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St. Croix: The Big Brother of The US Virgin Islands

St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), was the first island spotted by Columbus on his second journey to the new world (he named the island "Santa Cruz"), and more recently was the sugar plantation capital of the West Indies. Today, this fabulous tourist area, the largest of the Virgin Islands at 84 sq miles, is a heaven for those who want to spend some time in the Caribbean sun. St. Croix offers sunshine and all the trimmings. Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, snuba diving, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, parasailing, pleasure boating, and an unimagined number of activities await the adventurous visitor.

Christiansted, located on the northern coast, is the commercial hub of the island. The town's small streets wind their way to Kings Wharf, where many of the town's shops and fishing charters are located. Christiansted's architecture is reminiscent of the town's Danish heritage. History buffs will want to see Fort Christiansvaern, one of only five Danish forts in the American Virgin Islands. Outside of Christiansted, visitors can tour the Cruzan Rum Factory and sample some of this award winning libation.

Frederiksted, located on the western shore of the island, is the port city where most of the cruise ships land bringing thousands of visitors to St. Croix. The Victorian style architecture is a reminder of the rebuilding that took place here in 1878. Fort Frederik,with its menacing red colored walls, was designed to ward off smugglers, and is an excellent example of Danish military architecture of the 1700s.

Five and a half miles northeast of Christiansted, sits one of the USVI's most special natural resources. Buck Island Reef National Monument is surrounded by a coral reef and is a paradise for hikers, snorkelers, and scuba divers. The reef is teeming with reef fish, and the occasional turtle or ray. Hikers may want to climb to the top of the park (a whopping 300 feet above sea level) and look out over the surrounding reef. Keep your eye out for the brown pelicans that nest on the island.

Scuba enthusiasts may feel cheated if they come to St. Croix and not dive the wonderful sites around the area. The area off of Frederiksted Pier is a magical dive, especially at night. Lobsters walk in a gigantic conga line along the bottom. Tarpon prowl the area looking for food. You may see elusive sea horses or the rare roughback batfish. Salt River Canyon waits off of Columbus Beach (named in honor of the spot Columbus landed). This dive is set among the east and west walls of the canyon and reaches down 130 feet.

Like most of the Caribbean islands, some premium time needs to be spent on the beaches of St. Croix. Cane Bay, a long, thin swath of white sand is on the northwest portion of the island. It is a great snorkeling spot and has watercraft rentals available. Sandy Point, near Frederiksted, is a long, mostly unoccupied beach located in the Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge, a designated nesting area for marine turtles. The west end of the island, north of Frederiksted has a few unnamed beaches. Just pull over at whichever one strikes your fancy.

Golfers will certainly want to give the wind swept course at the Carambola Golf Club a whirl. This Robert Trent Jones course is set against a rain forest and is ranked one of the best resort courses in the world by Golf Digest magazine.

St. Croix may be bigger in size than its little brothers, St. Thomas and St. John, but it still retains a small island feel. The pace is slow. The Caribbean waves seem to roll in at a slower pace, and the music of the island flows over visitors like a cool wind. However you choose to spend your St. Croix vacation, take some time and listen to the wind.