Salt River Bay is the only site within what is now US territory where a Columbus expedition is confirmed to have made landfall, and it has layers of history going back far deeper than 1493. Underwater in the bay's silted edges lie the remains of a pre-Columbian Taíno ball court and ceremonial plaza — one of only a handful of such sites found in the Lesser Antilles — along with burial grounds and the middens of a village that was active for centuries before Europeans arrived. It's a place where you can stand at the intersection of indigenous Caribbean history and the first moments of European contact.
Above the waterline, the bay is an active mangrove estuary with remarkably healthy ecosystems: bioluminescent dinoflagellates in the water at night, nesting sea turtles on the beaches, and migratory birds in the mangrove canopy. Kayaking through the mangroves at dusk, then floating in the bioluminescent bay after dark, is one of the better experiences on the island. Several local operators run guided night kayak tours. The National Park Service manages the site jointly with the Virgin Islands government; there's a small visitor area but limited facilities.