Christiansted National Historic Site
St Croix
This historic site includes several structures. The most impressive is Fort Christiansvaern (1749), a four-point citadel occupying the deep-yellow…
Must-see attractions in US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
The sugary mile that fringes Magens Bay, 3 miles north of Charlotte Amalie, makes almost every travel publication’s list of beautiful beaches. The seas…
St John
This bay adjoins the Annaberg mill ruins. Park in the plantation’s lot and follow the trail along the water for 25 minutes. Some of St John’s best…
St Croix
This secluded beach off Rte 82 offers no shade or facilities, and you'll have to hike about 20 minutes through scrub to reach it, but you'd be hard…
St John
Part of the national park, this site near Leinster Bay is home to the most intact sugar-plantation ruins in the Virgin Islands. A 30-minute self-directed…
US Virgin Islands
Water Island’s palm-lined main attraction offers fine swimming and snorkeling in calm, shallow water. A couple of beach bars sell drinks, sandwiches and…
St Croix
To find out how the islands’ popular elixir gets made, stop by the historic distillery for a tour. The journey through the oak-barrel-stacked warehouses…
St John
Francis Bay is home to one of the most serene stretches of sand on St John, with calm waters and fewer tourists than at any other beach of its size. It's…
US Virgin Islands
Part of protected Smith Bay Park, this narrow strand off Smith Bay Rd is a beauty all right: calm, true-blue water laps the soft white sand, while several…
US Virgin Islands
This colorful artists' colony near Tutu Park Mall lures hippies, thinkers, musicians and outcasts with its good-times vibe and welcoming spirit. On any…
St John
VI National Park covers two-thirds of St John, plus 5650 acres underwater. It’s a tremendous resource, offering miles of shoreline, pristine reefs and 26…
St John
The water here is shallow and less choppy than elsewhere (good for snorkeling and kids), and it’s a good bet you’ll see green sea turtles in the early…
Buck Island Reef National Monument
St Croix
For such a small landmass – 1 mile long by half a mile wide – Buck Island draws big crowds. It’s not so much what’s on top but what’s underneath that…
Salt River Bay National Historic Park
St Croix
About 4 miles west of Christiansted, Salt River Bay holds prehistoric archaeological ruins and is the only documented place where Christopher Columbus…
US Virgin Islands
Sometimes called the ‘Fourth Virgin,’ Water Island floats spitting distance from Charlotte Amalie. But with only about 200 residents and very few cars or…
US Virgin Islands
On the north coast and just west of Magens Bay, Hull Bay is usually a gem of solitude when Magens is overrun. The shady strand lies at the base of a steep…
St John
Honeymoon is a mile's hike from the park visitor center along the Lind Point Trail. The handsome, white-sand strand is often empty and quiet – except on…
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
St Croix
Created to protect nesting areas of the vulnerable leatherback sea turtle, this sporadically open wildlife refuge at the southern edge of Frederiksted,…
St Croix
A long, thin strand along Rte 80 about 9 miles west of Christiansted, Cane Bay is deservedly venerated. It provides easy access to some of the island’s…
St John
Mile-long Cinnamon Bay is St John’s biggest beach and arguably its best. At research time, however, it was a sad sight: Cinnamon's archaeological museum,…
US Virgin Islands
A hundred years ago the area on the east side of Charlotte Amalie Harbor was a bustling steamship wharf. Known today as Havensight, the district is still…
St Croix
This small oval cay, located less than 200yd from Kings Wharf, is a little oasis. It’s the site of a mellow resort with a sandy beach and bar-restaurant…
St John
Look for the Peace Hill sign as you drive between Hawksnest and Jumbie Bays. Pull into the small parking lot, and if you’re willing to walk 0.1 miles you…
US Virgin Islands
The island’s ‘Frenchies,’ aka Huguenots who emigrated to St Thomas from St-Barthélemy during the mid-19th century, populated this community of brightly…
US Virgin Islands
Coki is on a protected cove at the entrance to Coral World marine park. The snorkeling is excellent, with lots of fish action, and you can dive from the…
St John
Salt Pond Bay provides decent snorkeling in calm water. Keep an eye out for turtles. Two dandy trails take off from the beach's southern end: the Ram Head…
US Virgin Islands
The second-oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere (the oldest is on the island of Curaçao), peaceful St Thomas Synagogue is a National Historic…
St John
This long, gently arching beach is the most popular strand on the island and the only one that charges a fee. There are showers, toilets, picnic…
US Virgin Islands
Red-brick Fort Christian is the oldest Danish fortification in the Caribbean, dating to 1672. Over the years it has housed a jail, a governor’s residence…
St Croix
Point Udall is the easternmost geographic point in US territory. As you face into a 25-knot trade wind, the vista from the promontory high above the surf…
St Croix
Only 11 of Whim Plantation’s original 150 acres survive at the museum, but the grounds thoroughly evoke the colonial days when sugarcane ruled St Croix…
US Virgin Islands
This beach, located behind the University of the Virgin Islands, is beloved of students, local families and shell-spotters alike. There are restroom…
US Virgin Islands
Ascend the hill behind Frederik Lutheran Church and you’ll come to a grand white mansion housing the territorial governor's offices. It was built between…
US Virgin Islands
These stairs lead from Kongens Gade up into a canopy of trees at the foot of Blackbeard's Castle. The steps, of which there are actually 103 (though you…
US Virgin Islands
Small and hammock-strewn, this west-facing beach in front of the eponymous resort could hardly be more tranquil. It’s an excellent place to snorkel with…
Frederiksted Pier & Waterfront
St Croix
The palm-lined seafront has benches where you can sit and watch the cruise-ship scene. During quiet times (ie when cruise ships aren’t here), snorkelers…
St Croix
Sand seekers hit palm-fringed Hibiscus Beach, 2 miles west of Christiansted off Rte 75/Northside Rd. There's good snorkeling at the beach's western end…
US Virgin Islands
Sapphire is among St Thomas' prettiest white-sand beaches, and accordingly it draws a big tourist crowd. Amenities include water-sports rentals …
St John
Jumbie is the word for ghost in the Creole dialect, and this secluded beach has a plethora of ghost stories. Look for the parking lot on North Shore Rd…
St Croix
The deep-red color of this fort at the foot of the pier is what most visitors remember about the little citadel. It’s also where the island’s enslaved…
