page_title: Water Island, U.S. Virgin Islands
section_title: Honeymoon Beach
hierarchical_section_title: Water Island, U.S. Virgin Islands / Notable features / Honeymoon Beach
caption_attribution_description: English: A beautiful view of Honeymoon beach on Water Island in the United States Virgin Islands.
context_page_description: Water Island, U.S. Virgin Islands was acquired by the USA in 1917 from Denmark but continued to be owned by the Danish East Asiatic Company until several decades later. Since 1996, it has formed part of the United States Virgin Islands, a United States territory located in the Caribbean Sea. The island is of volcanic origin and lies to the south of Saint Thomas in the Charlotte Amalie harbor. Ferry service runs regularly from Crown Bay, Saint Thomas to Phillips Landing, Water Island; the ferry ride is about 10 minutes.
  At 491.5 acres in size is administratively part of the subdistrict of Water Island, in Saint Thomas District. Water Island is a residential island, with a population of 182 and no significant commercial establishments. A number of homes on Water Island are available to accommodate visitors. The main attractions are beaches, including Honeymoon Beach, plantation ruins, Fort Segarra, an underground fort partially constructed by the U.S. during World War II, and scuba diving site Supermarket Reef in Limestone Bay.
  The eastern third of the island is a gated community, Sprat Bay Estates.
context_section_description: One of the principal attractions of Water Island is Honeymoon beach, in Druif Bay, on the west end of the island.  Initially Honeymoon Beach could hardly be called a beach. It was an area about 50 feet (15 m) long strewn with vegetation and rocks and only extended about 10 feet (3.0 m) from the water line. The trees and brush were removed, 200 truck loads of rock and gravel were hauled off, and the beach stone was broken up with a bulldozer. The sand was sifted to remove any remaining debris and a dredge was used to remove the seaweed and to deposit sand on the shore. Rows of palm trees were planted back from the shoreline. This was all accomplished under the direction of Walter Phillips, the Master Leaseholder in the early 1950s.
  In the 1970s Water Island was also home to a sizable hotel called the "Water Island Colony Club" which offered villas for rent as well as hotel rooms.  The name was changed to "Sugar Bird" and met its demise when hurricane Hugo hit.  The barracks for Fort Segarra were used as housing for the employees of the hotel.
caption: Honeymoon beach as it appears today
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