The U.S. Virgin Islands are a fast, worry-free Caribbean fix: An American territory, they're English-speaking, use the U.S. dollar, and offer a lot of choice in terms of what to do and where to stay and eat. The Virgin Island archipelago encompasses the three U.S. Virgins—St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas—and a number of smaller islands that lie south and west of the British Virgins. On the whole, the islands are small and closely spaced, making it easy to hop from one to another. The most visited, St. Thomas, has good airline connections and is home to the capital, Charlotte Amalie, a popular cruise-ship port. St. John, whose leafy hills and crystalline waters are largely incorporated into the Virgin Islands National Park, is a pristine nature lover's retreat. The most populous island, St. Croix, has its own distinct feel, with varied colonial architecture and old plantations and rum distilleries to tour.
Island Vacation | US Virgin Island VacationCharlotte Amalie is the busy port town, with rows of jewelry, clothing, and duty-free shops around Main Street, arty street fair merchandise at Vendor's Plaza, and the Fort Christian Museum. Beaches are the island's main draw; with a mile of white sand, the one at Magens Bay, on the north coast, is the longest, and it ranks among the world's prettiest. In the winter, cruise ship passengers abound, so be sure to visit between dockings (many businesses post weekly cruise schedules). Other notable beaches include Sapphire and Coki, both on the east coast.
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Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List of the best places in the world to stay, the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas is the most luxurious of the island's big-name resorts. Like a grand estate, the main building has marbled arcades, elegant arches, fountains, and well-manicured grounds overlooking the picturesque Great Bay.
Spread over 15 hilly acres, the laid-back Point Pleasant Resort has 132 villa-style suites, each with a kitchen and a patio with water views of the neighboring British Virgin Islands. There are three small pools, and guests have access to the little beach fronting the next-door Renaissance Resort. The Point Pleasant's casual, funky restaurant Fungi's on the Beach is right on the water, and its Agavé Terrace has romantic bay views.
The small stone-and-stucco Hotel 1829, next to the Government House in Charlotte Amalie, was built as a residence for a prominent French merchant and is now a National Historic Site, with original Moorish tiling and a courtyard with overflowing potted plants and a bubbling fountain. The 15 atmospheric guest rooms have wood-beamed ceilings, bamboo beds, and hand-carved wooden shutters and doors. The alfresco restaurant is one of the island's best, with a creative menu, good service, and a prime view of the harbor.
You can be near both Charlotte Amalie and the beach if you stay at the sprawling Marriott, which is actually two properties. The Marriott Frenchman's Reef is huge, with tennis courts, a health club, water sports, and restaurants—all of which it shares with the more pleasant Marriott Morning Star Beach Resort. Smaller in scale, it has its own large pool, restaurants, and 96 rooms in five bright, cottage-style houses right along the water. The rooms are unremarkable, except for the private terraces with views of the bay or, less spectacularly, of the gardens.
Island Vacation | US Virgin Island VacationIt's easy to miss the charms of Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, when you're standing between the shadows of the looming cruise ships and the mall-like harborfront. But drive some ten minutes along a winding road up green, breezy Government Hill, behind the harbor. From the 18 tables on the outdoor terrace at the colonial-style Hotel 1829, the patchwork of colonial buildings, forts, and even those leviathan liners suddenly becomes positively picturesque. The menu helps, with its old-world offerings—rack of lamb béarnaise, filet mignon au poivre—presented with old-school white-glove service (entrées, $20–$40).
St. JohnAttractions & ActivitiesColumbus sailed by in 1493 and kept right on going. A few centuries later, Laurance Rockefeller went ashore and made major land purchases. In the mid-1950s, he donated 5,000 acres for the creation of the Virgin Islands National Park—which has since grown to 14,600 acres, a third of them underwater. Today, snorkeling and scuba diving its coral reefs, hiking its tropical forests to find pre-Columbian and plantation-era ruins, and of course combing its white sand beaches are some of the island's main activities (nps.gov). All the wet-and-wild wilderness action leads to the goings-on in Cruz Bay, the little capital, whose small streets, tiny restaurants, and little boutiques can lead to credit card damage.
Island Vacation | US Virgin Island VacationCaneel Bay doesn't have a pool, in-room phones, or TVs, but the 170-acre property does have seven white sand beaches. Founded in 1956 by Laurance Rockefeller and set within the Virgin Islands National Park, the resort is all about low-key luxury. The other major resort on the island is the Westin, which caters to a mixed crowd, from honeymooners to families. Environmentally conscious guests will feel right at home at Harmony Studios, whose 12 studios are constructed of recycled material and powered by wind and sun. This natural living is truly affordable, so advance reservations are required—as is bug spray. The original green, rustic, and remarkably restrained place to stay on the island, Maho Bay Camps has 114 wood-framed tents.
St. CroixAttractions & ActivitiesThe Virgin Island with the biggest population (some 60,000 people) and the largest area (84 square miles), St. Croix may not see as many visitors as its more popular sisters, but it has its own unique attractions.
In the main town of Christiansted, you can trace the architecture to the Danish colonists who once ruled here. Many artists have galleries downtown, and some small jewelry designers have shops nestled along King, Company, and Strand streets.
Outdoorsy types head to Salt River Bay, a national park and popular kayaking spot on the site where Christopher Columbus dropped anchor in 1493. Another national park, Buck Island Reef, off the northeastern coast, is worth a half- or full-day visit for its extraordinary beach and underwater trail viewable by diving or on a glass-bottom boat tour.
Locals consider Cruzan Rum to be the finest on the planet. They may be biased, but a tour of the Cruzan Rum Distillery in Frederiksted makes for a good primer on the spirit that's been produced on these islands for more than 300 years.
LodgingJust east of Christiansted, the Buccaneer claims to be one of the oldest resorts in the Caribbean, predating Alexander Hamilton's stay here in the eighteenth century. This is the best hotel on the island, and it's worth a visit at twilight to sip piña coladas at the Terrace Bar even if you don't book a room.
If you want all the homey touches that come with a condominium (a kitchen, multiple bedrooms, and plenty of common areas), the Gentle Winds Resort has 66 well-equipped units to choose from. The complex occupies a gardened spread on Columbus Cove, where the great explorer alighted on his second voyage.
DiningMany who come to St. Croix stick to their resort at mealtime, but dinner at Kendrick's, the island's premier restaurant, is a must. Jane and Dave Kendricks's esteemed institution occupies an old stone palazzo, and the ambiance is a good match for the terrific food—indeed, some of the recipes have appeared in American food magazines. Try the saltimbocca fish, the duck dish of the day, and the amazing pepper soup (2132 Company St.; entrées, $23–$33).
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