Phantasea Tropical Botanical Garden — Attraction in Saint Thomas

Beautiful rainforest gardens on a hillside overlooking stunning views. Phenomenal and active orchid curation, makes use of hurricane tree-fall in one spot as a nursery for new orchids. Feels larger than its footprint, and abundant mature trees and foliage with low-profile paths give the feeling of being truly immersed in the natural forest. Brilliant use of tree frog habitat and carnivorous plants keep insects from being pests on the trails - and signage that explains all of this is a huge plus. Knowledgeable docents, and the owner is often on-site and performing her own outreach. Also, if you want locally raised eggs rather than the "2 dozen only" you can get in the local Pueblo, their gift shop admission booth sells the eggs from their chickens for $8 (Dec 2023) which seems expensive until you price the alternatives 🙂 Benches are available at the various levels along the winding paths, and a couple of larger structures (a deck with seating at one view point and an open gazebo grouped with benches and chairs at another), but people with mobility issues would find the hillside challenging, and I would not try a wheelchair here at all, too steep and narrow... others will find it a nice exercise in addition to the beautiful and interesting surroundings. Parking is tiny on a one-way road, so visit this on a weekday off-peak time for...

Ran across this true gem of an experience while on vacation in St. Thomas a week or so ago. My girlfriend and I went later in the day about an hour before they closed and aside from one other couple we had the whole place to ourselves. WOW. First of all, the amount and varieties of orchids are astounding. Some of the prettiest flowers we have ever seen. The whole garden is a stunning outside walk-thru of luscious trees, amazing flowers, and lots of insects (not the biting kind), lizards, turtles, birds, and other animals that really enhance this one-of-a-kind natural experience. As we were leaving, we ran into the owner (Patsy) who was just the nicest person to have a conversation with. She has some vanilla orchids on the property that she hand pollinates (that produce beans that you can purchase!!! - USVI Vanilla Beans? Yes Please!) and plans to expand her vanilla operation - we hope she does! All in All, one of the best experiences we had while visiting the island. We can't wait to go back. If you have the chance to go, cross your fingers that you run into Patsy and she has fresh cinnamon rolls... You won't be...

This is a hidden tropical paradise!! We own a flower shop in Virginia and are always interested in visiting gardens / rain forests when traveling to see plants and flowers in their natural habitat (verses in a box cut and packed neatly). We were greeted at the entrance by a lovely lady who kindly gave us a short tour and information as we began to explore. To say we were in awe would be an understatement! Hundreds and hundreds of varieties of things we’ve seen / sold and things we’ve never seen before. The winding paths through the mountain side are cleverly thought out with peaking views of Magen’s Bay along the way. We were delighted to spend our morning exploring and highly recommend this hidden gem during your visit to the beautiful island...