DK Travel : Virgin Islands

Mere specks in the Caribbean, the US and British Virgin Islands sit within eyesight of each other. The Stars and Stripes flutters over St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas and the Union Jack over Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and the outer islands, but all offer tropical sun, soft sand beaches, and turquoise sea. In both territories motorists drive on the left, a decidedly British practice, while the US dollar serves as legal tender. However, each island has its own ambience, from the bustle in St. Thomas to downright sleepiness in the outer BVIs.

Air Plants

These plants, officially called epiphytes, drip from the crooks of trees all over the islands. The long, thin leaves sprout from a center that looks slightly like that of a pineapple. Air plants get their sustenance from decomposing leaf matter caught in their leaves and moisture from the air.
Alexander Hamilton, St. Croix

Born in Nevis but raised in St. Croix, Hamilton became the first secretary of the US Treasury in 1789.
All mash up

Broken. Your vehicle getsall mash up when you hit a wrong-side-of-the-road tourist who forgot to drive on the left.
Allamanda

This lush green plant carries a yellow trumpet-shaped flower, leading to its other name, golden trumpet. The leaves are thick, smooth, and pointy and its milky sap is poisonous. Popular with landscapers and home gardeners, the plant usually grows in vines or hedges.
An Easy Day

Morning

Get up early to watch the sun rise at Point Udall, at the island’s easternmost tip. Sunrise varies by season, so check with your hotel’s front desk to find out what time to depart. After snapping a few photos of the sun peeking over the horizon, head west to the Buccaneer Hotel’s (seeThe Buccaneer Hotel, St. Croix) attractive dining room for its scrumptious breakfast served buffet style and the fabulous sea views.

The point of a St. Croix vacation is not to shop till you drop or tour till you’re bored, but rather to see the sights at a slow pace and spend some time in a chaise. So after breakfast, head back to your hotel for a few hours at the beach. Don’t forget the sunscreen. When the sun gets high in the sky, head off to Christiansted for lunch at Café Christine (seeCafé Christine), where you can sit in blissful shade at the alfresco porch tables.

Afternoon

Walk off your lunch with a stroll around Christiansted, stopping at its small shops and taking in the town’s historic ambience. A halt at Christiansted National Historic Site (seeChristiansted National Historic Site) will help you understand the island’s history.

Pause for a few moments at one of the benches strategically placed along the waterfront boardwalk to enjoy the sea view.

Wrap up your afternoon with a sunset sail from the Christiansted waterfront, or simply return to your hotel for a nap.
Anchorage Condominiums, St. Thomas

Come spring, this spot in Estate Nazareth gets busy when sailors gather next door at the St. Thomas Yacht Club for the annual Rolex Regatta. Meet yachties at the beach, rent power boats, or take a day sail from Red Hook, a short drive away.
Anegada Beaches

Spectacular white sand beaches, providing superb sunning and snorkeling, rim this 15-sq mile (39-sq km) atoll. The reef fringing the island keeps the waters calm and the fish plentiful. Some beaches have fanciful names such as Cow Wreck, so named because a ship full of bones destined to become buttons washed up on the reef. Casual restaurants serving seafood and more sit along the sands, well back from the water.
Anegada Reef Hotel

This hotel off the beaten path lures boaters for a few hours at its casual bar or restaurant (seeAnegada Reef Hotel). Landlubbers like the rooms’ tropical style and the spectacular snorkeling right off the hotel’s stunning white beach.
Anegada Reef Hotel

Lobster served in many forms is the thing at this beach-front restaurant. If you’re there for lunch, opt for the lobster salad sandwich on a soft roll.
Annaberg Plantation

A windmill towers over the 18th-century Annaberg Plantation, casting its long shadow on the jail cell, the old kitchen, sugar factory, the remains of the slave quarters, a garden, and other reminders of the days when slaves fueled St. John’s agrarian economy. Although it can get crowded at times, most days you’ll find plenty of solitude and space to enjoy the plantation’s fabulous view across the sea to nearby Tortola. In summer, red flamboyant trees add splashes of color to the landscape.

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under $100
- $100-$200
- $200-$350
- $350-$500
- over $500