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US Virgin Islands
Hmm, which of the US Virgin Islands (USVI) to choose for hammock-strewn beaches, conch fritters and preposterously blue water? Easy: any one, though each differs in personality. St Thomas has more resorts and water sports than you can shake a beach towel at and is the most developed island, with dizzying cruise-ship traffic. St John cloaks two-thirds of its area in parkland and sublime shores, ripe for hiking and snorkeling. It leads the way in environmental preservation and draws a more outdoorsy crowd. The largest Virgin, St Croix, pleases divers and drinkers with extraordinary scuba sites and rum factories. It's the furthest-flung island and offers the greatest immersion in local life. Wherever you go, get ready for reggae rhythms, curried meats and mango-sweetened microbrews. These are US territories, but they feel a world away.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Christiansted National Historic Site
St Croix
This historic site includes several structures. The most impressive is Fort Christiansvaern (1749), a four-point citadel occupying the deep-yellow…
US Virgin Islands
The sugary mile that fringes Magens Bay, 3 miles north of Charlotte Amalie, makes almost every travel publication’s list of beautiful beaches. The seas…
St John
This bay adjoins the Annaberg mill ruins. Park in the plantation’s lot and follow the trail along the water for 25 minutes. Some of St John’s best…
St Croix
This secluded beach off Rte 82 offers no shade or facilities, and you'll have to hike about 20 minutes through scrub to reach it, but you'd be hard…
St John
Part of the national park, this site near Leinster Bay is home to the most intact sugar-plantation ruins in the Virgin Islands. A 30-minute self-directed…
US Virgin Islands
Water Island’s palm-lined main attraction offers fine swimming and snorkeling in calm, shallow water. A couple of beach bars sell drinks, sandwiches and…
St Croix
To find out how the islands’ popular elixir gets made, stop by the historic distillery for a tour. The journey through the oak-barrel-stacked warehouses…
St John
Francis Bay is home to one of the most serene stretches of sand on St John, with calm waters and fewer tourists than at any other beach of its size. It's…
Attractions
Top picks from our travel experts
US Virgin Islands
Next door to Havensight is this marina and chic shop complex. Gucci and Louis Vuitton headline the tony roster, along with several waterfront bistros…
St John
VI National Park covers two-thirds of St John, plus 5650 acres underwater. It’s a tremendous resource, offering miles of shoreline, pristine reefs and 26…
US Virgin Islands
It may be a frame shack in the middle of a paved parking lot, but Duffy’s creates its legendary, tiki-themed atmosphere with high-volume rock and crowds…
US Virgin Islands
Fun, casual, family-owned Bolongo offers a full array of water sports. The rooms won’t win awards for size or decor, but who cares? You’ll be outside. …
US Virgin Islands
Sometimes called the ‘Fourth Virgin,’ Water Island floats spitting distance from Charlotte Amalie. But with only about 200 residents and very few cars or…
US Virgin Islands
The sugary mile that fringes Magens Bay, 3 miles north of Charlotte Amalie, makes almost every travel publication’s list of beautiful beaches. The seas…
US Virgin Islands
The VI's top gallery is far removed in both quality and distance from its downtown brethren. Intricate Haitian metal pieces and contemporary paintings…
US Virgin Islands
This beyond-the-norm sports bar lets you sip a decent beer selection and cheap bourbon drinks while munching juicy burgers and thick, hand-cut fries in…
US Virgin Islands
This colorful artists' colony near Tutu Park Mall lures hippies, thinkers, musicians and outcasts with its good-times vibe and welcoming spirit. On any…
US Virgin Islands
Located in Pissarro’s boyhood home, the gallery sells a few reproductions of the famous impressionist’s St Thomas scenes but focuses on works by…
US Virgin Islands
The island’s ‘Frenchies,’ aka Huguenots who emigrated to St Thomas from St-Barthélemy during the mid-19th century, populated this community of brightly…
US Virgin Islands
This beach, located behind the University of the Virgin Islands, is beloved of students, local families and shell-spotters alike. There are restroom…
Buck Island Reef National Monument
St Croix
For such a small landmass – 1 mile long by half a mile wide – Buck Island draws big crowds. It’s not so much what’s on top but what’s underneath that…
US Virgin Islands
These stairs lead from Kongens Gade up into a canopy of trees at the foot of Blackbeard's Castle. The steps, of which there are actually 103 (though you…
US Virgin Islands
This brewery is indeed micro: it's only open a few days a week, it only brews five beers, and they're only on tap here and at eight island restaurants…
US Virgin Islands
Water Island’s palm-lined main attraction offers fine swimming and snorkeling in calm, shallow water. A couple of beach bars sell drinks, sandwiches and…
US Virgin Islands
Food trucks may now be a ubiquitous trend, but there are few parts of the world where a 'food boat' is the most popular eatery around. Such is the case…
US Virgin Islands
Red-brick Fort Christian is the oldest Danish fortification in the Caribbean, dating to 1672. Over the years it has housed a jail, a governor’s residence…
US Virgin Islands
Each wood-frame-and-canvas cottage has beds, linens, electrical outlets and a table and chairs inside. Guests share the communal bathhouse, cooking…
US Virgin Islands
The company offers a three-hour guided kayaking-and-snorkeling expedition where you paddle through a mangrove lagoon to a beach, go for a short hike to a…
US Virgin Islands
This is the famous mall that most cruise visitors beeline to. Here you can buy everything from watches and jewels to tobacco and liquor.
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Beaches
The best 7 beaches on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands: snorkel, splash, and relaxJun 5, 2022 • 5 min read
- BeachesThe best things do to in St Thomas: beaches, bars and turtle-filled bays
Jun 4, 2022 • 7 min read
ActivitiesThe best things to do in the US Virgin Islands: secret beaches, spiced rum and Caribbean cuisineMay 19, 2022 • 8 min read
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