Last spring we had the opportunity to go to St. Croix for the first time. We’d spent some time in the two other US Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John, but had not yet gotten to venture a little farther south to the sunny shores of St. Croix.
After just a week, St. Croix quickly became a new favorite destination. It’s the largest of the three islands but has about the same number of residents as smaller St. Thomas. The pace on St. Croix is decidedly relaxed, the people are warm and friendly and you can either find a quiet beach, relax and do nothing or be as busy as you want with activities like diving, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, hiking and enjoying stunning scenery, great bars, music, restaurants and shops.
We’ve determined that one week on St. Croix is not nearly enough to truly experience this Caribbean gem, but until we can go and stay longer, we’ll share with you the things we’ve experienced so far that we think shouldn’t be missed! Click on the links for more pictures and info.
1. Cruzan Rum Factory Tour – if you enjoy rum, this is a must see. Interesting tour and a rum drink at the end!
2. Drive to Point Udall – the eastern most point in the US. – beautiful vistas.
From Point Udall, hike down to Jack’s and Issac’s Beach at sunrise…
3. Sail to, snorkel and explore Buck Island. (See Turtle Beach, Buck Island and Snorkeling at Buck Island) Great snorkeling, an underwater snorkel trail, hiking and an amazing powder soft beach.
4. Enjoy the wonderful Cruzan Rum drinks available everywhere on the island!
5. Explore Fort Christiansvaern in Christiansted and other historic buildings in the area to learn some of the the history of the island.
Be sure to spend time walking around Christiansted shopping, exploring and enjoying some of the great restaurants and bars. Join the fun at the Crab Races in Christiansted and the Divi Resort on the SE side.
6. Head to the northwest part of the island and hike one of the trails in St. Croix’s rainforest. Stop by the Mt. Pellier Domino Club for a cool drink, visit with some of the locals and feed a can of beer to one of the famous “beer drinking pigs”. (Read more about out visit to Mt. Pellier Domino Club here: Mt. Pellier Domino Club)
7. Spend some time in Fredriksted and check out the pier where the cruise ships dock. Snorkel, dive, jump off the pier or just enjoy a spectacular sunset. Head over to nearby Coconuts on the Beach and Rhythms at Rainbow Beach to enjoy a cold beverage and live music.
8. Spend a lazy day at Sandy Point. One of the prettiest beaches on the island and the location of the beach scene in “The Shawshank Redemption”.
9. Enjoy “life in the left lane”. Rent a jeep to explore the entire island and drive on the left side of the road – from the left side of the jeep!
10. Take a day trip to St. Thomas or Puerto Rico by seaplane.
Whatever you do or however long your visit, be sure to slow down, relax and take advantage of all that St. Croix has to offer!
See our St. Croix Map for locations of these attractions
To see more posts on St. Croix and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
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Absolutely love this.
Thanks Jewel!
Love your site and suggestions. I fell in love with St. Croix on my first visit back in 1979 and 3 months later moved back for 18 years.
Another suggestion is to see the local “zoo” just pass the Domino Club to see the other locals (mongoose, etc). Also try to visit during Presidents week for the Agriculture and Food Fair or during Cruzan Christmas Fiesta for a taste of partying with the Cruzans.
Great suggestions Geri! Thanks!
Checked off 9 out of 10 – never wanted to take a day trip to St Thomas. Enjoyed St Croix too much
Awesome – yep, St. Croix’s pretty hard to leave…
We loved St. Croix as well!! Were there for the first time in January and can’t wait to go back! Will definitely add those things to our list. We were able to cross of drinking lots of Cruzan…great stuff! We spent the day at Rhythm’s Beach Bar on Rainbow beach. Great place, great people, great drinks! Hope we run into you guys on an island someday!
Cheers!
We’d love to run into you guys again sometime and on an island with rum (or cocktail of choice!) would be awesome! We’ll have to keep in touch and hope to cross paths soon!
Wow! Great photos…We’ve never been to St Croix, but we’re going to have to get over there, it looks fantastic.
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