Magens Bay
Encyclopedia
Magens Bay is a bay on Saint Thomas
, United States Virgin Islands
, located in the Caribbean
.
Located on the North (Atlantic
) side of the island, Magens Bay features a well-protected white sand beach stretching for nearly a mile. It is one of the most popular tourist beach destinations on the island.
With its clear water, soft sand, and palm trees, it is commonly considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the Virgin Islands.
Magens Bay was previously owned by Arthur Fairchild, who gave most of it as a gift to the Municipality of St. Thomas and St. John in 1943 for use as a public park. The far Western portion was donated by Fairchild's nephew's widow, Christine Wheaton, in 2002. The Bay is currently administered by the semi-autonomous Magens Bay Authority. The services provided by the Authority include lifeguards, parking, showers and bathrooms, and there are snack counter, bar, souvenir shop, and beach chair/float, windsurfer and small sailboat rental concessions. The Authority is a self-sustaining entity which funds its operations by charging a per-person entrance fee (currently $4.00 for visitors and $2.00 for locals), parking fees, as well as payments received from the park's restaurant and rental concessions.
In 2006, the territorial government purchased nearby Lindquist Beach from private owners and in 2008 opened it up as a public park and gave it to the Magens Bay Authority to manage.
Legend has it that Sir Francis Drake
used Magens Bay as an anchorage while waiting for ships to plunder.
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
, United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
, located in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
) side of the island, Magens Bay features a well-protected white sand beach stretching for nearly a mile. It is one of the most popular tourist beach destinations on the island.
With its clear water, soft sand, and palm trees, it is commonly considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the Virgin Islands.
Magens Bay was previously owned by Arthur Fairchild, who gave most of it as a gift to the Municipality of St. Thomas and St. John in 1943 for use as a public park. The far Western portion was donated by Fairchild's nephew's widow, Christine Wheaton, in 2002. The Bay is currently administered by the semi-autonomous Magens Bay Authority. The services provided by the Authority include lifeguards, parking, showers and bathrooms, and there are snack counter, bar, souvenir shop, and beach chair/float, windsurfer and small sailboat rental concessions. The Authority is a self-sustaining entity which funds its operations by charging a per-person entrance fee (currently $4.00 for visitors and $2.00 for locals), parking fees, as well as payments received from the park's restaurant and rental concessions.
In 2006, the territorial government purchased nearby Lindquist Beach from private owners and in 2008 opened it up as a public park and gave it to the Magens Bay Authority to manage.
Legend has it that Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
used Magens Bay as an anchorage while waiting for ships to plunder.
External links
- Magens Bay Authority - Official site
- Location on Google Maps