Little Saint James

Little Saint James is a privately owned island in the United States Virgin Islands, administratively associated with the Saint Thomas district. The island was purchased and developed in 1998 and is known for its private residential compound and multiple built structures.

The island is not a public tourist destination and has no visitor facilities; interest is primarily historical and journalistic rather than recreational. Notable features visible from surrounding waters include a main villa complex, multiple guest buildings, a dock and helipad, and a distinct white, temple-like building set above the compound.

The island was purchased and developed by financier Jeffrey Epstein in 1998; construction added several residential buildings, guest accommodations and transport facilities. After Epstein’s 2019 arrest and subsequent death, the property received extensive media and legal attention and became the subject of investigations and claims related to his estate.

Little Saint James lies in the Caribbean Sea within the U.S. Virgin Islands, southeast of the main island of Saint Thomas. The island is accessible only by private boat or helicopter and sits among a cluster of small private islands in the same archipelago.

• Access: Island is privately owned and off-limits to the public; approach by boat or helicopter requires permission from the owner or estate managers.
• Ownership history: Bought and developed by financier Jeffrey Epstein in 1998; the site became the subject of criminal investigations and legal claims after 2019.

What to See #

• Structures: Group of built structures including a main villa, several guest houses, a dock, and a helipad clustered on the island's shoreline and interior; buildings are privately owned and not open to the public.
• White building (hilltop): A small freestanding white building often described in media as temple-like located uphill from the main compound; its exact function has been subject to public attention.