St Croix
(US Virgin
Islands)
click here for St. Croix vacation rental listings
 St.
Croix's rich culture and history, along with its beautiful beaches and
world-class recreational activities, create an experience unlike any other in
the Caribbean. Since the day Christopher Columbus first arrived at Salt River on
St. Croix more than 500 years ago, sugar and rum have shaped the island's life
and land. Fifty-four sugar mills, each with imposing windmill towers and factory
chimneys, still rest in the shadows of stately eighteenth-century and
nineteenth-century homes. Located on the west end of the island, Estate Whim
Plantation is just one example of these "greathouses."
With acres of rolling green hills, St.Croix's plantation
estates also bore crops of okra, cabbage, corn, and other vegetables still
prominent in Caribbean cuisine. As the sugar industry declined after the 1960s,
tourism became the most important industry on the island.
Christiansted and Frederiksted, the two main towns of St. Croix,
flourished as commercial ports during the eighteenth century and nineteenth
century. Distinct architecture reflects the seven flags--Spanish, Dutch,
British, French, Knights of Malta, Danish, and American -- that have flown over
the island. Today, visitors to St. Croix can enjoy a number of indoor and
outdoor activities, from fine dining, shopping, and a casino, to golf, scuba
diving, and horsback riding.
Golf is extremely popular on St. Croix. The
Buccaneer Resort's Bob Joyce-designed par-70 course offers magnificent panoramic
vistas of Christiansted harbor to the west, St. Thomas and St. John to the
north, and Buck Island National Park to the east. The award-winning Carambola
Golf Club course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, is the site of the annual LPGA
Golf Tournament and winner of the Golf magazine gold medal. The Reef Golf Course
on Teague Bay offers a nine-hole course.
Adventure seekers can explore St. Croix's beautiful west end on horseback or by
bike. Guided tours are available for all experience levels. Hikers will find
several indigenous and migratory species in the forest and in the Sandy Point
Wildlife Refuge.
St. Croix offers some of the best snorkeling in the world. Buck Island, famous
for its striking natural beauty and underwater snorkeling trails, is one of only
two underwater National Monuments in the United States. The north shore wall of
the island, the Salt River Canyon, and Cane Bay offer world-class scuba diving.
Kayakers can see snowy egrets, great barracudas, spotted eagle rays, and
hundreds of other species in Salt River Bay National Park and Ecological
Preserve.
The small historic inns of Christiansted and
Frederiksted are unique and popular getaways for visitors to St. Croix. Like St.
Thomas and St. John, exclusive resorts and apartment and condominium rentals are
also available. Other options are available for visitors to St. Croix. Hotel
Caravelle offers a family vacation package allowing guests the opportunity to
participate in an environmental study program and earn a degree from the
University of St. Croix, a non-accredited entity that educates visitors about
marine ecology. Diploma requirements include a three-night minimum stay at the
hotel and the choice between two St. Croix tours.
Local airlines offer service between St. Thomas and St. Croix and other
destinations in the Caribbean. Air St. Thomas, Air Sunshine, American Eagle,
Bohlke International Airways, Cape Air, Leeward Island Air Transport (LIAT), and
Seaborne Airlines provide service between St. Thomas and St. Croix, and San Juan
and St. Thomas/St. Croix.
Seasonal ferry service (November - May) is offered between St. Thomas and St.
Croix via
V.I. Fast Ferry (75 minute trip).
Taxis are abundant on St. Croix. In Christiansted, taxi stands are located near
the Government House on King Street, and on Market Square. Frederiksted's taxi
stand is next to Fort Frederik.
Buses run regularly between Christiansted and Frederiksted from 5:30am to 9:30pm
except Sunday. Service is also available from both cities to and from the
airport. Exact change is required. For more information, call the VITRAN office
at 773-1290, ext. 2291.
Most major rental companies and several local rental companies rent automobiles
on St. Croix, offering everything from four-wheel drive Jeeps to luxury sedans
and minivans. Parking can be limited in Christiansted. Most major roads are
well-maintained asphalt. Please remember to obey all speed limits, wear your
seat belt, and drive on the left!
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