Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
U.S. vs. British Virgin Islands
American and British cultures have left different imprints on the Virgin Islands. The
U.S. Virgin Islands,
except for St. John, offer much of the commercial hustle-and-
bustle of the mainland United States, including supermarkets and fast-food chains.
In contrast, the British islands are sleepier. Except for a few deluxe hotels (mostly on
Virgin Gorda), they recall the way the Caribbean was before the advent of high-rise
condos, McDonald's restaurants, and fleets of cruise ships.
If you want shopping, a wide selection of restaurants and hotels, and nightlife,
head to the U.S. Virgin Islands, particularly
St. Thomas
and
St. Croix.
With a little
research and effort, you can also find peace and quiet on these two islands, most
often at outlying resorts. But overall, among the U.S. Virgin Islands, only
St. John
matches the British Virgins for tranquillity. St. John is a rugged mixture of bumpy dirt
roads, scattered inhabitants, and a handful of stores and services. It's protected by the
U.S. Forest Service, and remains the least developed of the U.S. islands.
The
British Virgin Islands
seem to be lingering in the past, although change is
in the air.
Tortola
is the most populated British isle, but its shopping, nightlife, and
dining are still limited. It's more of a spot for boaters of all stripes—it's considered the
cruising capital of the Caribbean. To the east,
Virgin Gorda
claims most of the
B.V.I.'s deluxe hotels. There are also attractive accommodations and restaurants on
the smaller islands, such as Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, and Peter Island.
If you'd like to meet and mingle with locals, and get to know the islanders and their
lifestyle, it's much easier to do so in the sleepy B.V.I. than in all the comings and
goings of St. Thomas or even St. Croix. Again, the only U.S. Virgin Island that has the
laid-back quality of the B.V.I. is St. John—except that the “local native” you are likely
to meet on St. John is often an expat from the U.S. mainland, not a Virgin Islander
born and bred.
There are frequent ferry connections between St. Thomas and St. John, but travel-
ing among the other islands is a bit difficult, requiring private boats in some cases or
airplane flights in others. The day will surely come when transportation from island
to island will be made more convenient and frequent, but that day hasn't arrived yet.
The Major Islands in Brief
The islands previewed below are chock-full of quality shopping, hotels, restaurants,
attractions, and nightlife, and are the most frequently visited in the V.I. A few words
about islands that aren't mentioned below: For those who want to avoid the masses,
the British Virgin Islands have a number of escapist-friendly islands such as Peter
Island, Mosquito Island, and Guana Island. These are virtually private hideaways,
often with expensive resorts (which are the main reason for going there in the first
place). Two remote British Virgin Islands with more democratically priced hotels are
Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. Even if you're staying at a resort on Virgin Gorda or
Tortola, you might want to join a boat excursion to visit some of the lesser-known
islands as part of a sightseeing excursion (with time devoted to R & R on a nearly
deserted beach, of course).
ST. THOMAS
The most developed of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas resembles a small city at
times. There are peaceful retreats here, but you must seek them out. The harbor at
Charlotte Amalie,
the capital, is one of the largest cruise-ship magnets in the Carib-
bean. Many locals try to avoid Charlotte Amalie when the greatest concentration of
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