Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
vessels is in port (usually Dec-Apr). Charlotte Amalie offers the widest selection of
duty-free shopping in the Caribbean. However, you must browse carefully through
the labyrinth of bazaars to find the real bargains.
St. Thomas, like most of the Virgin Islands, gives you plenty of opportunity to get
outside and get active, although many visitors come here simply to sit, sun, and
maybe go for a swim.
Magens Bay Beach,
with its tranquil surf and sugar-white
sand, is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but it is likely to be packed,
especially on heavy cruise-ship days. More-secluded beaches include
Secret Har-
bour
and
Sapphire Beach
in East End.
St. Thomas has only one golf course,
Mahogany Run,
but it's a real gem. The
three trickiest holes (13, 14, and 15) are known throughout the golfing world as the
“Devil's Triangle.”
Yachts and boats anchor at
Ramada Yacht Haven Marina
in Charlotte Amalie
and at
Red Hook Marina
on the island's somewhat isolated eastern tip, though the
serious yachting crowd gathers at Tortola in the British Virgin Islands (see “Tortola,”
below). Sportsfishers angle from the
American Yacht Harbor
at Red Hook. The
island also attracts snorkelers and scuba divers—there are many outfitters offering
equipment, excursions, and instruction. Kayaking and parasailing also draw beach
bums away from the water's edge.
St. Thomas has the most eclectic and sophisticated restaurant scene in the Virgin
Islands. Emphasis is on French and Continental fare, but the wide selection of
restaurants also includes options from Mexican, West Indian, and Italian to Asian
and American. St. Thomas pays more
for its imported (usually European)
chefs and secures the freshest of
ingredients from mainland or Puerto
Rican markets.
There's also a wide variety of accom-
modations on St. Thomas, from the
small, historic
Hotel 1829
in Char-
lotte Amalie, to more modern beach-
front complexes in the East End,
including the manicured
Elysian
Beach Resort.
Apartment and villa rentals abound, and you can also find a handful
of old-fashioned B&B-style guesthouses.
ST. JOHN
Our favorite of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John has only two deluxe hotels, but you'll
find several charming inns and plenty of campgrounds. The island's primary attrac-
tion is the
U.S. Virgin Islands National Park,
which covers more than half the
island. Guided walks and safari bus tours are available to help you navigate the park,
which is full of pristine beaches, secret coves, flowering trees, and ghostly remains of
sugar-cane plantations. An extensive network of trails invites hiking. A third of the
park is underwater.
Trunk Bay,
which also boasts the island's finest beach, has an
amazing underwater snorkeling trail. As you can imagine, scuba diving is another
major attraction on St. John.
St. John has a handful of posh restaurants, as well as a number of colorful, West
Indian eateries. Many residents and long-term visitors like to bring ingredients over
on the ferry from St. Thomas, where prices are lower and the selection is broader.
2
A Famous Virgin Islander
Kelsey Grammer, a native of St.
Thomas, is known to TV audiences
around the world as Dr. Frasier Crane,
the egghead/psychiatrist at the bar
in the long-running TV series
Cheers
and
Frasier.
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