Best Buck Island Tour: Review of Llewellyn’s Charter 

You can’t swim to Buck Island.

You’ll need a boat, and not just any boat. Only vessels approved by the National Park Service are allowed to take visitors out to Buck Island.

There are five authorized tour operators, each departing from different points around St. Croix:

1. Teroro & Dragonfly: Green Cay Marina (Captain Carl and Heinz)
2. Llewellyn’s Charter: St Croix Yacht Club. No official website. Call 340.773.9027.
3. Jolly Roger: Christiansted Harbor
4. Big Beards Adventure Tour: Christiansted Harbor
5. Caribbean Sea Adventures: Christiansted Harbor or Green Cay Marina (depending on the vessel)

Here is why we chose Llewellyn’s Charter:

✅     #1 – Small Group Experience

Llewellyn’s Charter only takes six passengers at a time, which is a huge win if you’ve ever been on a snorkeling tour.

Small groups make a big difference. No one wants to get a face full of fins while trying to spot a colorful parrotfish. Fewer people means less chaos in the water and a better chance to actually enjoy the marine life.

✅     #2 – Solid Reputation

Llewellyn has been doing this for a long time, since 1960, to be exact. That’s over six decades of sailing and snorkeling expertise, so it’s no surprise he’s built quite a loyal following.

Although Llewellyn wasn’t on board during our tour, I later heard from a thoughtful reader that he’s back at the helm, sailing with guests once again.

✅     #3 – A True Sailing Experience

One of my favorite parts of the trip was that Llewellyn’s Charter uses a 37-foot trimaran sailboat. No motor, just the power of the wind.

It made for a peaceful ride with nothing but fresh ocean air (and none of those unpleasant gas fumes). The crew knew exactly what they were doing, expertly handling the sails as we cruised toward Buck Island. It was the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation.

Llewellyn’s Charter operates out of the St. Croix Yacht Club.

We stayed in Cane Bay at this beautiful vacation rental during our trip, and it took us about 45 minutes to get there.

If you’re using Google Maps, here’s an important tip: don’t turn on Mooring Road, even if your GPS insists.

Instead, keep going past the two Mooring Road signs. Shortly after, you’ll spot a sign for the St. Croix Yacht Club on your left. That’s your turn.

Once you arrive, drive to the gated entrance and enter the code provided by Llewellyn’s Charter on the keypad. That’ll get you through the gate.

From there, you’ll hop into a small rowboat that will take you out to your sailboat, where the snorkeling adventure begins!

My husband and I snorkel all over the world, so we’ve created a snorkel rating key to differentiate all the sites we have visited including Buck Island.

OVERALL SNORKEL RATING KEY

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿   =   World-class snorkeling and worth traveling just for the snorkeling alone!

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿   =   Incredible snorkeling and should be on your list of top things to do!

🤿 🤿 🤿   =   Decent snorkeling and worth the effort!

🤿 🤿   =   Worth consideration if you are running out of things to do!

🤿   =   Not worth it!

My husband and I have spent countless hours snorkeling around St. Croix, and these are our top 5 sites we think are worth your time

We snorkel all over the world, so my husband and I purchased our own snorkeling gear for our travels a while back.

I highly advise getting your own properly-fitted gear. This is essential for having the best underwater experience. Having a mask that keeps fogging or fins that want to fall off will ruin your experience.

After putting our gear on and throwing a life jacket over our chest (they are required), we hopped off the boat and entered the clear waters.

We followed our guide along the underwater trail. The Christmas winds were starting to pick up on the day we went, so the snorkeling was difficult due to the choppy water. I was thankful I brought my snorkel fins.

However, we were still able to see some amazing marine life including a barracuda, parrotfish, and blue tangs.

The true highlight of this excursion though was seeing a massive school of Jacks.

Be prepared that most of the coral is dead, but there are some beautiful sections of elkhorn and brain coral.

Buck Island is just one of the many snorkeling locations you can enjoy around St. Croix.

If you love snorkeling, check out my article on the Top 5 St. Croix Snorkeling Locations.

If you are also heading over to St John, also see my complete guide on the Top St. John Snorkeling Sites.

After our snorkeling excursion, we sailed over to the stunning Turtle Beach.

This is the quintessential Caribbean beach with soft white sand and beautiful turquoise waters.

You can also hike the main trail on the island that takes you to the top. It takes about 45 minutes roundtrip. We were too tired after snorkeling so opted to just relax. There is no snorkeling around Turtle Beach.

We arrived at St. Croix Yacht Club at 9 am and were back around 1 pm, so plan for 4 hours.

Because we were already on the eastern end of the island, we then swung by to check out Point Udall and then had a wonderful lunch at a gas station called Ziggy’s Island Market.

Yes, a gas station, and it was delicious! It is kind of a thing here in St. Croix. Don’t miss it.

If you’re visiting St. Croix, a trip to Buck Island is a must. But try to avoid going on a windy day. Strong winds can make snorkeling challenging, and the infamous Christmas winds are no joke.

We did our best to make the most of it, but I’d love to go back and experience the snorkeling on a calm day.

For a more intimate experience, book your tour with Llewellyn’s Charter. The small group setting makes all the difference.

Need help planning an amazing St. Croix itinerary?

Check out my day-to-day guide!

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Questions about the Buck Island tours?

Let me know in the comments below!