Probably the best kept secret of the US Virgin Islands is St Croix and you still don't need a passport if you're a US citizen. American has a non stop daily from Miami and US Airways and Delta offer flights, as well as American connectors through Puerto Rico. I'd advise on renting a car as it's the easiest way to get around the island regardless of where you're staying. They drive on the left side over here but you get used to things in a hurry.
This island doesn't have the hustle and bustle of St Thomas so if you're looking for the loud bars, T Shirt contests, or big drink crowds, this is not the place. But if you know the right places to go you can have a pretty good time here. The only casino in the USVI is located on the island so you do have some gambling action if you wind up with a slow night. I prefer the city of Christiansted as far as shopping and dining go as there are a variety of options here and its easy to spend a full day doing both. There is a board walk along the water which goes from the fort to the sea plane terminal and there are a few places to stop in for food and drink. Gold prices are fairly good here and negotiating is possible for an even better bargain. The Crucian hook bracelet is one of the most popular jewelry items and all of my daughters are constantly getting comments when they wear them. Rule of thumb if you buy one, the open end of the hook points away from the heart if your are available and towards the heart if you're taken.
One of my other favorite places to stop in is at the domino club bar in the rain forest. They'll offer you a mamawanna, which is a concoction of rum, honey, and secret herbs which are steeped to make a potent concoction. Be careful as these definitely creep up on you. This is an open air bar and restaurant and it closes before dusk. After you've had a mamawanna and a cold beer you may want to visit the beer drinking pigs. That's right, they keep a few rather hefty pigs, that actually drink beer. The beer is non alcoholic but you've got to see these things gobble it up. They'll take the can from your hand and crush it in their mouths as they guzzle down the beer. Then they'll spit it back on the ground when they're done. Pretty wild.
Plenty of water action down here. Great fishing, boating, and exceptional snorkeling and diving. There is a wall down here that some say rivals the wall in the Caymans for those experienced divers. A great day trip to Buck Island, off the east coast of the Island, offers phenomenal snorkeling. For the most part though, you can snorkel off almost any beach here as access to the reefs is not that far off. When you're looking for a cold one after a hot day try Off the Wall, an open air bar located directly over the ocean. One of our favorite hangs as well as a lot of the locals. Food is not bad either. You'll find some other good hangs in this area also.
Some of our favorite restaurants on the island are savant, Villa Morales, Tuto Bene, Rowdy Joes, Kendricks, and the Pirates Buffet at the Carambola Resort. There are many options as far as hotels go but we prefer the Carambola Resort. I'm a little biased here as the company I work for has a management contract with the hotel, and this is the main reason we come to St Croix. Every time we visit it gets better and it's about to become a Renaissance Hotel by Marriott, so even nicer things ahead. Great beach there as well as a nice hiking trail through the rain forest. If you follow the trail it will take you down to the tidal pools where you've got the ocean all to yourself. When you're done there you can play a round of golf at the Carambola golf course, which, by the way, is a Robert Trench Jones design, and the best the island has to offer. I'd also recommend a tour of the Cruzan Rum distillery. they brag the only rum that won't leave you with a hangover. very tasty and available for sale in their store.
All in all, we always have a great time when we come here and always regret leaving. When we do, our batteries are fully recharged, and we're thinking about how soon we can get back. Check it out as you won't be disappointed.
