Virgin Islands Pocket Adventures

Virgin Islands Pocket Adventures

Lynne Sullivan

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,

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This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions are a result of negligence, accident or any other cause.

About the Author

Lynne Sullivan is passionate about Caribbean islands. As the author of a dozen best-selling travel guides to islands throughout the eastern Caribbean, she spends much of her time hopping from one place to another scouting out a variety of activities, attractions, shops, accommodations and restaurants. Her goal is to steer independent vacationers on any size budget to the best each island has to offer.

When she's not in the Caribbean, she keeps readers posted with regular updates and new information on her website, www.caribbeanguide2.com.

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The Islands

A Dozen Reasons to Visit

Tips on Using This Book

A Historical Timeline

The Islands At A Glance

Location

USVI

BVI

Climate

Wildlife

Birdlife

Plants

Coral Reefs

When to Go

Island Celebrations

Travel Documents

Passports & Paperwork

Allowances

Getting There

AIRLINE CONTACT INFORMATION

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

REGIONAL AIRLINES

Island Hopping

Accommodations

Dining

Money Matters

Time

Taxes

The US Virgin Islands

St. Thomas

Overview

Getting There

By Air

By Seaplane & Fast Ferry

By Cruise Ship

Getting Around

By Car

By Taxi

By Ferry

Touring the Island

Guided Tours

Self-Guided Tours

Hassel Island

Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook

Red Hook to Magens Bay

Adventures on Water

Best Beaches

Submarine Tour

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Snuba

Boating & Sailing

Day-Cruise Operators

Boat Charters

Fishing

Eco-Tours

Surfing & Windsurfing

Parasailing

Adventures on Foot

Hiking

Tennis

Golf

Adventures in the Air

Flightseeing

Shopping

Charlotte Amalie

Jewelry, Arts & Crafts

Fun Stuff

Antiques

Eyewear

Intimate Apparel

Fashion

Fun Clothes

Perfume

Linens

Music

Havensight Mall

Around the Island

Red Hook

Unusual Artwork Off the Beaten Track

Where to Stay

Charlotte Amalie & Vicinity

East End

Where to Eat

Charlotte Amalie

Frenchtown

Red Hook

Around the Island

Nightlife

Island Facts & Numbers

Water Island

Sightseeing

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

St. John

Overview

Getting There

By Ferry

From St. Thomas

From the BVI

Getting Around

By Car

By Bus

By Taxi

Touring the Island

Guided Tours

Independent Four-Wheel-Drive Tour

Adventures on Water

Best Beaches

North Shore Beaches

South Shore Beaches

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Dive Operators

Snuba

Boating & Sailing

Scheduled Cruises

Charter Boats

Fishing

Parasailing, Windsurfing & Kayaking

Adventures on Foot

Hiking

Tennis

Golf

Adventures on Wheels

Biking

Shopping

Cruz Bay

Mongoose Junction

Wharfside Village

Dockside Building

Coral Bay Area

Where to Stay

Rental Agencies

Prices

Resorts

Campgrounds

Where to Eat

Cruz Bay

Coral Bay

East End

Around the Island

Nightlife

Cruz Bay

Coral Bay

Island Facts & Numbers

St. Croix

Overview

Getting There

By Air

By Seaplane & Hydrofoil

Getting Around

By Car

By Taxi

TAXI COMPANIES

By Bus

Touring the Island

Guided Tours

Self-Guided Tours

A Walking Tour of Christiansted

The Western Countryside by Car

Driving East & West from Christiansted

A Day on Buck Island

Day-Trip Operators

Adventures on Water

Best Beaches

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Dive Operators

Boating & Sailing

Scheduled Cruises

Fishing

Kayaking

Other  Watersports

Adventures on Foot

Hiking

Group & Private Guided Hikes

Rain Forest Treks

Tennis

Golf

Adventures on Wheels

Mountain Biking

Adventures in the Air

Shopping

Christiansted

King's Alley

Around the Island

Where to Stay

Rental Agencies

In & Near Christiansted

East End

North Shore

West End

Where to Eat

East End

North Shore & West End

Nightlife

Island Facts & Numbers

The British Virgin Islands

Tortola

Overview

Getting There

By Air

By Ferry

Getting Around

By Car

RENTAL CAR AGENCIES

By Taxi

TAXI COMPANIES

Island Hopping

Touring the Island

Guided Tours

Independent Island Tour

Adventures on Water

Best Beaches

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Dive Operators

Boating & Sailing

Sailing Schools

Crewed Day-Trips

Crewed & Bareboat Charters

Powerboat Rentals

Water Taxi

Fishing

Watersports

Adventures on Foot

Hiking

Tennis

Adventures on Wheels

Cycling

Bike Rental

Adventures on Horseback

Shopping

Road Town

Soper's Hole

Trellis Bay

Around the Island

Where to Stay

Rental Agencies

In & Near Road Town

North Shore

South Shore

Where to Eat

In & Near Road Town

East End

North Shore

West End

Nightlife

Virgin Gorda

Overview

Getting There

By Air

By Ferry

Getting Around

By Taxi

By Car

Touring the Island

Independent Driving Tour

Adventures on Water

Best Beaches

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Dive Operators

Boating & Sailing

Watersports & Sportfishing

Adventures on Foot

Hiking

Shopping

Spanish Town

Where to Stay

Rental Agencies

In & Around The Valley

North Sound

Where to Eat

Spanish Town

The Baths

The Valley

North Sound

Nightlife

Live Music

Jost Van Dyke

Overview

What to Do

Adventures on Land & Water

Where to Stay, Eat & Play

White Bay

Great Harbour

Little Harbour

Long Bay/Diamond Bay

Anegada

Overview

Getting There

Getting Around

Adventures on Water

Adventures on Wheels

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Single-Resort Islands

Marina Cay

Diamond Reef

Saba Rock

Cooper Island

Peter Island

BVI Facts & Numbers

The Islands

The United States and United Kingdom share an extraordinary mix of islands sprinkled along the northern curve of the Lesser Antilles just east of Puerto Rico. Known collectively as The Virgin Islands, they offer some of the world's most beautiful scenery and idyllic weather. The major islands are amazingly diverse, and each has a well-defined personality, while the 100 or so minor islands (most uninhabited and no larger than prominent rocks) provide privacy and space for anyone who cares to seek it (and can afford it).

St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix (the three main US Virgins) are more like disparate kin than siblings. Only two miles of water separate St. Thomas and St. John, and visitors often ferry between the strikingly handsome pair. St. Thomas is the cosmopolitan capitalist, St. John the rugged environmentalist.

Many visitors say that St. Croix, 40 miles to the south, is a combination of the best of St. Thomas and St. John. But I believe the island marches to the beat of a different drummer, flaunting its Danish past flamboyantly and asserting  its originality. Of the three, it's the least American, the most Caribbean in atmosphere.

Among the sparsely developed British Virgins, Tortola is the largest and most populated island. Visitors are drawn to its green mountains, sheltered bays, and easygoing lifestyle, but few are content to stay put for long. Most hop about by ferry or speed boat to The Baths on Virgin Gorda, the coral-sand beaches on Anegada, Foxy's famous bar on Jost Van Dyke, the caves on Norman Island and the sea turtle playgrounds on Peter Island.

If you can't decide which island to call home base, charter a live-aboard boat, so you can change location on a whim. While it's tiresome to clear Customs each time you cross the international boundary that zigzags invisibly between St. John and Tortola, you'll enjoy the freedom of visiting two countries and countless islands in one vacation.

Of course, you may prefer to pick one island and explore it thoroughly at a leisurely pace. All of the major islands offer enough creature comforts and diversions to keep travelers content for at least a week, and each one offers fabulous sun, sea and sand.

A Dozen Reasons to Visit

Duty-free shopping.

Endless powder-soft sand and a marked underwater snorkel trail on Buck Island, St. Croix.

Hiking trails on Sage Mountain, Tortola and in the national park on St. John.

Picnics on deserted islands.

Snorkeling among the massive boulders at The Baths on Virgin Gorda.

Romantic dining at award-winning waterfront restaurants.

Outstanding scuba diving among coral reefs and ancient shipwrecks.

Ruined and restored sugar plantations to explore.

Sunrise at Point Udall on St. Croix, the easternmost spot in the United States.

Sailing through the Sir Francis Drake Channel.

Lively nightlife in Cruz Bay on St. John.

The five-foot rock iguanas and the flamingo colonies on remote Anegada.

Tips on Using This Book

General Caribbean travel information and facts that apply to all the Virgin Islands is covered at the front of this convenient, take-along guide.

Specific information about each of the islands follows in separate sections.

If you plan to visit only one or two of the islands, rip out just the relevant sections from this book, place them inside a zip-lock bag and tuck them into your carry-on bag. Leave the unneeded pages at home.

Most attractions, hotels and restaurants have websites, which we list in the contact details. Use them to gather additional information or make reservations.

Prices change seasonally in the Caribbean, so use our figures as a guide to recent high-season charges for double accommodations. Expect to pay less during low season.

Check Island Facts & Numbers sections for important information that will be helpful both during the trip-planning stage and once you arrive on the island.

A Historical Timeline

710 BC: Earliest archeological evidence of nomadic tribesmen, probably from South America, inhabiting some of the Virgin Islands.

100 AD: Taino/Arawak Indians live peacefully in villages, cultivate the land and hold religious celebrations on many of the Virgin Islands.

1300: Hostile tribes of Carib Indians migrate from South America, establish settlements and raid Arawak villages for food and brides. These rival tribes live in separate communities on many islands for more than a century.

1493: Christopher Columbus and his crew sail into Salt River Bay on St. Croix and find the island inhabited by Carib Indians. The explorers sail north, through a cluster of islands that they call Las Virgines in honor of the virgin followers of St. Ursula, a religious order that was slaughtered by the Huns during the fourth century.

1500s: Spain declares ownership of the entire West Indies by right of discovery, and no other governments have the resources or power to challenge the claim. The islands serve as a stopover point for cargo ships moving goods between the Americas and Europe, but no permanent settlements are established.

1572: Englishman Francis Drake defeats Spanish troops on Panama and returns home with two ships loaded with silver and gold. This launches the age of piracy, and legend maintains that numerous pirates set up bases in the Virgin Islands.

1625: Dutch and English settlers colonize St. Croix. They are soon joined by the French West Indies Company, and Denmark establishes communities on St. Thomas and St. John, while the British take over Tortola. Ownership of the islands changes frequently over the years as European countries vie for control as the Virgins become a significant supplier of sugarcane. The islands began to make rum from the sugar crop, which was popular in Europe and America. In addition, a thriving slave market developed, creating what is known as the triangle trade. (Ships sail from North America, stop in the Virgin Islands to buy rum from European plantation owners, then sail to Africa, where they trade the rum for slaves. Returning from Africa, the ships stop again in the Virgin Islands to exchange some of the slaves for more rum before heading back to America loaded with both slaves and rum.)

1672: The English remove the ruling Dutch population from Tortola, and, two years later, from Anegada and Virgin Gorda. By the end of the 1600s, England ruled all the islands that make up the present day BVI. The Danes gained control of St. Thomas in 1672, St. John in 1694, and St. Croix (bought from France) in 1733.

1834: Slavery is abolished on all the British islands. Denmark frees slaves on Danish islands in 1848.   During this same time period, sugar beet was introduced in Europe and prices for island-produced sugarcane fell. Many plantation owners were financially ruined and returned to Europe, leaving the islands in the hands of former slaves.

1917: Denmark sells St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix to the United States for $25 million, and the islands become known collectively as the US Virgin Islands. Subsequently, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and their outer islands officially become the British Virgin Islands.

1927: Residents of the USVI are granted United States citizenship.

1960: Separate colony status is granted the BVI .

1967: The British islands become autonomous.

Today, residents of both the US and British Virgin Islands enjoy a high standard of living. The economy is stable, due in part to the government's commitment to ecology-based sustainable tourism and favorable tax conditions for island-based corporations.

The Islands At A Glance

Location

St. Thomas, the most western of the Virgin Islands, is located about 1,000 miles south of Miami and 75 miles east of Puerto Rico. The other Virgins extend in an upward-swinging curve to the east, excluding St. Croix, which lies 40 miles to the south. Most of the islands are bounded by the Atlantic on the north and the Caribbean on the south, except for St. Croix, which is entirely in the Caribbean, and Anegada, which is entirely in the Atlantic.

The Virgins are divided into two groups, with the US islands to the west and the British islands to the east. St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix are the major US islands. Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke are the prominent British islands. All are connected by ferry, seaplane or small airplane service, and their close proximity makes for an ideal island-hopping itinerary.

Most of the Virgin Islands are separated by less than five miles (the exceptions are St. Croix, 40 miles south, and Anegada, 15 miles north). All but Anegada are hilly and volcanic in origin, and each is fringed with gorgeous beaches.

USVI

St. Thomas covers 32 square miles and is 13 miles long and four miles wide at its broadest point. Hills run almost the entire length of the island, which means you must go up and over to get from one side to the other. White-sand beaches encircle the tropically rugged landscape.

St. John's 20 square miles is two-thirds Virgin Islands National Park and surprisingly undisturbed despite its 5,000 residents and popularity with tourists. Hiking trails and campgrounds make the park highly accessible, and its pristine beaches and clear water draw all types of water sports enthusiasts.

St. Croix is the largest of the Virgins, with 84 square miles of diverse countryside. Visitors who drive its 28-mile length will pass from the dry, rocky east tip (the easternmost point of the United States) to a lush rain forest in the western mountains. The island has fantastic white-sand beaches, and both diving and deep-sea fishing are excellent in the surrounding Caribbean Sea.

Water Island is the smallest, least developed and most overlooked in the USVI cluster. It was not officially one of the US Virgin Islands until 1996, and many travelers still know nothing about this 492-acre tract that lies just a half-mile south of St. Thomas. Most visitors are day trippers who enjoy biking the deserted roads, hiking over the low hills, exploring abandoned Fort Segarra, and relaxing on one of the secluded white-sand beaches.

BVI

Anegada is a flat 15-square-mile limestone and coral island that is prized for its deserted sandy shores. More than 200 ships have wrecked on the reefs that surround the island, which makes it popular with scuba divers.

Tortola is the largest and hilliest of the BVI. It covers 21 square miles and offers extraordinary beaches on its northern shore and fantastic outlooks from its hilltops. The capital city, Road Town, is a bustling place with a wide assortment of regional and international restaurants and shops. Its sheltered harbor is popular with the international yachting crowd, and visitors often use the island as a base for day trips by ferry to other locations in the Virgin Islands.

Virgin Gorda is only seven miles long, but it has one of the most popular geological sites in all the Virgin Islands - The Baths. These massive boulders at the southwestern tip of the island form underwater caves and concealed swimming pools which provide infinite adventures for snorkelers. High hills in the north and central parts of the island have been set aside as national parks (Gorda Peak and Little Fork), so much of the island's natural beauty is protected from development.

Jost Van Dyke is a mere four miles in length, but its tall hills make it an impressive sight. Day-trippers make the four-mile trip from Tortola to enjoy the fabulous white-sand beaches on the south coast.

Norman Island is known for its four caves and is said to be the breathtakingly beautiful setting of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Climate

Year-round sun, balmy trade winds and relatively low rainfall make the Virgin Islands' climate monotonously perfect. Weather patterns are remarkably stable, and when an occasional storm does kick up, it usually moves on to the north before it becomes strong enough to do much damage.

CLIMATE CHART

MONTH              AVG. TEMP. (°F)                  AVG. RAINFALL

(inches)

January                     77.1                                          3.34

February                   76.9                                          2.47

March                      77.6                                           2.64

April                         78.6                                          3.70

May                           80.2                                          5.72

June                          81.8                                          3.36

July                            82.5                                          4.29

August                      82.4                                          5.83

September              82.0                                           6.56

October                    81.5                                          6.27

November               79.9                                           6.08

December               78.1                                           4.12

ANNUAL                 79.9                                         54.38

Temperatures range from the 70s at night to the 80s during the day, with rare and brief periods of higher heat on a few summer afternoons. Even during the rainy season, which runs from late summer through autumn, most days are sunny, and only 40 to 50 inches of rain fall each year.

Visitors who enjoy sailing and windsurfing can depend on a steady 15- to 20-knot northeast trade wind during the winter and a slightly weaker southeast breeze during the summer.

Caribbean hurricanes get a lot of press, but the truth is that the Virgin Islands have fewer severe tropical storms than the eastern United States. Those that do blow through develop slowly, so residents and visitors have plenty of time to prepare or evacuate.

Wildlife

Don't expect to see a lot of critters roaming around the Virgin Islands. While there are plenty of insects, birds and fish to see, most of the land-dwelling wildlife is hidden under rocks or plants.

The white-tailed deer is the largest mammal found on the islands. This species was brought here late in the 18th century to provide game for hunters, but only a few can now be found. Pesky wild donkeys wander the hills on St. John rummaging through picnic sulies, ripping into trash bags and creating havoc for local gardeners. Don't mistake them for tame pets - they bite. Wild pigs also present a problem on St. John. While they rarely bother people, they eat the roots of plants and cause environmental damage.

Another annoying animal is the mongoose, which can be seen scurrying from place to place. Mongooses were imported from India in the 19th century to devour the burgeoning rat population. The rats had originally arrived as stowaways on European ships and were destroying the sugar cane fields. Since rats are nocturnal and the mongoose hunts for food during the day, the two rarely came into contact. Instead, this squirrel-like predator is responsible for eliminating many of the islands' reptiles and ground-nesting birds.

Several types of lizards live on the islands and most locals encourage them to come right indoors, since the little reptiles have an insatiable appetite for mosquitoes and other bugs. The most commonly seen is the anole tree lizard, which does a comical push-up routine while inflating a flap in its throat. When they're not working out, they can be recognized by their pointed noses. Geckos are another familiar lizard on the islands. They are distinguished by their long, sticky toes, which they use to scamper up walls and trees.

Iguanas, the large prehistoric-looking lizards,have been known to grow up to five feet in length. Unfortunately, they are almost extinct on the islands, but they are sometimes seen sleeping in trees or lumbering about in protected areas. Some resorts and outdoor restaurants encourage them to hang out in garden areas by planting blooming hibiscus trees, the iguanas' favorite treat, and setting out plates of fruit and vegetable scraps for the reptiles.

Marine Life

Ghost crabs never leave the beach. They tunnel into the sand, then dart out of their holes, zip a few feet across the wet beach, then burrow down again and disappear. At night, they emerge to feed, and during a full moon hordes of them can be seen scooting around the beach.

One of the most popular shelled creatures in the Caribbean is the Conch (pronounced Konk). Its meat is the key ingredient in many island recipes, and collectors covet the large shells, which have a pearly pink interior and echo the sound of ocean waves. It's not unusual to see islanders cleaning and selling the more perfect shells near busy piers.

Hermit crabs live on land but lay their eggs in water, so during spawning season, hundreds of them dash down the hillsides to become parents on the coast. After the baby crabs hatch, they spend a few months in the ocean before trudging onto land, carrying enough water in their shells to sustain themselves for a while. When they grow too big for their backpack homes, they look about for larger dwellings - sometimes killing and eating other hermits so they can steal