrounds, such as one at Little Maho Bay.  The reasonably priced Garden by the Sea B&B respects guests’ privacy while thoughtfully anticipating needs like beach chairs and coolers. Because there are only three guest rooms (all air-conditioned), you will sometimes feel you enjoy a private villa when you take advantage of the guests-only kitchen and common room off the panoramic deck.

The private bathrooms of two guest rooms have screened ceilings, outsized plantings and stone-and-seashell walls that make showering under tropical skies a delight.

Because the island has no geologic water sources, guests are urged to conserve desalinated seawater delivered by trucks and precious rainwater collected in cisterns. For the happiness of your stomach, it’s probably best to drink bottled water.

Visitors who prefer the more Florida-like conditions on St. Thomas may not adapt to rustic St. John. But those who value St. John’s simple pleasures will embrace the constraints and tread lightly, hoping to tread again soon.

Happy traveling!

Photos:

Cruz Bay harbor bustles with yachts and ferries.

Cruz Bay

Trunk Bay is popular with families.

Sunset at Maho Bay.