The U.S. Virgin Islands is an unincorporated organized territory of the United States of America between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico. It was formerly known as the Danish West Indies. Together with the British Virgin Islands, to the northeast, the territory forms the Virgin Islands archipelago. The islands natural resources are sun, sand, sea, and surf.
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Tropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November. Has experienced several hurricanes in recent years as well as frequent and severe droughts and floods.
Mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land. There are occasional earthquakes.
Is in an important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel - including on-line check-in - making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport for U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens . The territory is a "free port" in a separate customs zone from the mainland United States; this means that everyone going to the mainland must go through customs, even though there are no customs when arriving from the mainland. A passport is recommended to make returning easier, and you'll have to plan your purchases accordingly and leave a little extra time to make your departing flight.
Flights are into either St. Croix or St. Thomas. St. John does not have an airport, but is easily accessible via St. Thomas.
Many flights connect through San Juan, Puerto Rico, but direct flights from the continental U.S. involve less hassle and flying time.
Direct flights into St. Thomas can be found from Miami, New York-JFK and Boston on American Airlines, Atlanta and Detroit on Delta Air Lines, Newark on Continental Airlines, Ft. Lauderdale on Spirit Airlines, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and New York-La Guardia (weekly) on U.S. Airways, and Washington-Dulles and Chicago-O'Hare on United Airlines.
Direct flights into St. Croix can be found from Miami on American Airlines, Charlotte on U.S. Airways (weekly, seasonal), and Atlanta (twice weekly) on Delta Air Lines. St. Croix can also be easily reached from the mainland via St. Thomas by flying Cape Air (which flies between the St. Thomas and St. Croix airports) or Seaborne Airlines (which flies seaplanes between Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Christiansted, St. Croix).
Ferries run between all three US Virgin Islands, as well as to and from the British Virgin Islands and, on a seasonal basis, Puerto Rico. Note that, when returning from the British Virgin Islands, everyone, including U.S. citizens, is required to pass through customs and a T.S.A. screening. Especially when traveling with a large number of other people, such as on a ferry, this can add two to three hours to the travel time.
Getting around any of the Virgin Islands is fairly easy. All of the islands have bus service and/or a regulated taxi service. Upon docking at Cruz Bay, taxis, rental cars, and scooters are available.
With plenty to explore on all the islands, car rental agencies are recommended. From the lush rainforest to the quaint Christiansted, driving the St Croix island is both scenic and a visual pleasure. Stick to the left-hand side and with a good handful of sharp curves, take your time navigating the roads. Remember that you're on "island time."
Generally car rental rates will be comparable to the mainland U.S. (about $500 per week or $80 per day). If you make advanced reservations, the rates are generally lower. Take out the insurance if you plan to go four wheeling up the steep mountain roads. Throughout St. Thomas, there are colored directional signs to major destinations.
Unlike other U.S. territories, traffic on the Virgin Islands moves on the left. To add to the confusion, unlike most other places where traffic moves on the left, most cars in the Virgin Islands are left-hand drive as they are usually imported from the U.S. mainland. Potholes are large and numerous, similar to the end of a particularly snowy New England winter. Drivers often either slow to around 5mph or swing into oncoming traffic when encountering the larger holes. For both reasons, one should always pay extra attention when driving and watch out for drivers who drive on the wrong side of the road. Unmarked one-way streets, very narrow two-ways streets, lack of lane striping, and a high incidence of drunk driving also contribute to the relatively high accident rate among drivers on the Virgin Islands.
To avoid collisions on hairpin turns in the mountainous areas, stay left and slow to 5mph. Some unpaved mountain roads require four-wheel drive, and some drainage ditches wash across the paved roads in the rain forest. There are generally no sidewalks outside of the towns, so pedestrians and bicycles frequently travel along the side of the main road.
There is a rudimentary highway numbering system. Roads are marked with circular signs. Numbers beginning with 1 and 2 are used on St. John, with 3 and 4 on St. Thomas and 5 to 7 on St. Croix. Roads are not very well marked -- some are not marked at all -- and designations can be confusing. Some roads simply dead-end, or end at an unmarked intersection. Signage can suddenly disappear without warning; for example, heading south on Route 40 into Charlotte Amalie, signage is nowhere to be found as you are shuttled onto one-way streets. It is not uncommon to come to a junction where one must turn to stay on the current road. Locals are more likely to know the names of the roads; conversly, tourist maps usually emphasise the numbers.
Upon landing at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, one could rent a taxi or take buses to Charlotte Amalie, or to Red Hook, either of which have ferry service to Cruz Bay, St. John. You can "bargain" for most things on the islands, but the taxi and bus rates are regulated. Taxi rates are published by the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. If you are interested in saving $8, you can walk 3/4 of a mile to Vetern's Drive and catch a safari bus that will take you into town for $1 or $2 dollars if you have minimal luggage.
Taxi rates are charged per person one way. For example, a one way trip from Charlotte Amalie to Magens Bay is $10; round trip for four people will cost $80. If you plan on visiting multiple destinations, renting a car might be more economical.you need to have bus fares too!
Sailboat rentals at Red Hook will allow you to get around by water. If you plan to sail to the British Virgin Islands, a passport is required as of 2007. Although passports are not required for American citizens to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) has made the documentation requirements much stricter.
On St. John, get the best idea of the island by chartering a boat for a full day. By doing this not only will one get a wonderful day of snorkeling in, but also see the island from a local's perspective. Try St John Yacht Charters at 340-998-9898.
There is a ferry boat that transports cars between Red Hook, St. Thomas and Cruz Bay, St. John. The dock is separate from the passenger ferries. The sign is really small, so if you can't find the dock, ask the workers by the passenger ferries.
Lastly, for a one-stop resource that lists charter companies operating in the U.S. Virgin Islands, consider visiting the Virgin Island Charter Yacht League's site at The site lists pictures as well as contact information for charters ranging from monohull to power yacht.
English is the official language but there is a local dialect. You may also find Spanish and French Creole being spoken.
Beautiful sightseeing
Take a tour by jeep and boat around the island or sit on the white sandy beaches. Explore the island and stop at the beaches and spend all day snorkeling. Take a guided kayak tour or snorkeling tour in Coral Bay Miles of hiking trails criss-cross the entire island. Maps are available from the U.S. Park Service office in Cruz Bay. Ranger guided hikes can also be scheduled for a small fee at the same office. Visit the Annaberg Sugar Plantations and try some local Johnny cake Travel to Coral Bay and visit other popular beaches such as Salt Pond. Visit some of the smaller bays like Denis Bay and Little Cinnamon. They can be a treck compared to trunk but are well worth it when you have a tropical beach to yourself. Visit the beach at Trunk Bay, rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Great place to Snorkel. The beach facilities include food, drink and showers.
St. Croix is rich with artists. Christiansted is home to many galleries including WATCH YOUR STEP owned by artist Diane Given Hayes, D&D STUDIO featuring works by Ted Davis and other notable artists, ISLAND BOY DESIGNS owned by jewelry designer Whealan Massciott (Kenny Chesney is a fan), the MARIA HENLE GALLERY and many more. A stroll around town will reveal these and many more treasures.
When in historic downtown Christiansted, you're invited to stop in the Studio and owners Ted Davis and Sam Dike will show you delightful new exhibits in a sophisticated gallery setting.
Much of the artwork seen on the D&D Studio web site can be purchased over telephone or through e-mail. Purchased artwork will be shipped insured and very well packaged to any point on the globe. Give us a call or drop us a line and we'll help you place your order.</buy>
The islands are duty-free and have all sorts of shops, with special emphasis on rums, tanzanite, and diamond and gold jewelry. See same subject under St Thomas for discussion.
</eat> St. Croix is home to a celebrated week-long culinary festival held each April called the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience which includes wine seminars, dinners with celebrity chefs (Kevin Rathbun, Rocco DiSpirito, Robbin Haas, Gerry Klaskala, Richard Reddington are just a few who joined the fun)and the main event, A Taste of St. Croix, showcases foods from more than 50 of the islands restaurants.
For a listing of restaurants on the island see www.GoToStCroix.com. Great local food can be found at Harvey's(stew goat), Singh's (roti) and Norma at the Domino Club in the rain forest always has something cooking.
For fine dining, try Tutto Bene, Bacchus, Savant and The Galleon. Rumrunners, located on the waterfront at Hotel Caravelle is perfect for casual, fun dining. They do a great blend of local and traditional American dishes and flavors.
If you want to catch what you eat, go fishing with Carl Holley. His boat, Mokojumbie, ties up ont he docks near Rumrunners. he, in fact, supplies many restaurants with fresh fish daily.
The public high schools have had a history of trouble with accreditation, but recent improvements have gotten them accepted on a probationary basis.
To learn about history and culture, visit St. Croix's historic landmarks. St. Croix is home to two forts (one in each waterfront town) and numerous historic buildings. Tours are available at Government House in Christiansted. Whim Great House and the Laweatz Museum offer tours. There is even a self-guided island tour called the Heritage Tour, maps are available at various places.
To learn about food and agriculture, come to St. Croix during the annual Ag Fair. You can also visit the VI Sustainable farm (call in advance) and Southgate Farms (both organic).
As a US territory, Americans can come here and work with no special visa. Foreigners must go through the rigorous process of obtaining a US work permit.
The economy is quite seasonal, based mostly around cruise ship calls, which taper off from May through September and peak in December and January.
Some parts of St.Thomas, especially Charlotte Amalie, can be risky at night. Drug and other related crime is a problem. The USVI has the 7th highest homicide rate in the world and is the most violent place in the U.S. Tourists should exercise caution when getting around as some neighborhoods can be dangerous, even if a well-known restaurant is in this neighborhood. It is advised to take a taxi if you are going anywhere especially at night. This is the only US territory where driving on the left side of the road is still practiced. There are many theories as to why this is. One theory is due to the prior use of the donkey as a main mode of transportation. Islanders would drive on the left to see how close they were getting to the edge of the many steep and cliff-like roadways. The original donkey trails were then paved over to create what are now the roadways today. Another theory is that as a Danish colony, the Danish West Indies were heavily British-influenced, due to an unwillingness among Danish people to relocate to the Danish colony. This British influence explains the widespread use of the English language even before the United States purchased the islands from Denmark in 1917.
Despite the left-side traffic, cars on the island are generally imported from the mainland U.S. and are left-hand drive. For drivers used to right-side traffic, the switch is pretty easy to make, though you will need to put more conscious thought into turns than normal. In general, other traffic provides an immediate reminder which side to choose; it's easier to forget if you're the only car on the road, but there are fewer cars to crash into in that case. The terror of flying past on the wrong side of traffic will pass after the first few cars, and the readjustment back home to right-hand driving will be a pleasant reminder of your trip. In short, don't be afraid of renting a car no matter which side of the road you normally drive on.
St. John is a relatively safe island but usual caution is advised when leaving your car unattended, especially at secluded beaches such as Salt Pond Bay. Your car is not a safe and yes, thieves WILL look under the front seat for your wallet.
Low-lying buildings usually use the public water, which is fine to drink. Places up in the mountains almost all have independent water supplies, replenished by the rain that falls on their roofs. The safety of this water depends on regular cleaning and treatment of the building's cistern.
There are several parts of St. Thomas that are not safe after dark, and a couple places that are not safe at any time of day. The islands may seem like paradise, but the crime rate is comparable to many large cities.
Islanders follow a system of greeting which depends on the time of day. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night are the norm. Most people follow-up a salutation with "How are you?" When entering a room with others it is customary to greet people. You may also be greeted with "ya arright?", to which an appropriate response would be "arright!" or "OK". Islanders also use a modified handshake. A normal shake, then a finger clasp, followed by a fist bump.