U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas
Intro
St. Thomas is the gateway isle of the U.S. Virgin Islands and home of the territory’s capital, Charlotte Amalie. It's known for its beaches and snorkeling spots and regularly sees an influx of cruise passengers who have docked for the day at Charlotte Amalie’s cruise port.
What I Did
I have been to St. Thomas twice, and had very different itineraries and experiences.
The first time, we stayed in the Charlotte Amalie and Havensight areas, without transportation. Downtown Charlotte Amalie has some of the island's more famous historical sights and attractions, but is geared to cater almost exclusively to cruise ship passengers. The main shopping area along the water is full of duty free shops and stores shutter around 5pm as the boats get ready to leave harbor. With this reality, we spent most of our time at our resort enjoying the beach and amenities.
For the second trip, we stayed near Red Hook on the East End and had our own car. Both choices made a huge difference. Red Hook has a small strip of restaurants and stores that offer a lively dinner and nightlife scene, and with our own car we were able to explore huge sections of the island on our own time and schedule.
Getting Around
It is possible to get around without your own car, with both formal taxis available, as well as a bus and "dollar taxi" system. Formal taxis can be very expensive - at the airport the quoted price for a ride to the East End was $90 for a 30 minute trip. The bus system is run by VITRAN and the "dollar taxis" generally follow the same routes as the bus system. Fares are $1-$2 based on the trip.
Getting your own car or scooter will certainly make getting around the island much easier. St. Thomas (and St. John, if you take the ferry over) is full of steep and windy roads, and they drive on the opposite side of the road. So it can be a bit intimidating to try driving, but you can get the hang of it pretty quickly and the benefits that you get from being able to access the whole island vastly outweigh the discomfort that comes from adjusting to the island driving style.
Attractions
Beaches
Magens Bay
Honeymoon Beach
Neltjeberg Bay
Coki Beach
Lindquist Beach
Sapphire Beach
Secret Harbor Beach
Brewers Bay
Viewpoints
Drake’s Seat
Mountain Top
Charlotte Amalie Overlook
Paradise Point
Other
Bluebeard’s Castle
99 Steps
Fort Christian
Fort Segarra
Mermaid’s Chair
Neighborhoods
Charlotte Amalie
The capital city of the USVI and population center of St. Thomas, downtown Charlotte Amalie’s main attraction is focused on catering to cruise ship passengers with duty-free shopping. There are some other historical attractions, but the waterfront area largely shuts down after the cruise ships leave port.
Red Hook
Sitting at the eastern end of St Thomas, Red Hook overlooks neighboring St. John and has a collection of stores and restaurants and serves as a primary ferry terminal with boats to St. John, Charlotte Amalie and Road Town in the British Virgin Islands.
North Shore
The north shore of St. Thomas isn’t a generally recognized or singularly cohesive area, but the entire north side of the island is dotted with beaches, including the most famous and popular beach on the island - Magens Bay.
Water Island
Sometimes referred to as “the fourth Virgin Island”, Water Island sits in the bay off of Charlotte Amalie and hosts a small population and provides hiking, biking trails and beaches. You can get the ferry to Water Island from Frenchtown in Charlotte Amalie.
Food & Drink
Northside Grind
Taco Chelles
Mim’s Seaside Bistro
Sunset Grille
Pesce Italian
XO Bistro
De’Coal Pot
Scoops & Brew
