Magens Bay
Magens Bay is a world-famous bay on Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, located in the Caribbean. The beach at Magens BayLocated on the North side of the island, Magens Bay features a well-protected white sand beach stretching for nearly a mile. It is commonly considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and National Geographic has recognized it as such.
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. 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 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. Legend has it that Sir Francis Drake used Magens Bay as an anchorage while waiting for ships to plunder.