Have you ever visited any of the US Virgin Islands – St. Croix, St. Thoms, and St. John? The US Virgin Islands is a great way for U.S. citizens without a passport to experience Caribbean culture and beaches. My family and I have visited two of the three islands: St. Thomas and St. John. St. Croix is next on our list.
Related: Best Places to Travel If You Love the Beach
Did you know that St. Croix gets fewer tourists than the other US Virgin Islands? Thankfully, the island’s economy doesn’t rely solely on tourism dollars. Just because it isn’t a tourist-centered island, doesn’t mean there aren’t points of interest to visit. There’s a saying among the St. Croix natives: Live on St. Croix, shop on St. Thomas, and vacation on St John. Most locals do live on St. Croix, but that is largely due to it being the largest of the three US Virgin Islands. Suffice it to say; there are plenty of things to do and see on St. Croix and many shopping opportunities as well. It’s a great vacation island!
Visit These Interesting Locales on St. Croix
Point Udall
This is located on the eastern tip of St. Croix, which is the easternmost point of the United States. There’s a small monument attesting to this, hiking hills, and not much else. The windswept simplicity of Point Udall is, at least, a good photo opportunity.
The Largest town in St. Croix – Christiansted
The largest town on St. Croix, Christiansted, has many duty-free stores and upscale shops, as well as a wide variety of restaurants. Christiansted is on the notably arid and desert-like east end of St. Croix.
Frederiksted Offers Activities for Cruise Ship Visitors to St. Croix
On the west end of St. Croix is Frederiksted, the other major town of the island. Frederiksted is a cruise port and has souvenir shops, more duty-free shopping, restaurants, and hotels. Fort Frederik Beach is the most easily accessible beach from the cruise ship pier. A mere 28 miles from the east’s cacti, has a lush green rain forest.
Salt River Bay National Historical Park
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is a wildlife sanctuary. It features the largest remaining mangrove forest in the US Virgin Islands. The park also preserves prehistoric and colonial-era archeological sites including the only existing example of a ball court in the US Virgin Islands.
Related: Dreaming of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, and The Sands at Grace Bay
Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge
This is the longest stretch of beach on the island. The Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge has guided hiking tours during the Leatherback Turtle nesting season (April – August).
Scuba Dive in Cane Bay
Cane Bay, on the northern shore, is an internationally known scuba and snorkel site. The sand is soft enough that water shoes aren’t needed. There you can wade or swim around 450 feet out from the beach, and the Cane Bay Wall drop-off there provides gorgeous fish and coral reef views.
Buck Island
Buck Island is the only underwater US National Park. Take a boat; it’s about 2 miles from Christiansted. There are guided tours of the underwater nature trail if desired. The island itself is a nature reserve, and Turtle Beach, on the island’s west side, is one of National Geographic’s Most Beautiful Beaches.
Cruzan Rum Distillery
The Cruzan Rum Distillery produces over a thousand cases of Cruzan Rum daily. The factory has an interesting walking tour – the on-site remnants of a 1600’s sugar mill are especially interesting to history buffs.
For more information on the U.S. Virgin Islands and planning a visit to St. Croix, visit http://www.visitusvi.com.