Must-see attractions in US Virgin Islands

  • Fort Christiansvaern at Christiansted National Historic Site.

    Christiansted National Historic Site

    St Croix

    This historic site includes several structures. The most impressive is Fort Christiansvaern (1749), a four-point citadel occupying the deep-yellow…

  • Bay beach, Magens Bay, Magens, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

    Magens Bay

    US Virgin Islands

    The sugary mile that fringes Magens Bay, 3 miles north of Charlotte Amalie, makes almost every travel publication’s list of beautiful beaches. The seas…

  • Checking out the underwater wildlife in Leinster Bay on Cruz Bay.

    Leinster Bay

    St John

    This bay adjoins the Annaberg mill ruins. Park in the plantation’s lot and follow the trail along the water for 25 minutes. Some of St John’s best…

  • Isaac Bay

    St Croix

    This secluded beach off Rte 82 offers no shade or facilities, and you'll have to hike about 20 minutes through scrub to reach it, but you'd be hard…

  • Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins

    St John

    Part of the national park, this site near Leinster Bay is home to the most intact sugar-plantation ruins in the Virgin Islands. A 30-minute self-directed…

  • Honeymoon Beach

    US Virgin Islands

    Water Island’s palm-lined main attraction offers fine swimming and snorkeling in calm, shallow water. A couple of beach bars sell drinks, sandwiches and…

  • Cruzan Rum Distillery

    St Croix

    To find out how the islands’ popular elixir gets made, stop by the historic distillery for a tour. The journey through the oak-barrel-stacked warehouses…

  • Tillett Gardens

    US Virgin Islands

    This colorful artists' colony near Tutu Park Mall lures hippies, thinkers, musicians and outcasts with its good-times vibe and welcoming spirit. On any…

  • Francis Bay

    St John

    Francis Bay is home to one of the most serene stretches of sand on St John, with calm waters and fewer tourists than at any other beach of its size. It's…

  • Lindquist Beach

    US Virgin Islands

    Part of protected Smith Bay Park, this narrow strand off Smith Bay Rd is a beauty all right: calm, true-blue water laps the soft white sand, while several…

  • 99 Steps

    US Virgin Islands

    These stairs lead from Kongens Gade up into a canopy of trees at the foot of Blackbeard's Castle. The steps, of which there are actually 103 (though you…

  • Trunk Bay

    Virgin Islands National Park

    St John

    VI National Park covers two-thirds of St John, plus 5650 acres underwater. It’s a tremendous resource, offering miles of shoreline, pristine reefs and 26…

  • Cinnamon Bay on Island of St John in US Virgin Islands

    Cinnamon Bay

    St John

    Mile-long Cinnamon Bay is St John’s biggest beach and arguably its best. At research time, however, it was a sad sight: Cinnamon's archaeological museum,…

  • Maho Bay, St. John - beautiful beach in the Caribbean

    Maho Bay

    St John

    The water here is shallow and less choppy than elsewhere (good for snorkeling and kids), and it’s a good bet you’ll see green sea turtles in the early…

  • Buck Island Reef National Monument

    St Croix

    For such a small landmass – 1 mile long by half a mile wide – Buck Island draws big crowds. It’s not so much what’s on top but what’s underneath that…

  • Havensight

    US Virgin Islands

    A hundred years ago the area on the east side of Charlotte Amalie Harbor was a bustling steamship wharf. Known today as Havensight, the district is still…

  • Salt River Bay National Historic Park

    St Croix

    About 4 miles west of Christiansted, Salt River Bay holds prehistoric archaeological ruins and is the only documented place where Christopher Columbus…

  • Protestant Cay

    St Croix

    This small oval cay, located less than 200yd from Kings Wharf, is a little oasis. It’s the site of a mellow resort with a sandy beach and bar-restaurant…

  • Peace Hill

    St John

    Look for the Peace Hill sign as you drive between Hawksnest and Jumbie Bays. Pull into the small parking lot, and if you’re willing to walk 0.1 miles you…

  • Frenchtown

    US Virgin Islands

    The island’s ‘Frenchies,’ aka Huguenots who emigrated to St Thomas from St-Barthélemy during the mid-19th century, populated this community of brightly…

  • Water Island

    US Virgin Islands

    Sometimes called the ‘Fourth Virgin,’ Water Island floats spitting distance from Charlotte Amalie. But with only about 200 residents and very few cars or…

  • Paradise Point Skyride

    US Virgin Islands

    Gondolas whisk visitors 700ft up Flag Hill to a scenic outlook. The ride takes seven minutes. At the top a restaurant, a bar, a gallery of shops and a…

  • Coki Beach

    US Virgin Islands

    Coki is on a protected cove at the entrance to Coral World marine park. The snorkeling is excellent, with lots of fish action, and you can dive from the…

  • Salt Pond Bay

    St John

    Salt Pond Bay provides decent snorkeling in calm water. Keep an eye out for turtles. Two dandy trails take off from the beach's southern end: the Ram Head…

  • St Thomas Synagogue

    US Virgin Islands

    The second-oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere (the oldest is on the island of Curaçao), peaceful St Thomas Synagogue is a National Historic…

  • Hull Bay

    US Virgin Islands

    On the north coast and just west of Magens Bay, Hull Bay is usually a gem of solitude when Magens is overrun. The shady strand lies at the base of a steep…

  • Trunk Bay

    St John

    This long, gently arching beach is the most popular strand on the island and the only one that charges a fee. There are showers, toilets, picnic…

  • Fort Christian

    US Virgin Islands

    Red-brick Fort Christian is the oldest Danish fortification in the Caribbean, dating to 1672. Over the years it has housed a jail, a governor’s residence…

  • Point Udall

    St Croix

    Point Udall is the easternmost geographic point in US territory. As you face into a 25-knot trade wind, the vista from the promontory high above the surf…

  • Honeymoon Beach

    St John

    Honeymoon is a mile's hike from the park visitor center along the Lind Point Trail. The handsome, white-sand strand is often empty and quiet – except on…

  • Blackbeard’s Castle

    US Virgin Islands

    Set atop Government Hill, this five-story masonry watchtower was said to be the lookout post of pirate Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, in the 18th century…

  • Estate Whim Plantation Museum

    St Croix

    Only 11 of Whim Plantation’s original 150 acres survive at the museum, but the grounds thoroughly evoke the colonial days when sugarcane ruled St Croix…

  • Brewers Bay

    US Virgin Islands

    This beach, located behind the University of the Virgin Islands, is beloved of students, local families and shell-spotters alike. There are restroom…

  • Government House

    US Virgin Islands

    Ascend the hill behind Frederik Lutheran Church and you’ll come to a grand white mansion housing the territorial governor's offices. It was built between…

  • Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

    St Croix

    Created to protect nesting areas of the vulnerable leatherback sea turtle, this sporadically open wildlife refuge at the southern edge of Frederiksted,…

  • Secret Harbour Beach

    US Virgin Islands

    Small and hammock-strewn, this west-facing beach in front of the eponymous resort could hardly be more tranquil. It’s an excellent place to snorkel with…

  • Emancipation Garden

    US Virgin Islands

    Emancipation Garden is where the emancipation proclamation was read after enslaved people were freed on St Croix in 1848. Carnival celebrations and…

  • Frederiksted Pier & Waterfront

    St Croix

    The palm-lined seafront has benches where you can sit and watch the cruise-ship scene. During quiet times (ie when cruise ships aren’t here), snorkelers…

  • Hibiscus Beach

    St Croix

    Sand seekers hit palm-fringed Hibiscus Beach, 2 miles west of Christiansted off Rte 75/Northside Rd. There's good snorkeling at the beach's western end…

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