US Virgin Islands

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) are an unincorporated territory of the United States in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of three main islands — Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix — plus about 50 smaller islets. Located east of Puerto Rico, the USVI cover 346 square kilometers and are home to roughly 87,000 people. They were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million in gold.

For American travelers, the USVI offer the Caribbean without a passport — US currency, US postal service, and no customs upon return. But these islands have a distinct character shaped by Danish colonial architecture, African-Caribbean culture, and a natural beauty that ranges from the manicured beaches of Saint Thomas to the pristine wilderness of Saint John's Virgin Islands National Park, which covers two-thirds of the island.

Saint Thomas (83 km²) is the most visited and developed of the three main islands. Charlotte Amalie, the territorial capital, wraps around one of the Caribbean's most beautiful natural harbors and is a major cruise ship port. The town's Danish colonial warehouses along Main Street and Back Street now house duty-free shops selling jewelry, electronics, and liquor at prices that draw bargain hunters from across the Americas.

Beyond the shopping, Saint Thomas offers Magens Bay, a crescent beach regularly ranked among the world's best; Blackbeard's Castle, a 17th-century watchtower associated (loosely) with the pirate; and the Skyride to Paradise Point for panoramic harbor views. The island's hills are steep and the roads winding — locals drive on the left, a holdover from Danish rule, in left-hand-drive American cars.

Saint John (52 km²) is the jewel of the USVI — roughly two-thirds of the island is protected as the Virgin Islands National Park, donated to the US government by Laurance Rockefeller in 1956. The park encompasses lush tropical forests, sugar plantation ruins, hiking trails, and some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, including Trunk Bay (with its famous underwater snorkeling trail) and Cinnamon Bay.

The main town of Cruz Bay is a small, walkable village with restaurants, bars, and ferry connections to Saint Thomas (20 minutes). Saint John attracts a different crowd than Saint Thomas — hikers, snorkelers, and eco-travelers who prefer nature over nightlife. The Reef Bay Trail descends through tropical forest past Taino petroglyphs to the ruins of a sugar mill on the beach, one of the best hikes in the Caribbean.

Saint Croix (214 km²), the largest USVI island, lies 60 kilometers south of the others and has a markedly different character: flatter, more agricultural, with a stronger sense of local Caribbean culture. Christiansted, on the north shore, is one of the best-preserved Danish colonial towns in the Caribbean, centered on Fort Christiansvaern (1749). Frederiksted, on the west coast, is a quieter town with its own fort and a famous pier popular with divers.

Saint Croix's Buck Island Reef National Monument, accessible by boat, protects an extraordinary coral reef with a marked underwater trail. The island also hosts the Cruzan Rum Distillery (tours available) and the Point Udall monument, the easternmost point of the United States. The Crucian culture — a blend of African, Danish, and Caribbean influences — is celebrated every January during the festival season.

The US Virgin Islands have no wine production but are home to Cruzan Rum — one of the Caribbean's most acclaimed distilleries, operating on St. Croix since 1760. The rum range, from light mixers to aged sipping expressions, represents over 260 years of continuous distillation. Leatherback Brewing (St. Croix) and other craft breweries are emerging. The Danish colonial heritage (the islands were Danish until 1917) is visible in the architecture of Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted. Wine is imported and available at resort restaurants across St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John.

Both Saint Thomas (STT) and Saint Croix (STX) have airports with direct flights from Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, and other US cities. Saint John has no airport; access is by ferry from Saint Thomas (Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie). No passport is needed for US citizens. The US dollar is the currency, and US phone plans work normally.

Accommodation ranges from luxury resorts (Ritz-Carlton on Saint Thomas, Caneel Bay on Saint John) to vacation rentals and eco-lodges. The best time to visit is December–April (dry season). Hurricane season is June–November. English is the primary language, with Virgin Islands Creole English widely spoken. Left-hand driving (in American cars) takes adjustment. Conch, kallaloo, and johnnycakes are local staples.

Each of the three USVI islands offers a different Caribbean experience, and I'd recommend visiting at least two. Saint Thomas is the gateway — bustling, convenient, with world-class duty-free shopping and Magens Bay. Saint John is the wilderness reward — the National Park is genuinely extraordinary, and Trunk Bay's underwater trail is perfect for first-time snorkelers.

But Saint Croix is my personal favorite. It's the least touristic, the most authentically Caribbean, and Christiansted is one of the most charming small towns in the islands. The combination of Danish colonial architecture, Crucian food culture, and Buck Island's reef make it worth the extra hop south. And yes, driving on the left in an American car is exactly as confusing as it sounds.

— Radim Kaufmann, Kaufmann World Travel Factbook