USVI Airports
Fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on airlines, then hop on a quick, 35-minute transfer to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Or fly to Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas or Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) on St. Croix. As of summer 2009, American Airlines and Delta both announced plans to increase service to those airports. To get to St. John, take a ferry from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay on St. John.
USVI Hotels and Resorts
On St. Croix, the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute is in the island's pocket-size rainforest. It welcomes overnight guests in stilted cabanas and in Hawk's Nest. On St. John, the Bellavista Bed & Breakfast is named for its panoramic view over the historic port city of Charlotte Amalie and the saturated Caribbean-blue beyond. Also on St. John, Maho Bay Camps offer 114 tent cottages nearly hidden by lush foliage and connected by a series of wooden walk- ways through the hillside. The sister resort is Estate Concordia Preserve.
USVI Restaurants
At Caneel Bay resort on St. John, you must eat at the Equator Restaurant, set in the ruins of a sugar mill from the 1700s, with authentic dishes from the Caribbean grill. On St. Croix, stuff your- self with johnnycakes at La Reina and try a dangerously delicious rum concoction at Off the Wall, an open-air restaurant on Cane Bay. On St. Thomas, Duffy's Love Shack in Red Hook hosts Taco Tuesday, Full Moon parties and more.
USVI Beaches
Trunk Bay on St. John and Magens Bay on St. Thomas are often named among the world's best beaches, but these islands are full of fabulous less-famous strands too. Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay and Hawksnest Bay are a few classics on St. John's northern coast; try walking 15 minutes from Estate Lindholm to deserted Honeymoon Beach. On St. Thomas, Coki Bay and Sapphire Beach are also good bets. The water along St. Croix's northern coast can be rough, but the beaches there -- Cane Bay is one good choice -- are often deserted and the snorkeling is excellent. For calmer water, head to Sandy Point on the southwestern coast, the biggest beach in the USVI.
USVI Sightseeing and Tours
On St. Croix, go to Fort Christiansvaern, where you can look out over the picture-book harbor and plan your own walking through streets lined with 18th-century Danish architecture and West Indian townhouses -- a colorful smorgasbord of shops, galleries, and restaurants. In Christiansted, "jump-up" block parties are a long tradition here. On St. John, take a mountain biking tour with Water Island Adventures and see the Virgin Islands National Park. Explore Mangrove Lagoon on St. Thomas, Caneel Bay on St. John and much more with Virgin Islands Ecotours.
USVI Tourism
For more information, visit the USVI official tourism website.
