Drake's Seat Photos
Recommended Reviews - Drake's Seat
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Was brought here by my taxi driver - he said it's the best place to get a photo op in. This is a lookout spot at the top of a hill that overlooks Magens bay beach and a huge chunk of the island - it's just stunning! There were lots of jasmine bushes nearby too, it smelled lovely. I don't have much else to say about this place; I would say if you're passing nearby you should stop and get a pic! But if not, I wouldn't go out of the way just to come up the *very steep* hill just for a single photo here.
Drake's Seat is the vantage point where Sir Francis Drake supposedly watched for enemy ships of the Spanish fleet. I drove here after my beach day at Magens Bay Beach, it's about 5 mins away. This lookout is amazing and gives a panoramic and breathtaking view of Magens Bay and the Island..stop by for a few minutes and indulge on your way to or from another activity, it's worth it!
Great spot to stop off on your drive around St. Thomas! We stopped here on our way to Magens Bay, and we'd recommend you do the same. The overlook has fantastic views of the bay and the BVI's. There is a pull-off on the side of the road with parking for a few vehicles, and people don't seem to stay for more than 5-10 minutes, so the parking opens up pretty quickly. After parking, you need to cross the street via a crosswalk to get to the actual seat, but be careful as sight distance isn't great around the curve, and drivers can be flying through the area. Definitely worth the visit!
So who is Drake and why do we care so much about his seat that this is a typical stop on all island tours of St. Thomas? Well many locals say this is the look out that Sir Francis Drake used to spy on enemy Spanish ships in the 1600's. Others say he never set foot on St. Thomas, and this landmark was given the name "Drakes Seat" in the early 1900's by philanthropist Arthur Fairchild (one time head of the NYSE) because he thought it was cool. I think in 2016 it's a neat detour on the North side of St. Thomas to take in breezy views of Tortola and the rest of the British Virgin Islands, while sipping on a Loco Coco from John the Coconut Man! Now you're wondering of what a Loco Coco is. Well its a 1/4 bottle of Cruzan rum dumped into a freshly macheted coconut for $10. The volume of drink you get is equivalent to two or three rounds of cocktails making this a pretty good deal for happy hour on the island. Yup there are no open container laws on this island, and parking lines are just a guideline that you cant expect to be followed. Wednesdays and Thursdays (the most cruise ships are in town) are when the car situation can get cray cray up here, so don't be afraid to be creative with your parking. Look both ways before crossing the street if you decide to sit on Drakes seat. I've seen a lot of close calls, and nope, pedestrians don't have the right of way here. I've read a few Yelp and TripAdvisor posts about a Donkey man that used to bring his donkeys up here to take photos with tourists, but we were told by one of our tour guides that he recently passed away and that is the reason for the purple ribbon tied to the fence. Super sad as it seems like generations of tourist folk have been taking photos with his donkeys, but it looks like he was replaced by John the coconut man. All in all I wouldn't go out of my way to get here, but luckily for most of you its a stop on the way to the majority of the interesting parts of the north side of St. Thomas.
Talk about an amazing view! (Not that the island isn't full of them!) But, if you're visiting the island you should definitely stop here for your Instagram worthy shots. It's overlooking Magens Bay. They have several parking spots for easy stopping and photo taking. The tour buses stop here often for about 10 minutes or so. Hopefully you're visiting on your own and not with a tour group so you can take your time and really take in the views.
Stumbled upon this overlook while driving over to Magens Bay. Worth a stop to admire the view - you're on vacation after all! Do watch out for cars driving by! Not as impressive compared to paradise point gazing at cruise ships docked in the main bay, but beats paying $20 for the skyride there!
It was one of our tour stops before heading to Blackbeard's Castle. Our group of 16 were all seated comfortably in Alvin's "Love Chariot" (an open-air safari bus/taxi). He gave us a great tour as we headed up the hill from the Havensight terminal. It was a fun & breezy ride! We stopped at the overlook which is technically a small rest stop, at a bend in the road, with a few parking spaces. The green seat that's named after Sir Francis Drake is across the street. It was built by Arthur Fairchild in 1933 for weary travelers walking up the hill. I was hoping to find a link between Arthur (the wealthy philanthropist) and David Fairchild (the famous Botanist), but there's no such connection. Apparently, the view at the overlook in the parking area is much better than the seat. This is where we stopped to see that beautiful view of Magens Bay, the shoreline, and some of the islands & cays that are the VI. It's such a great panoramic look from the north side of the island. I give it 5 stars because it's free to the public, and there's no one trying to sell you something here. It allows you to enjoy that beautiful view without interruptions. Is it worth a stop? It all depends on how you're getting there. There are just too many vehicles stopping at the bend and trying to make their own parking spots in tight spaces. IMO, just leave those worries to an expert who knows this place well. read more
It was actually suggested by a local guy after a couple of drinks the kind of island advice you'd be foolish not to take. "You gotta go see Drake's Seat," he said. So we grabbed a cab, and honestly, the ride up the hills of Saint Thomas might have been the best part. Our cab driver looked like he'd been doing this since pirates were still parking ships in the harbor dark hair, big glasses, this mischievous grin, and a thick island accent. The guy had jokes for days. At one point he glanced in the mirror and said, "You know why island taxis don't need GPS? Because if we get lost, we just call it a scenic tour and charge extra!" Then he laughed so hard he almost missed the turn. By the end of the ride he'd basically turned the whole thing into a narrated comedy tour, and later that night we even ran into him again and shared a couple drinks like old friends. And then you get to the top and wow. The view from Drake's Seat is pure Caribbean theater. From that little overlook you're staring down at Magens Bay, a perfect turquoise crescent framed by lush green hills, with islands scattered across the horizon like jewels dropped in the sea. Legend says the infamous English privateer Sir Francis Drake once used this very vantage point to watch for Spanish treasure ships sailing through the Caribbean, and whether that's myth or not, you can see why someone would keep lookout here. The overlook itself was created in 1933 as a scenic rest stop, and today it's still one of the most famous viewpoints on the island. It's the kind of place where you step out of the cab, the breeze hits your face, the water sparkles below... and you suddenly understand why people fall in love with the Virgin Islands in the first place. read more
1 year ago
Was brought here by my taxi driver - he said it's the best place to get a photo op in. This is a lookout spot at the top of a hill that overlooks Magens bay beach and a huge chunk of the island - it's just stunning! There were lots of jasmine bushes nearby too, it smelled lovely. I don't have much else to say about this place; I would say if you're passing nearby you should stop and get a pic! But if not, I wouldn't go out of the way just to come up the *very steep* hill just for a single photo here. read more
Drake's Seat is the vantage point where Sir Francis Drake supposedly watched for enemy ships of the Spanish fleet. I drove here after my beach day at Magens Bay Beach, it's about 5 mins away. This lookout is amazing and gives a panoramic and breathtaking view of Magens Bay and the Island..stop by for a few minutes and indulge on your way to or from another activity, it's worth it! read more
Great spot to stop off on your drive around St. Thomas! We stopped here on our way to Magens Bay, and we'd recommend you do the same. The overlook has fantastic views of the bay and the BVI's. There is a pull-off on the side of the road with parking for a few vehicles, and people don't seem to stay for more than 5-10 minutes, so the parking opens up pretty quickly. After parking, you need to cross the street via a crosswalk to get to the actual seat, but be careful as sight distance isn't great around the curve, and drivers can be flying through the area. Definitely worth the visit! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
10 years ago
So who is Drake and why do we care so much about his seat that this is a typical stop on all island tours of St. Thomas? Well many locals say this is the look out that Sir Francis Drake used to spy on enemy Spanish ships in the 1600's. Others say he never set foot on St. Thomas, and this landmark was given the name "Drakes Seat" in the early 1900's by philanthropist Arthur Fairchild (one time head of the NYSE) because he thought it was cool. I think in 2016 it's a neat detour on the North side of St. Thomas to take in breezy views of Tortola and the rest of the British Virgin Islands, while sipping on a Loco Coco from John the Coconut Man! Now you're wondering of what a Loco Coco is. Well its a 1/4 bottle of Cruzan rum dumped into a freshly macheted coconut for $10. The volume of drink you get is equivalent to two or three rounds of cocktails making this a pretty good deal for happy hour on the island. Yup there are no open container laws on this island, and parking lines are just a guideline that you cant expect to be followed. Wednesdays and Thursdays (the most cruise ships are in town) are when the car situation can get cray cray up here, so don't be afraid to be creative with your parking. Look both ways before crossing the street if you decide to sit on Drakes seat. I've seen a lot of close calls, and nope, pedestrians don't have the right of way here. I've read a few Yelp and TripAdvisor posts about a Donkey man that used to bring his donkeys up here to take photos with tourists, but we were told by one of our tour guides that he recently passed away and that is the reason for the purple ribbon tied to the fence. Super sad as it seems like generations of tourist folk have been taking photos with his donkeys, but it looks like he was replaced by John the coconut man. All in all I wouldn't go out of my way to get here, but luckily for most of you its a stop on the way to the majority of the interesting parts of the north side of St. Thomas. read more
Talk about an amazing view! (Not that the island isn't full of them!) But, if you're visiting the island you should definitely stop here for your Instagram worthy shots. It's overlooking Magens Bay. They have several parking spots for easy stopping and photo taking. The tour buses stop here often for about 10 minutes or so. Hopefully you're visiting on your own and not with a tour group so you can take your time and really take in the views. read more
4 years ago
Stumbled upon this overlook while driving over to Magens Bay. Worth a stop to admire the view - you're on vacation after all! Do watch out for cars driving by! Not as impressive compared to paradise point gazing at cruise ships docked in the main bay, but beats paying $20 for the skyride there! read more
A definite MUST see if you are on the island. Taxis will take you here or if you have a car, do it! The views are spectacular. I took way too many photos here and came back twice, just because it is the best view of everything. Limited parking is available, but I never experienced any issues with that. It is quite the scenic drive here up the mountain! read more
13 years ago
10 years ago
Amazing views. Hard to get to but well worth it. Be careful not much keeping you from falling off the cliff. read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
Gorgeous view!!! This is a must when visiting the island! You're overlooking the beautiful Magens bay. read more
11 years ago
