Ok folks, so we get a ton of emails here at News of St. John. And one topic that comes up quite a bit involves parking in Cruz Bay. So today we’re going to let you know who is currently open, and where you can and cannot park.
So anyone who has been to St. John knows that parking comes at a premium. The good news is that the parking lot behind the old First Bank has reopened, adding a good amount of paid parking downtown. We hear that Slim is running the lot, which is great news. This lot is located across from Woody’s and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Now there are a few other options for parking in Cruz Bay. Here is a quick rundown:
Free Parking
One small-ish free option is next to the tennis courts in the Bureau of Motor Vehicles lot. This is where the Little Olive food truck is. There are roughly 20 spaces, I believe, but they go fast.
You can also park for free at the customs lot across from the Post Office.
The small lot across from the BVI ferries in Cruz Bay is also free, as is the teeny lot beside it near the walkway to the National Park Visitor’s Center.
There are a handful of spots across from Mongoose Junction on the road that leads behind the National Park Visitor’s Center. Be careful over there, however, as some spots can only be used at certain hours and others are for permitted vehicles only.
(The gravel lot is free, although I am hesitant to park there as we’ve been hearing some stories regarding vandalism lately. So I would stay away from there until that gets cleaned up.)
Lastly, there are a handful of spots in front of Wharfside that are currently available for free. However I believe this will be changing once more businesses reopen in the waterfront complex. We will keep you posted on that.
Free Parking if You’re Using a Business
There are several parking options you can use if you are visiting a business. Parking at Mongoose Junction, Bayside Mini Mart and Lucky Chops/convenience store are all reserved for customers. If you park in these areas and are not using a business or use a business and then walk around town, you will be at risk for getting a ticket, booted or towed.
Paid Parking
There are currently a handful of paid lots in Cruz Bay. You can park at the lot behind the old First Bank, which we mentioned above, Slim Man’s which is across from Wharfside Village, or L&L Jeep Rental’s lot which is across from the ball field and next to Extra Virgin Bistro. The Lumberyard lot just below Dolphin Market also offers a large lot with self parking options.
So there you have it folks. News you can use today! Ps: Can you tell that it’s slow season??!! 🙂
At the risk of asking a really dumb question, if you’re in town and see one of those moveable posts (for instance, outside the Lime Inn), are you allowed to hop out, push the post to the front of the spot and park there — assuming of course you are patronizing the restaurant/store?
Yes, you absolutely can.
I always consider the cost of parking, as part of our vacation expenses and use Slim Mans lot.
Paid parking makes me sad. Too bad there isn’t a shuttle that runs from a lot somewhere just outside of town and makes a nice 10 minute loop.
Chris, it you rent your vehicle from St. John rental companies, you can park free at their lot. The shuttle would a very bad idea. You can park free at the barge dock parking lot and it takes you only a couple of minutes to walk to “down town”.
We are going to do this…. We are staying in St. Thomas but are going to rent from St. John for 3 days so we can travel around St. John – how difficult is the parking around the island. We want to hit some less crowded places – so we thought renting a jeep would be a good idea.
Is it better to take a taxi to the popular beaches vs driving?
We are going in March. Any recommendations would be appreciated!
We LOVE Slims. We had a really weird experience with L&L once where they accused us of lying and overstaying at their lot so we won’t use them again, but Slim has always been really great and reasonably priced. Thanks for the update on additional options.
Thank you for this important information. Is there a convenient way to keep this specific post on your site as a quick reference guide for when we are on island?