How to Get to Drifters — Directions the Locals Actually Use

The single most common question we get isn't about the menu or the sunset — it's some version of "wait, how do I actually get up there?" Drifters sits at 760 feet on the ridge above Cruz Bay, on the old Colombo's turn-off, and while it's only about eight minutes from the ferry, it's eight minutes of steep, hairpin, left-hand-drive island road. This is the directions post we wish existed the first time we drove it.

Locals rarely give you the mile markers. They give you landmarks — the turn after the church, the sign you can't miss if you're going the right speed. That's the version we'll walk you through, in the order you'll actually see them.

What the drive up looks like

The drive from Cruz Bay to Drifters is the trailer for the view you're about to see. You climb out of town on Centerline Road, the trees close in, and every gap in the canopy shows you another piece of the harbor from a little higher up. By the time you make the last turn, you can see St. Thomas on the horizon and the ferries look like toys.

A few things to expect:

• Left-hand drive. The USVI drives on the left. Rental cars are still left-hand-drive American cars, which feels backwards until it doesn't. Take it slow the first mile.
• Steep grades. Centerline earns its name — it runs the spine of the island. Second gear is your friend on the way up, low gear on the way down.
• Blind curves with beeps. Locals tap the horn at hairpins. It's not aggression; it's a heads-up. Do the same.
• Cell service dips. Load the directions before you leave Cruz Bay. Google Maps drops out on the ridge.

Timing the drive so you actually enjoy it

Coming for lunch or a smoothie: anytime after 10 a.m. is easy — the light is high, the road is quiet, and parking is wide open.

Coming for sunset: leave Cruz Bay 45 minutes before sunset if you're driving yourself. You'll want ten minutes to settle in, order, and pick your spot on the deck before the light starts folding into the horizon.

Coming by taxi: arrange the return ride when you're dropped off, or ask us to call one. Taxis don't circle up here the way they circle Cruz Bay — the ridge is quiet enough that "just grab one outside" isn't the plan.

That's the whole trick. Once you've done the drive once, you own it — and the view at the top is the reason. Have a look at the menu before you head up, or order ahead and we'll have it waiting. New to the island entirely? Start with our first-timer's guide to St. John and plan the rest of the day around the climb.