News, Tips & Offers delivered to your inbox.

It's easy to escape to the verdant mountains and pristine white sand beaches of St. Croix in the U.S.V.I. Bonus: no passport required.

St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands—clocking in at 28 miles long and 7 miles wide—yet it retains a relaxed, intimate vibe. Abandoned stone sugar mills dot the lush hillsides that border the shimmering patchwork of blue, turquoise and aquamarine ocean waters. The sun shines all year, and with average daytime temps of just 80 degrees, plus the cool trade winds, there’s really no bad time to visit.

Beachy Keen

A bird's eye view of the perfect love nest—the Carambola Beach Resort.

Each of St. Croix’s 34 beaches has its own feel and appeal. For the quintessential Caribbean experience, settle beneath the swaying palm trees on the powdery sands of Davis Bay at Carambola Beach Resort. If you’re a nature lover, head out to Point Udall on the east end of the island. Pack a lunch and follow the winding hiking path to secluded Isaac’s Bay for some private snorkeling. Both beaches are open year-round, but as nesting areas for endangered turtles, they are protected by the Nature Conservancy—so be careful of this spot’s littlest inhabitants! If you want to kick back and while away the hours, visit Beauregard Bay at The Buccaneer resort, which has a relaxed open-air restaurant that offers a simple lunch menu—think burgers and salads—plenty of shady palm trees and comfy chaises for lounging. For live music, ice-cold beer and a game of volleyball, check out Rainbow Beach, just north of the town of Frederiksted.

The ultimate don’t-miss is Turtle Beach on Buck Island, less than two miles offshore and accessible by boat from the town of Christiansted. The sparkling water and white sand are only two of the reasons this spot has consistently been rated among the top ten prettiest beaches in the world. (It also made our Bridal Guide Top Beaches list!) You can swim, snorkel and lounge here, or you can take the island’s only footpath from the beach to the reef overlook. The 700 acres of the federally protected Buck Island Reef National Monument is home to more than 250 different species of fish. Big Beards Adventure Tours offers day trips from Christiansted on their 42-foot catamaran; snorkeling equipment, guides and lessons for first-timers are included (bigbeards.com).

Page    1  2  3  4  5