How to Get to Buck Island from St. Croix: Ferry, Tours & Private Boats

Buck Island Reef National Monument sits about 1½ miles off the north shore of St. Croix, and it’s a 5.5-mile (8.8 km) trip from Christiansted, according to the National Park Service. It’s uninhabited, protected and has no visitor services, which is a big part of its appeal. It also means you can’t just hop on a bus or a ferry. Here’s how getting there actually works.

Is there a ferry to Buck Island?

No. Lots of people search for a “Buck Island ferry”, but there isn’t a public ferry service. The National Park Service says Buck Island is accessible only by vessel, either private or concessionaire. Concession boats leave from Christiansted and from Green Cay Marina, just east of Christiansted.

In practice, that leaves three options:

1. A shared tour with an authorized NPS concessioner. You pay per person and join a scheduled trip.
2. A private charter, where you have the whole boat, captain and crew to yourselves.
3. Your own boat, if you’re sailing or renting one and know the park rules.

Caribbean Sea Adventures is listed by the National Park Service as one of the Buck Island concessioners, and we run both shared tours and private charters.

Option 1: A shared Buck Island tour

For most visitors, a shared tour is the easiest and most affordable way to go. On the snorkel trips, snorkel gear, a lesson, a guide in the water and national park fees are all included (Beach & Hike and Sunday Funday are beach days, with park fees included), and you don’t need to know anything about boats or park rules. These are the shared trips we run:

If this is your first visit, the Half Day Snorkel is the one most people pick. You get a snorkel lesson at Turtle Beach, a guided swim along the underwater trail and about an hour of snorkeling in total, and you’re back in Christiansted about 3.5 hours after you left, with the rest of the day free. If you’d rather sail and have more beach time, the Full Day Sail is the slower, longer version.

Option 2: A private charter

A private charter means the boat is yours: you choose the time and the mix of snorkeling, beach time and cruising, within National Park Service rules. It suits families, groups of friends, special occasions and anyone who’d rather not share. We have six boats for private trips, priced per boat rather than per person:

• Smooth Recovery: from $900 for 3 hours for up to 6 guests (+$100 per extra guest, up to 12).
• Inconceivable (sailing catamaran) and Good Times (power catamaran): from $1,650 for 4 hours, up to 12 guests.
• Wave Dancer: a full day of sailing for $1,750.
• Mile Mark, our glass bottom boat: from $1,800, for groups of up to 40.
• Celebration: from $3,420 for 3.5 hours, for groups of up to 30.

Not sure which suits your group? Our guide to private charters vs group tours compares them side by side.

Option 3: Taking your own boat

If you’re arriving on your own boat, the National Park Service has a few rules to know before you go:

• Anchoring is allowed only in the designated anchorage off West Beach. As of January 17, 2025, the NPS says no anchoring permit is required, and updated permit procedures will be announced. Check the park’s alerts before you go.
• Vessels over 42 feet aren’t permitted in the lagoon. The NPS suggests taking a dinghy to the underwater trail (outdoor activities).
• Go slowly through monument waters and watch out for snorkelers at all times.
• The park is open from 7 am to 5 pm and closed from sunset to sunrise to protect nesting sea turtles. Overnight camping isn’t allowed.
• The whole monument is a marine protected area: no fishing and no collecting, including shells and rocks.

We don’t rent boats out without a captain. Our private charters are the captained way to have a boat to yourselves, with snorkel gear and park fees included.

How long does it take to get to Buck Island?

The NPS puts the trip at between 40 minutes and 1½ hours, depending on whether you sail or motor and on the weather. On our boats:

• About 30 minutes from Christiansted on Celebration, our power catamaran (the Half Day Snorkel and Sunday Funday).
• About 30–45 minutes on our other powerboats.
• About 1½ hours under sail on Wave Dancer or Inconceivable, depending on the wind. On the sailing trips, the ride is part of the fun.

Where do Buck Island boats leave from?

The Half Day Snorkel always departs from Christiansted. Other tours depart from Christiansted or Green Cay Marina, so please check your confirmation for your departure point, or call us at (340) 773-2628 with any questions. Please arrive 30 minutes before Buck Island tours (20 minutes for Snorkelers in Paradise and Beach & Hike). Smooth Recovery, Inconceivable and Good Times charters leave from Green Cay Marina, east of Christiansted. Wave Dancer departs from Christiansted now and from Green Cay Marina starting Nov 1, 2026.

In Christiansted, the Government parking lot at the corner of Strand St and King Cross is $1 an hour or $5 a day on weekdays and free on weekends. The free Fort parking lot on Hospital Gade is open 9 am to 4:30 pm, and cars still there after 4:30 pm are towed. The contact page has a map and directions.

Coming off a cruise ship? Ships dock in Frederiksted, about a 40-minute taxi ride from Christiansted, and we don’t provide transport. See our cruise ship day guide for which trips fit your ship’s schedule.

What does it cost to visit Buck Island?

There’s no entrance fee for Buck Island Reef National Monument. Your only cost is the boat. Shared tours start at $65 per person (Sunday Funday) and $75 for young adults on the Half Day Snorkel, and national park fees are included on all our trips. Groups of 10 or more save 10% automatically on the half day trips when booking online. Senior, military and local discounts are available by phone.

What to bring

We’re going to an uninhabited island, so there’s nobody there selling drinks or renting shade. Drinking water, snorkel gear and park fees are covered. Bring:

• Reef-safe sunscreen, or a sun shirt. Sunscreens containing oxybenzone are prohibited on our trips (see our environmental notice).
• A hat, sunglasses, a towel and your bathing suit.
• Snacks or lunch (our boats have cold storage) and a reusable water bottle.
• Sneakers if you plan to hike to the overlook.
• Cash for your crew’s gratuity.