Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE BEST OF
THE VIRGIN
ISLANDS
Former stomping grounds of some of history's most
1
famous sea marauders, the Virgin Islands are now
invaded by visitors who arrive by the thousands daily
either by plane or cruise ship. There about 100 of these green
hilly islands, some governed by the United States and others by Great
Britain, which rise from a clear blue sea—many of these islands are small
and virtually uninhabited.
The major islands—and the most famous ones—are owned by the United
States: St. Thomas (which attracts most visitors, many from cruise ships),
St. Croix, and St. John, the smallest of the three.
St. Thomas
is the most
accessible of all the islands, and likely to be your gateway. With the busi-
est cruise-ship harbor in the Caribbean, St. Thomas is constantly bustling
with crowds, yet it also offers great shopping and first-class dining.
St.
Croix
is far more laid-back than St. Thomas, and little
St. John
is posi-
tively sleepy.
Of the dozens of British Virgin Islands,
Tortola
is the best known,
while
Virgin Gorda
is perhaps the most exclusive, attracting well-heeled
visitors. The B.V.I. are not overly developed, evoking the relaxed feel of
the 1950s' Caribbean. Former sailing grounds of some of history's most
famous sea marauders, such as Sir Francis Drake, the B.V.I. offer the best
sailing grounds in the Caribbean.
The Virgin Islands contain some of the best sandy beaches in the West
Indies, including Magens Bay on St. Thomas, Trunk Bay on St. John, and
Cane Garden Bay on Tortola. You'll find hidden beaches where you may
be the only sunbather, as well as overdeveloped coves where too many
bags of cement arrived before you did—this is especially true on the most
populated island of St. Thomas. Throughout the archipelago there are also
miles of idyllic hiking trails, especially in one of America's most beautiful
national parks on St. John.
Because many of the Virgin Islands are so remote—some are mere
rocky outcroppings—you'll feel like Robinson Crusoe while exploring
these isolated, uninhabited islands. Yachties love it here, as the area rivals
the Mediterranean (without the crowds) or the South Pacific with its
steady winds and gin-clear waters. Swimming and snorkeling await you at
every cove.
