Saint Croix Travel Tips, Resorts & Family Sites - 2

St. Croix West and East Ends

The city of Frederiksted, on the west end of the island, is more than 250 years old and feels every bit its age with rather ordinary blocks of buildings, though much renovation is underway. Nevertheless, it’s the site of St. Croix’s renewed cruise port, which is welcoming ships to the island for the first time in more than four years. [Read more in our St. Croix cruises article.] The town also has an admired French restaurant, Le St. Tropez, which has been family-run for decades and offers dishes for moderate prices.

The east end of the island is more remote, but houses the popular resort, Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort, with rates starting at around $207 for the off-season. All 200 rooms are oceanfront and each comes equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. (Tip: Stock up at the food store near the airport on arrival, or stop at one of the two small delis near the resort).

There’s a plethora of organized family activities at Divi Carina such as shuffleboard and horseshoe tournaments, sand castle build-offs, kayak and snorkel tours and movie nights, along with a small game room. East End Pizza & More is a new addition at the resort, featuring scrumptious gourmet pizzas for great family dining. Divi Carina offers a special where kids 12 and under eat free at resort restaurants. Additionally, the resort also boasts the first casino in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has live entertainment almost nightly. Also on the east end is the South Shore Café, which is “always good” as a local says, for seafood and steaks.

 

• Poolside at the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort.

Courtesy of Divi Hotels

A stone’s throw from the Divi Carina resort lies Buck Island Reef National Monument, one of the most popular spots for boating and snorkeling excursions off St. Croix (though tours are mostly accessed via operators further west toward Christiansted). Buck Island is a 176-acre uninhabited island that has nature trails, an underwater reef trail and beautiful beaches. On the weekends, you’re also likely to see a flotilla of local boats enjoying area waters. Admission is free.

North Shore

If diving is your thing, the North Shore of St. Croix is the place to be, with its proximity to Cane Bay, for spectacular wall diving, and the Cane Bay Dive Shop is arguably one of the best dive shops in the U.S. Virgin Islands. [Read more in Best USVI Dive Sites.]

For adult luxury, Carambola Beach Resort & Spa is a secluded, luxurious resort nestled into a lush hilltop descending down to the Caribbean Sea not far from Cane Bay. Rooms are situated amidst 26 red-roofed buildings with screened-in porches and Spanish Colonial touches. Most of the buildings have also been going through recent upgrades. All rooms are spacious, each with a king-sized bed and a sitting area with a pullout couch. It’s good value for the luxury with "value" rooms (no ocean view) starting at $150.

 

• Green sea turtles are a common sight for divers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Courtesy of Dive Experience St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

If roughing it is more your thing, the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute, which recently began welcoming overnight guests, offers camping and farm stays on more than 100 acres of rolling green hills and valleys nestled in the highlands of the northwest corner of St. Croix. The “farm” was founded in 2003 by Ben Jones to promote local and sustainable agriculture with the hope of spreading this message to communities around the world. It has since evolved from a neglected farm with pastures into a budding “agroecology” development that is 100 percent solar powered. The farm also includes a school, orchards, gardens, tilapia pond and more. 

Guests can enjoy simple pleasure like feeding the chickens and rabbits, volunteering in the gardens or hiking to the beach and old sugar mills, or partake in more ambitious programs like field laboratories, outdoor lectures, research projects and even leadership development. Camping, quaint cabanas and a luxury home are all available at various rates beginning for as little as $35 per night. [Read about the VIERS volunteer program on St. John.] 

Plantation Life

Consider an island tour of St. Croix that includes stops at St. George Village Botanical Gardens and the Estate Whim Plantation—both not to be missed. The Botanical Gardens are set amidst the ruins of a former sugar plantation with exotic trees like the Sausage, Cannonball, Indian Almond and Bay Rum (which is used for spice). Intermingled amidst the exotica are remnants of kilns used to fire coral for cement, a blacksmith’s workshop and other reminders of days past. The Whim Plantation features mostly intact remains of a sugar plantation, including its “Great House” and a wealth of interesting information on plantation life. Nearby is the Cruzan Rum Distillery, which is worth a quick visit.

 

• Cruzan Rum manufactures many different types of rum, including a singel-barrel variety and those with tropical flavors, like coconut and mango.

Anne Kazel-Wilcox

St. Croix Is Just Right

Though St. Croix may be the least known of the U.S. Virgin Islands, it’s probably the most interesting without being overly commercialized. Vacationer Brad Fonger tells me that he and his wife explored places to retire and says that there is just “not enough to do” on St. John, while St. Thomas is “too busy.” On St. Croix, they got the feeling that the islanders are genuinely friendly. “Everyone says good morning, good afternoon and good night.” That’s the island where they found their perfect mix—that Crucian blend. 

For more information, visit the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.