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St. Thomas : Overview & Top 10

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With lush hillsides, white beaches, and boat-filled harbors, St. Thomas packs a lot into its 28 sq miles (72 sq km). Visitors can opt to stay at a casual, in-town guesthouse, a home-like condominium, or a posh beachfront resort. Restaurants run from bare bones to many stars. Fine beaches, excellent duty-free shopping, the exciting Coral World marine park (seeCoral World, St. Thomas), and plenty of watersports beckon travelers. There is easy transportation to Virgin Islands National Park in St. John, nearby Tortola in the BVI, and, a bit farther afield, St. Croix. This pint-sized patch in the Caribbean can be most things to many people – spend one day at the beach, the next touring historic sites, the day after on a day sail, scuba dive, or sightseeing on a sister island. Or you may choose to do nothing at all.

For shopping in St. Thomas (seeDuty-Free Shopping in St. Thomasalso see;Shops.
  • Mid-Morning

    Located at the eastern end, Red Hook makes the perfect starting point for your island tour. Pick your stops so you’ll have time and energy to enjoy the island’s main attraction – the beach. Follow Red Hook Road, perhaps pausing for a stroll around Compass Point, before heading to the busy Tillett Gardens/Tutu area. To watch artisans at work, pull into Tillett Gardens. Or stop at Tutu Park Mall for anything you need.

    Shop for take-home gifts at the malls at Haven-sight, or wait until you reach Charlotte Amalie.

    Once there, spend a little time poking around the shops housed in old warehouses and the historic sites before breaking for Caribbean-inspired French fare at Hervé Restaurant (seeHervé Restaurant), located a flight of stairs uphill on Government Hill.

    Afternoon

    Keep along Veterans Drive, making side trips at Frenchtown for the sea-faring ambience and at Crown Bay for the megayachts. Veterans Drive turns into Brewers Bay Road and takes you past the University of the Virgin Islands campus. Continue along the island’s spine till you see the splendid views at Drake’s Seat.

    Late Afternoon

    End your day with a swim at Magens Bay Beach. The crowds are gone, the beach is quiet unless it’s the weekend, and the residents come out to enjoy the serenity.

  • Housed in an historic sugar warehouse, this large department store (seeA.H. Riise Department Store) sells jewelry, crystal, and gift items.

  • While seafood stars here, the menu sports choices such as tenderloin steak for carnivores (seeAgave Terrace, St. Thomas).

  • Look out for darting fish and colorful reefs from the portholes of the submarine (seeAtlantis Adventures, St. Thomas).The captain and crew narrate the trip.

  • Try the mahi mahi with pecans, bananas, and coconut rum sauce here (seeBlue Moon, St. Croix).

  • This venerable jewelry store has fine pieces in all price ranges.

  • Step in for Godiva chocolates and other tempting treats. Candy melts fast in the tropics – make this your last stop.

  • This bustling town hides its history behind the doors of busy shops, but savvy strollers stop for a look at the buildings’ interesting architecture and old stone walls. The town area is anchored by the huge red Fort Christian on the east and, to the west, the covered market where planters once bought slaves, now used as a produce and crafts market. To the south sits a lively harbor, and, to the north, hillside streets filled with colonial homes and other historic buildings (seeHistoric Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas).

  • Artist Corrine Van Rensselaer showcases her own and the work of other island artists, as well as tropical gift items, at her small gallery.

  • The village of Compass Point is home to a small collection of shops and restaurants, which serve the dozens of old salts who live aboard or keep their boats at the marina as well as any visitors who happen to wander by. Park your car in the lot to the left as you reach the area. Rent watersports equipment down on the dock or people-watch as you enjoy your lunch at the snack wagon or dinner at one of the restaurants.

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