St John's Island

St John's Island is a 40.5-hectare island in Singapore's Southern Islands, about 6.5 km south of the main island. Formerly a quarantine station and penal settlement, it is now a tranquil getaway known for its sandy beaches, sheltered lagoons, tropical forests and heritage trails. Accessible only by ferry from Marina South Pier, it offers swimming, picnicking and nature walks with causeway access to neighbouring Lazarus Island.

Visitors arrive by ferry at a small jetty and find a quiet, low-development island with sandy beaches, clear lagoons for swimming, shaded picnic pavilions, and forested trails. The island has paved roads and footpaths linking beaches, a heritage trail with information boards about the former quarantine station, and a causeway walk to Lazarus Island. Facilities are basic with toilets and shelters but no shops or restaurants. The environment is natural and peaceful, with resident cats, tropical vegetation and views of the Singapore Strait.

From 1874 to 1976 the island served as a quarantine station for immigrants and later for infectious disease cases. It also housed a penal settlement for political detainees and later a drug rehabilitation centre. Remnants of the quarantine facilities, staff quarters and detention centres remain, with a heritage trail documenting this history. The island was developed for recreational use from the 1970s.