U.S. Virgin Islands history and our agricultural heritage shine bright on St. Croix. In our historic towns you can wander among buildings that look much the same as they did when they were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. In Christiansted you can’t miss yellow-walled Fort Christiansvaern, one of the best-preserved colonial forts in the Caribbean. And be sure to explore the island markets, brimming with colorful produce and livestock proudly farmed by the locals.
Thursday
Jump right into the island experience — have lunch at a working distillery and in the evening try your luck at a resort casino.
Morning
Arrive at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport or, if you island-hopped from St. Thomas, disembark from a seaplane in downtown Christiansted.
Afternoon
Rum has been distilled on St. Croix for hundreds of years, but there’s a new spirit in town. Make Mutiny Island Vodka your first stop for a tour of the distillery where vodka is made from tropical, potato-like breadfruit. Sip specialty drinks such as the Island Mule, mixed with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. Lunch on small plates that include salads made with island-grown greens and a Cuban smoked duck sandwich.MuMut
For dinner and an evening of entertainment, head to the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort & Casino. Enjoy a bistro-style menu of wings, steak, pasta and handmade pizza at the Carina Café & Show Bar. Then, play the slots and table games in the biggest casino in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Friday
Dive into all the excitement St. Croix has to offer — sailing, snorkeling, ziplining, sightseeing at historic sites and dining at delicious restaurants.
Morning
Head out early for breakfast at Caroline’s on Christiansted’s waterfront, which opens at 7 a.m. Among your tasty options are beignets – a French-Caribbean delicacy – and bananas foster, with flambéed dark rum and banana-caramel sauce.
Late Morning
Take a half-day sail from Christiansted Harbor to Buck Island Reef National Monument, a designation that has protected one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean for decades. Snorkel on the extensive reef among tropical fish of every shape and color, then walk on uninhabited Buck Island’s pristine beaches before sailing back at noon.
Afternoon
Have lunch at La Reine Chicken Shack, a popular restaurant that serves up generous quantities of traditional West Indian favorites. Sample stewed goat, pot (reef) fish or kingfish, all served with rice, beans and a fried cornmeal Johnny cake.
Crank up your adrenaline on the Carambola Zip Line, where you’ll whiz some 2,500 feet across the scenic Carambola Valley. Learn about life on a colonial sugar plantation at Estate Whim Museum. Wander through acres of tropical plants at St. George Village Botanical Garden or take a walking tour of Frederiksted, including the 18th-century Fort Frederik.
Evening
Stay in Frederiksted for dinner at Six Nine, an open-air restaurant one block from the waterfront that serves creative dishes, including a watermelon crudo appetizer and seared local fish. Or try Cibone, located in the charming Limetree Courtyard, serving Crucian fusion dishes that include wild-caught seafood.
Spend an entertaining evening listening to a variety of live music, from soft jazz to electronic beats, pulsing from any one of Frederiksted’s bars.
Saturday
Be the first in the United States to welcome the sunrise – but you’ll have to get a mighty early start. Of course, there is a bonus: It will leave you more time to explore the parts of the island you haven’t seen yet.
Morning
Drive to the island’s East End to watch the sunrise at Point Udall, the easternmost point of the United States. Then head to the Saturday Farmers Market at the Agriculture Fair Grounds, which opens at 6 a.m. Marvel at the local farmers’ produce, sauces, spices and jams. You’ll also find vendors offering farm-to-table breakfast made from our island bounty.
Afternoon
Walk around downtown Christiansted, a living history book that looks much as it did some 200 years ago. At Fort Christiansvaern and its museum, learn about the people who lived on St. Croix for 3,000 years before Columbus arrived, as well as the Danish colonial period. Then tour the rest of the seven-acre Christiansted National Historic Site. In addition to the fort, see the perfectly preserved Danish West India and Guinea Co. Warehouse, the Church of Our Lord Sabaoth Steeple Building, the Customs House, the Scale House and Government House.
Stop at Cream & Co in the King Christian Hotel for classic handmade ice cream with creative flavors such as bush tea, moko jumbie, pistachio goat cheese and honey-lavender poppyseed.
If golf is your game, drive to The Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort, have lunch at the Mermaid restaurant and tackle the par-70 course — just try not to be distracted by the blue ocean views from nearly all of its 18 holes.
Evening
Dine at the recently opened Stones Throw on Strand Street in Christiansted, known for its flame-finished wood furniture, Star Wars memorabilia and dishes that include a house fettucine with roasted mushrooms, smoked ricotta and pine nuts. Or try 2 Plus 2 Restaurant and Nightclub in La Grande Princesse, just west of Christiansted. It has a large upstairs dining room and bar, plus a sweeping outdoor patio. The local cuisine served here includes stewed oxtail and conch prepared in butter sauce with fungi.
Sunday
Today’s the day to get out and do some snorkeling or diving. Like the rest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the water here is warm, clear and full of abundant, colorful marine life.
Early Morning
For a hearty breakfast to power you through a morning in the water, try Polly’s at the Pier on the waterfront in Frederiksted for Belgian waffles or build-your-own breakfast burritos.
Late Morning-Early Afternoon
Head out to Cane Bay Beach, on the North Shore about halfway between Frederiksted and Christiansted, for a unique diving experience. Just 100 yards off the beach is a coral wall that offers an incredible sight as it begins to disappear into a 13,000-foot-deep undersea canyon. Rent snorkeling or diving gear at the dive shop.
Afternoon
Post-dive, enjoy dining and drinks at a nearby restaurant. Located right on Cane Bay Beach, Spratnet Beach Bar has a pig roast and a live band on Sundays. The Landing Beach Bar serves brunch from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and features live music on the lawn.
Later, depart from the airport or the seaplane base in Christiansted.
Keep Exploring St. Croix