St. Croix Adventure

St. Croix is the largest island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Christopher Columbus visited St. Croix on his second voyage to the New World in 1493 and named the island “Santa Cruz” (Holy Cross), which became a major export of sugar in the late 1700s. The ruins of over 150 sugar plantations are still visible along the hillsides of Christiansted and Frederiksted, the two major towns on St. Croix.

The island, which became a U.S. territory in 1917, is filled with a diverse assortment of plant life including giant cacti on the eastern side of St. Croix and rain forest on the western end, which features Blue Mountain. To help protect the islands’ unique ecology, St. Croix locals host several workshops and garden tours through the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute, a certified Organic and Green Globe forest farm. Many of St. Croix’s native plants are also found in the St. George Village Botanical Gardens, where tourists can stroll through a cactus garden and an orchid house.

Visitors can also explore the protected waters and lush habitat of St. Croix by kayaking through Salt River—the historical landing site of Columbus’ expedition—or snorkeling in the underwater National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument.

This hotel is located on the waterfront, overlooking the harbor in Christiansted. Within walking distance are Saint Croix Aquarium, duty-free shopping at the Caravelle Arcade, and Pan Am Pavilion. Watersports include sailing, fishing, swimming, sunning, or snorkeling. A variety of scuba-diving packages are available with daily departures from the hotel dock. The hotel has a waterfront restaurant and bar. All rooms have cable TV, private baths, air-conditioning, direct dial telephones, refrigerators, and AM/FM radios. The price includes the property*s resort fee.

Christiansted National Historic Site, run by the National Park Service, is the town's heart. Spread out along the waterfront, the main features are Fort Christianvaern, the Scale House and the Steeple Building. Pick up a map for your self-guided tour at the Fort Christianvaern visitor's center. The buildings date as far back as the late 1700s and reflect the time when Christiansted served as the centerpiece of the island's agrarian economy. Children under 16 free. No credit cards are accepted.

Stop by this cozy spot for something light. Morning Glory Coffee and Tea stakes its reputation on its fresh brewed coffee made with custom-blended beans from Jamaica, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii and other exotic locales. Of course, you can always get a cup of tea, glass of juice or a smoothie if you are not a coffee aficionado. Add a New Orleans-style beignet, a wrap sandwich or a salad for a light lunch. Dine alfresco at the sidewalk tables or in air-conditioned comfort inside. No credit cards are accepted.

Cane Bay Beach is wide open to the north. This means you will probably find bigger waves than you would elsewhere. However, the snorkeling and diving is divine at Cane Bay Wall, located just 200 yards off the beach. A couple of spots across the street from the palm-dotted beach rent watersports equipment, including kayaks. A few very casual seaside restaurants beckon with cold drinks and sandwiches when you need a break. No admission charge.

On the grounds of a 19th-century Danish sugar plantation, first inhabited by pre-Columbian Indians, the island's only botanical garden is home to over 1,500 species of tropical plants. Old stone ruins are interspersed with the plants on the gardens 16 acres. A rainforest walk and cactus garden are some of the attractions. A gift shop sells interesting items. Restrooms are available. Admission costs vary from USD8 for adults to USD1 for kids under 12. No credit cards are accepted.

This 1,935-acre land and sea monument run by the National Park Service is home to numerous varieties of brightly-colored fish and coral, birds and pristine beaches, but can be reached only via a day charter boat that leaves from the Christiansted waterfront or a marina along the island's north shore. The reef that nearly surrounds the 180-acre island features an underwater snorkel trail easily accessible by novice snorkelers, as well as those with more experience. An easy hike takes visitors to the apex of this island for a panoramic view of the reef below and the turquoise sea that stretches north to St. John. Free admission.

Christiansted National Historic Site, run by the National Park Service, is the town's heart. Spread out along the waterfront, the main features are Fort Christianvaern, the Scale House and the Steeple Building. Pick up a map for your self-guided tour at the Fort Christianvaern visitor's center. The buildings date as far back as the late 1700s and reflect the time when Christiansted served as the centerpiece of the island's agrarian economy. Children under 16 free. No credit cards are accepted.

Christiansted National Historic Site, run by the National Park Service, is the town's heart. Spread out along the waterfront, the main features are Fort Christianvaern, the Scale House and the Steeple Building. Pick up a map for your self-guided tour at the Fort Christianvaern visitor's center. The buildings date as far back as the late 1700s and reflect the time when Christiansted served as the centerpiece of the island's agrarian economy. Children under 16 free. No credit cards are accepted.

The island's second town, located at the far western end of the island, only bustles when a rare cruise ship ties up at the Frederiksted Cruise Ship Pier. Founded in the 1750s, Frederiksted during the late 1800s was the island's main port. It was almost totally destroyed during the 1878 labor riots, but was rebuilt to its current Victorian gingerbread style at the end of the 1800s. Shops and restaurants now occupy what were once businesses and homes. There is no admission charge.

Not a true jungle rain forest, what is called a rain forest in St. Croix can best be characterized as a tropical moist forest. A drive through northwest St. Croix on Routes 76, 763, and 58 outside Frederiksted takes you past lush vegetation that includes kapok trees, strangler fig trees, and hog plum trees that in the summer bear tasty yellow fruits. A four-wheel drive road, called the Scenic Road, takes you on an off-the-beaten path drive through the forest and points east. There is no admission charge.

Explore a working rum factory with a guided tour of the historic Cruzan Rum Distillery, one of the island's most important industries. Rum has been made on this site since 1760, back when most of the island was covered with sugar plantations. The visit concludes with a complimentary rum-based drink such as a piano colada. Tours last about a half-hour. Bottles of the several types of rum made here are for sale in the gift shop. No credit cards accepted.

This chic restaurant, located in an historic town house, is as famous for its wine as it is for its food. Taking its name from the god of wine, the restaurant recently captured its fourth award of excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. The ambitious menu features appetizers such as Oysters Rockefeller with a splash of Pernod and entrees like blackened rib eye steak with a horseradish cream sauce. Desserts may include a sourdough bread pudding drenched with rum. A Wednesday special includes two bottles of wine for the price of one.

Cane Bay Beach is wide open to the north. This means you will probably find bigger waves than you would elsewhere. However, the snorkeling and diving is divine at Cane Bay Wall, located just 200 yards off the beach. A couple of spots across the street from the palm-dotted beach rent watersports equipment, including kayaks. A few very casual seaside restaurants beckon with cold drinks and sandwiches when you need a break. No admission charge.

This hotel is located on the waterfront, overlooking the harbor in Christiansted. Within walking distance are Saint Croix Aquarium, duty-free shopping at the Caravelle Arcade, and Pan Am Pavilion. Watersports include sailing, fishing, swimming, sunning, or snorkeling. A variety of scuba-diving packages are available with daily departures from the hotel dock. The hotel has a waterfront restaurant and bar. All rooms have cable TV, private baths, air-conditioning, direct dial telephones, refrigerators, and AM/FM radios. The price includes the property*s resort fee.

St. Croix is the largest island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Christopher Columbus visited St. Croix on his second voyage to the New World in 1493 and named the island “Santa Cruz” (Holy Cross), which became a major export of sugar in the late 1700s. The ruins of over 150 sugar plantations are still visible along the hillsides of Christiansted and Frederiksted, the two major towns on St. Croix.

The island, which became a U.S. territory in 1917, is filled with a diverse assortment of plant life including giant cacti on the eastern side of St. Croix and rain forest on the western end, which features Blue Mountain. To help protect the islands’ unique ecology, St. Croix locals host several workshops and garden tours through the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute, a certified Organic and Green Globe forest farm. Many of St. Croix’s native plants are also found in the St. George Village Botanical Gardens, where tourists can stroll through a cactus garden and an orchid house.

Visitors can also explore the protected waters and lush habitat of St. Croix by kayaking through Salt River—the historical landing site of Columbus’ expedition—or snorkeling in the underwater National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument.