US Virgin Islands Points of Interest and Places to Visit

St. Thomas is a hugely popular Eastern Caribbean cruise destination, and is well set-up for shore visitors. With great shopping, sightseeing and beach relaxation in easy reach, there’s everything you need for a perfect day ashore on a holiday island. Along with St. John, St. Croix and Water Island, St. Thomas is part of the US Virgin Islands, sprinkled amongst the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. The British Virgin Islands are neighbors to the east, and Puerto Rico is around 40 miles (64km) away to the west. How to Get to Charlotte Amalie Ships drop anchor in Charlotte Amalie’s harbor, only a few minutes’ ride from downtown by tender. Once on dry land, all the amenities, duty-free shopping, Danish architecture and boutique-lined laneways are at your fingertips. Most shops are on Veterans Drive and Main Street. The best way to travel further afield on St. Thomas is by organized tour or taxi.

St. John might have the lion’s share of the Virgin Islands’ natural attractions, but the extraordinary concentration of flora and fauna in St. Thomas’ Mangrove Lagoon makes it a top eco-tourism destination. Small kayak groups thread through the lagoon’s tiny red mangrove islands, with guides pointing out the huge diversity of birds they attract, including herons, egrets and ducks. The route takes you to deserted Cas Cay island, where hermit crabs dart about among mangrove roots. On your gently-paced travels you’ll see young fish darting around this natural breeding ground. Low-impact snorkeling will get you even closer, and you’ll spot rays, eels and jelly fish as well as a host of colorful tropical fish.

Coki is St. Thomas’s party beach, thronged with families, revelers and beach vendors. Snorkelers and divers love Coki’s underwater clarity and sea creatures. Beach day-trippers enjoy the sand, sunshine and wandering vendors of drinks and snacks, souvenirs, sunscreen and hair-braiding. Coki Beach is quite a scene, lively and fun rather than quiet and laid-back. Beach lounges and thatch umbrellas can be hired, along with all kinds of water sports equipment, from jet skis to snorkel gear. The fish are used to people at this popular beach, and have even been known to eat from your hand (BYO dog biscuits).

In the old days of Imperial Empires and the early colonization of the Caribbean, tall ships would set their ballasts with huge stones and offload them when filling up with spices and other exotic Caribbean goods, leaving the stones as a reminder of their visit. Intrepid residents of Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas have since decided to use these stones as a stairway up the city’s hills, which serves to remind residents of their colonial roots. What makes the 99 Steps (there are actually 103; 99 Steps has a better ring to it) an attraction, however, is the lush foliage on either side of the stairway and the spectacular view from high atop the mountain once you make the climb. At the top you'll see Black Beard’s Castle. Innovative explorers have learned that a cab can be taken up to the top to avoid walking up 103 stairs. It’s easy, however, to take the 99 Steps downward at a leisurely pace.

Located in beautiful St. Thomas, Coral World is considered the best family attraction in the US Virgin Islands. Much of this integrated marine park displays the true habitat of its subjects, with both indoor and outdoor observation facilities meant to exemplify the diverse and plentiful nature of the area’s aquatic species. One of the park’s most drawing qualities is the interactive aspect of the attraction. Feed the sharks, turtles and string-rays; come face-to-face with iguanas and pet baby sharks; or go take a visit to Oscar the Sea Lion, who has regular performances in front of live crowds. Some of the park’s other major attractions include (and are certainly not limited to) its 50,000 gallon Deep Reef Tank, sporting some of the mother nature’s deadliest carnivore’s, including moray eels, tarpon and plenty of sharks. Also be sure to check out the Marine Gardens, complete with 21 aquariums exhibiting wonderful and exciting water-life such as seahorses.

Caneel Bay is one of the first beaches you come to as you drive up North Shore Road out of St John’s main port, Cruz Bay. Much of the coastline here is monopolized by an extensive resort, but they guarantee access to Caneel Bay and their restaurants adjacent to the beach are accessible also. The area was once a plantation and the ruins of the old sugar works make an atmospheric detour. The beach itself is a three-dimensional postcard, while snorkelers will delight in sting rays, barracudas and other sea life.

Magens Bay is just one of the reasons why the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas is such a popular holiday isle. The island’s favorite beach is a curving arc of white sand and bright blue water. It’s protected by a forested arboretum and palm trees, ensuring calm waves for swimming and kayaking. From the vantage point of Mountain Top, you can easily make out the bay’s unusual rectangular shape and mile of white-sand beach, but the best view is up close from the sand. Being so popular, the beach has some great facilities, including lifeguards, showers, snack stall and windsurf rental. A nature trail winds from Magens Bay Road down the beach, just over a mile, taking you through tropical forest and mangroves via boardwalks and well-maintained steps and paths.

Perched on St John’s northern shore, Maho Bay draws families and snorkelers to its calm, shallow waters. It’s easily accessible, as you can drive right up to the beach and park on the side of a road lined with groves of coconut palms. Maho Bay is named after the beach Maho tree, which you can identify by its heart-shaped leaves and bright, yellow flowers. The narrow beach fronts a shallow, sheltered bay that is a popular anchorage for yachts. You might even spot a sea turtle swimming among the seagrass swaying below the surface. A coral reef on the southern coast of the bay provides excellent snorkeling. At the eastern end of the beach hikers can wander along the Goat Trail, which leads to Maho Bay Eco-Camps, a pretty enclave of tent cabins. Here you can rent water sports equipment and have breakfast and dinner at the Pavilion Restaurant.

Back in its heyday, the Annaberg Sugar Plantation was one of 25 facilities on the island producing sugar, along with molasses and rum. All that remains today are ruins, but they are an important reminder of St John’s past, and visitors can walk a trail that leads them through important structures such as slave quarters, windmills and factory remains. Learn about 18th- and 19th-century sugar production and the importance of Annaberg, where slaves were brought in to clear the dense hillsides and terrace the slopes, allowing for farming. Slaves were also involved in actual sugarcane production and completed tasks like planting, harvesting and processing. When slavery was later abolished, the plantation was subdivided into small farms. Evidence suggests there were at least 16 slave cabins at Annaberg, each constructed using branches woven together with a mud, coral and lime mixture called daub.