Hiking, Snorkeling, and Windmills, Oh My!

The remains of uniquely constructed windmills are a bonus feature on the island of St. John, which was once a production center for sugarcane.

The ruins of the Annaberg sugar plantation on the island of St. John still stand, two centuries later. Amaury Laporte/CC BY-SA 2.0

While visitors might expect to snorkel, swim, and hike during a visit to St. John and the Virgin Island National Park, trekking to the remains of windmills may be an unexpected—albeit captivating—bonus.

Indeed, this Caribbean island is the only one of the three main U.S. Virgin Islands that includes one of the 63 National Parks. Within the 23-mile protected area are four easily accessible windmills. There’s a fifth one outside the national park on an estate called Susannaberg. A few other windmill ruins exist, but they are more difficult to get to.