Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eating
Charlotte Amalie is arguably the best place in the Virgin Islands to stuff your face given
the large concentration of eateries and types of food on offer. Options cluster in four
zones: downtown, which is good for breakfast and lunch, though dinner options are scarce
(the area relies on cruise ship business, which dries up by late afternoon); Frenchtown,
which is home to several great restaurants that buzz in the evening, all in a compact area;
Havensight, which is more touristy and chain-oriented but in a fun, high-energy atmo-
sphere; and Yacht Haven Grande, a complex of stylish bars and eateries that lies between
downtown and Havensight.
HASSEL ISLAND
The 120-acre floater in the middle of St Thomas Harbor is
Hassel Island
(
www.hasselisland.org
)
, which was actually part of the main island until 1865. That
year, the Danish dredged Haulover Cut to separate Frenchtown and Hassel Island in
an attempt to help water flow more freely out of the harbor, thereby reducing the
sewage buildup that promoted cholera epidemics.
Today, the entire mile-long island is on the National Register of Historic Places,
and most of it is under National Park Service jurisdiction. During the late 19th cen-
tury, Hassel Island was a coaling station and repair facility for the Royal Mail Steam
Packet Company and several other shipping lines. Ruins from that era, and old forts
from even earlier, lie disintegrating under island vegetation. While the NPS has been
working to preserve the ruins and develop Hassel Island as a recreational facility, it is
still a work in progress.
Currently, the only way to visit the island is with a guided tour.
Virgin Islands
Ecotours( 340-779-2155, 877-845-2925;
www.viecotours.com
; 3hr tours $99)
offers a kayaking/hiking/snorkeling excursion that departs from Frenchtown's mar-
ina. It involves a 20-minute paddle to reach Hassel Island, followed by a trek around
the ruins and a snorkel along the surrounding reef. It concludes with the paddle back
to Frenchtown. The tour runs on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.
