A Topnotch Travel Guide for St. Croix
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Out of all the Virgin Islands, St. Croix holds a special place in my heart. There’s a certain vibe that comes along with this small island that is undeniable and hard not to love! The people are overwhelmingly pleasant, the food is delicious and the beaches are stunning.
When is the best time to visit St. Croix?
The neat thing about the US Virgin Islands is that the weather doesn’t change too dramatically here. However, this is a peak season with the cruise industry and tourists. Tourist season is from December to April so if you’re not fond of crowds, I would advise against these months.
The Virgin Islands experience hurricane season from May to November. I visited here during hurricane season and it’s not at all as bad as you may think. There were random rainstorms here and there during the day but the sun stayed out and it was a warm rain. I would usually go take a run during this time because it felt so nice!
What to know about St. Croix
Out of the three Virgin Islands, St. Croix is the largest of them. The island stretches 28 miles across and is 7 miles wide, taking just under an hour to drive from east to west.
Since 1960, the population has tripled on these islands and there are now 50,000 people living on St. Croix. The natives of St. Croix are called, Crucians. They’re extremely friendly but can be a bit more reserved than what you may be used to. They’re just more on the chill and quiet side rather than being loud and obnoxious – not a bad thing at all.
In the 1700s, sugar production was big here so you may see some remains of sugar plantations and mills if you look hard enough!
How to get around St. Croix
When I visited this beautiful destination, one of my best friends was currently living on the island. She had her own vehicle, so it made exploring easy and her house was close enough to the downtown area that I could just venture there while she was at work.
For those of you who don’t have a friend living here, I highly suggest renting a car. Some of the terrain that you’ll drive on and through may be unfinished and rocky/bumpy so if you plan on exploring the island a good amount, I’d recommend a car with four wheel drive.
A good thing to know before you arrive is that everyone drives on the opposite side of the road compared to the mainland United States. This also means the steering wheel is on the left side in the car which may throw you off a little at first.
How safe is St. Croix?
I’m sure some crime does occur on this island but during my time here, I never witnessed anything out of the ordinary. Everyone was very kind and willing to point me in the right direction or give me a recommendation for some good food.
What is there to do in St. Croix?
There is always something to stay busy doing on this cute little island and if you visit in the low season, it feels like an off the beaten path destination. When my friend and I visited some of these attractions, we were the only two at the spot which made it that much better.
Tour Fort Christiansvaern and Fort Frederik
Where I was staying was running distance from Fort Christiansvaern, which I was able to explore a few times. It’s located right on the edge of Chrsitiansted and directly next to the harbor there. Out of the two forts, this has stayed in tack a bit more than the other and has been around since 1749. The purpose of Fort Christiansvaern was to guard the harbor against any enemies and also to ensure taxes were collected from imports and exports.
The second fort, Fort Frederik, is located on the west side of the island in a town called, Frederiksted. This fort was the place where the Emancipation Revolt occurred in 1848, which put slavery to a stop in the West Indies.
Visit Point Udall
This is the spot to come see Millennial Monument, a giant sundial that sits on a mountaintop overlooking the water. This monument was made to represent the new millennium – 2000. The view from this attraction is unreal and certainly a great place to come get a feed-worthy photo.
Walk the Christiansted Boardwalk
Looking back at my stay here, I’m so grateful my friend lived where she did. Not only was I running distance from Fort Christiansvaern, but also the boardwalk. The boardwalk and fort are walking distance from one another so you can’t visit one without the other!
This stretch of boardwalk and the “downtown” area of Christiansted here is so much fun. There are cute little shops to come see, tasty restaurants to eat at and great spots to hit for happy hour. There are also lots of fish right at the edge of the boardwalk that you can watch swim around.
Jack and Issac Bay Preserve Trail
Not too far from Point Udall, is where you can park to go hike this trail. This trail is 3.6 miles in and out, which equals out to about 1.5 hours of hiking. The trail is popular for walking your dog, running or taking your time and appreciating the views of the Caribbean water.
There was a constant, but gentle breeze when I was here along with beaches to stop at during the hike. I recommend downloading the map for this trail in case you lose service unexpectedly.
Visit a Rum Distillery or two
There are two rum distilleries here on the island: Cruzan Rum Distillery and Captain Morgan Rum Distillery. Here you have the opportunity to take a tour and learn more about both rums! Rum is a popular topic on Caribbean islands so each bar you hit will have an endless amount of different rums to taste!
Go scuba diving at the Frederiksted Pier
Scuba diving in St. Croix was like no other! The water is the clearest blue and the marine life is fascinating. While I was here, we rented gear from Cane Bay Dive Shop which is in Frederiksted.
After renting gear, we walked down towards the beach and the Frederiksted Pier. This was my first time scuba diving a pier so I was prepared for a good time and I was not disappointed. There were loads of things to see including turtles, sting rays, starfish, eels, lion fish and more.
Hike to the Annaly Bay Tide Pools
This is a must do if you love hikes and the ocean! You can choose to drive here if you’d like and that is probably best for people who aren’t so active. The hiking trip is a 5-mile trip there and back beginning at Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort.
Things I recommend to bring for this adventure would be a bathing suit, waterproof phone protector, sunscreen and possibly water shoes!
Like I said up above, St. Croix is my favorite of the three islands that make up the US Virgin Islands. Not sure if it’s the rum, the people, the vibe or all three combined but it’s a fantastic place for a getaway. there’s so much that can be done here during day or night which makes it an awesome place to travel to if you love adventures.
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