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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).

Home to the island’s largest cruise ship pier, the thriving Havensight area has a major shopping mall as its heart (seeHavensight Mall). Catering mainly to cruise ship passengers, the mall also attracts shoppers who don’t want to head to the downtown Charlotte Amalie shopping area. Tourist shops selling jewelry, electronics, and gift items sit alongside a bank, the island’s only real bookstore, and a handful of restaurants. More shops, a grocery store, and several restaurants line Havensight Road.

Located on the peninsula to the west of Charlotte Amalie, Frenchtown was settled several centuries ago by a tiny community of people from the French island of St. Barthélemy. Most Frenchtown residents earn their living from the sea. They sell their fish along the harbor front or to any of the many eateries that make Frenchtown so popular. Some of the island’s best restaurants are found in this small, relatively quiet neighborhood, so it’s worth your while to stroll the narrow lanes looking for an appealing dinner or lunch spot. If you’re in Frenchtown around July 14, attend the Bastille Day celebrations – these are held every year at the ballfield.

Only a few cruise ships tie up at the Crown Bay dock; most go to Havensight. Facilities are minimal around the pier, so you’ll have to walk a few blocks to the Crown Bay Marina and shopping complex to find restaurants and a gourmet grocery. A few more restaurants and a couple of shops flank the busy road that runs from the pier to the Crown Bay Marina. If you are there in winter, visit the marina for a gander at the multimillion-dollar yachts that stop by St. Thomas.

This seaside university offers associate, bachelor’s, and graduate degrees to students from all over the Caribbean on a prestigious campus that served the US military during World War II. The school held its first classes in 1963 as a junior college. Attend performances that range from ballet to reggae at the school’s Reichhold Center for the Arts (seeReichhold Center for the Arts, St. Thomas), see games at the UVI Sports and Fitness Complex, take a swim at the white, sandy Brewers Bay Beach, or just stroll the spacious grounds.

Legend has it that the 16th-century explorer Sir Francis Drake kept tabs on his troops from this spot (seeDrake’s Seat, St. Thomas). Today, it’s often busy with taxi drivers stopping to let passengers enjoy the stupendous view of Magens Bay, St. John, and the entire BVI chain to the east. A small parking lot sits on the north side of the narrow road, with the seat – not the original – just across the road. There can be a lot of traffic, so be careful crossing the street.

The most beautiful beach in St. Thomas, the long and spacious Magens Bay Beach is usually full of people. It’s the number one spot visitors want to see. The beach has a restaurant, watersports rentals, a nature trail, bathrooms, showers, and on weekends, crowds of locals who come to party to amplified music. While all this activity may not be your cup of tea, if you find yourself there, just head to the far ends of the beach for some quiet.

An oasis of quiet in the busiest area in St. Thomas, Tillett Gardens is a courtyard filled with a handful of arty shops definitely worth a look. Back into the traffic and congestion that hallmarks the rest of the area, there are several large shopping malls with grocery stores, one of the island’s two Kmart department stores (seeKmart), and other chain shops. This area is also the heart of fast food eating in St. Thomas. The enclosed Tutu Park Mall has a small food court and public bathrooms.

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.

Busy Red Hook serves as the jumping-off spot for trips to St. John. The ferry dock hums with activity until midnight, when the ferries stop running. The strip of highway that runs through its several blocks is flanked with stores selling just about anything you’d need on an island vacation. You’ll find a grocery store, a pharmacy, a gas station, a place to get your photos developed, a handful of restaurants ranging from take-out Chinese to seafood, and a gift shop or two.