Beaches · North Shore / Salt River Bay

Columbus Landing (Salt River Bay)

Salt River Bay's fame runs in two very different directions, and most visitors only come for one. By day, this is a National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve marking the only site in the United States confirmed to have been visited by Christopher Columbus, during his second voyage in 1493 — a detail that draws history-minded travelers to what's otherwise a quiet, undeveloped beach with mangroves, an estuary, and decent snorkeling along the shoreline. By night, the bay becomes one of a small number of true bioluminescent bodies of water in the world, and multiple licensed kayak outfitters run guided tours (some in fully transparent kayaks) that paddle guests out to watch the water glow when disturbed — reviewers consistently call it one of the standout experiences on St. Croix, though a few caution that the intensity varies with moon phase and weather, and photos rarely capture what it looks like in person. During the day there are no facilities at the beach itself, so the daytime visit and the nighttime tour are really two separate trips worth planning for separately.