Things to do nearLittle Saint James

Little Saint James is a small cay of roughly 75 acres located at the eastern end of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. For decades it was known primarily as a quiet outcropping visible from the ferry lanes between St. Thomas and St. John, its hillside structure a distant landmark for passing boaters.

The island became the subject of intense international scrutiny after it was revealed as the primary residence of Jeffrey Epstein, who owned it from the 1990s until his death in 2019. The notoriety transformed it from an obscure Caribbean cay into one of the most discussed private islands in the world. Federal and local investigations followed, and the island was subsequently sold as part of estate proceedings.

For those exploring by water, the surrounding seascape remains genuinely beautiful. Snorkeling along the reefs near the cay reveals healthy coral formations and schools of tropical fish, and the views back toward St. Thomas and across to Great Saint James are striking. Boaters also use the passage between the two islands as a waypoint when heading toward the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John.

The waters here are part of a broader archipelago that rewards exploration. The island itself stands as an unusual landmark, one whose story is inseparable from its place in recent history, making it worth understanding even if it cannot be visited on land.