A time-honored tropical vacation destination with the Stars and Stripes flying proudly overhead, St. Thomas, USVI, features one of the Caribbean’s most dramatic panoramas: Charlotte Amalie’s natural harbor, surrounded by an arc of steep mountains that settle into the Danish architecture and cobblestone passageways that grace this historic capital city. No wonder the island is a top target for the cruise industry, welcoming more than 1,000 ships annually. A shopping-spree vibe dominates Charlotte Amalie, yet visitors who come ashore for more than a day will find plenty to love beyond the diamond merchants and duty-free shops. The offshore reefs are healthy and vibrant, a few beaches remain untouched, and about 500 white-tailed deer, introduced by Danes for hunting in 1790, still roam on the island’s eastern tip.
TIE UP
Nestled between downtown Charlotte Amalie and the bustling Havensight Dock, Yacht Haven Grande launched in 2007 as an ultra-exclusive marina and mall. Using marquee names such as Ferragamo and Bulgari as bait, the mall reeled in the megayachts. Soon enough, however, the velvet rope came down, and these days, Yacht Haven works hard to engage the local community. There are free jazz concerts on the lawn the Saturdays closest to the full moon and a cheerful farmers market the first and third Sundays of each month, when growers from St. Thomas and St. Croix display their crops, as well as homemade coconut-flax seed bread, star fruit preserves and local honey. Also based at Yacht Haven, Ondeck Ocean Racing provides performance yachts for informal races – a hit with cruisers. Restaurants target noshers with a variety of budgets and tastes, and the silk-adorned Hubbly Bubbly Hookah Lounge lights up for hipsters.
REMOTE REPASTS
There’s a palpable excitement on St. Thomas about the revitalization of two island institutions, both far from the usual tourist hubs. On Hull Bay Road, the former North Drop Restaurant re-emerged to acclaim last year as the North Side Bistro. There are plentiful veggie options, a Saturday night prime rib special and nightly live music. The pancontinental wine list features a bounty of selections from Europe, California and the Southern Hemisphere, and in February of this year, the restaurant began brewing its own beers – three recipes on tap each evening. (Entrées from $15; reservations advised on weekends; closed Sunday; 340-775-5098)
At Mahogany Run Golf Course, the island’s beloved Old Stone Farmhouse reopened in November 2009 with chef Charles Mereday and manager Sarah Mereday at the helm. The new kitchen is airy and bright, and the restoration preserved the character and original stonework of this 200-year-old field house. The nightly rotating menu uses organic produce as often as possible and tempts taste buds with such dishes as roast rack of lamb, a Caribbean-style bouillabaisse and pan-seared duck breast with duck confit. (Entrées from $28; closed Sunday; 340-777-6277; oldstonefarmhouse.com)
BEACH HERE NOW
Magens Bay secured its title as one of the Caribbean’s great beauties eons ago, but would-be visitors should be aware that this postcard-perfect beach draws substantial cruise-ship crowds most days. In an attempt to manage the throngs, the Magens Bay Authority acquired land surrounding Lindquist Beach (aka Smith Bay), cleaned it up and installed picnic tables and lifeguards. Word of the new space hasn’t gotten out yet, so for now, the palm-lined strand lies blissfully under the tourist radar – a local secret.
FLIPPER FUN
“You can go almost anywhere in the world and swim with dolphins,” says animal trainer Brittany McLaughlin, “but there are only a couple of places where you can swim with sea lions.” Coral World Ocean Park, adjacent to Coki Beach on the island’s north coast, is one of them. One of the Caribbean’s top marine parks acquired a quartet of South American sea lions – originally from Uruguay – named Remo, Franco, Omar and Romulo, who now star in popular daily meet-and-greet sessions. Sign up and be rewarded with fishy kisses, painting sessions with Omar and in-water playtime. Kids must be 5 or older to get in on the tank time. (Sea lion activities $76 to $104 for adults, including park admission; 340-775-1555; coralworldvi.com)
NO HASSLE
Surprisingly, the least-visited Virgin in the U.S. archipelago sits little more than a stone’s throw from the hubbub of the Charlotte Amalie waterfront. Uninhabited Hassel Island joined the Virgin Islands National Park system in 1978, but without interpretive services, the island served merely as a scenic backdrop in the harbor. Last November, Virgin Islands Ecotours – with a proven track record of excursions through the mangrove lagoons on St. Thomas – launched a tour that visits the 136-acre islet using sit-on-top kayaks.
“A lot of returning visitors are all over this,” says Jason Feltz, manager for Ecotours. “They’ve seen Hassel for years but have never had a chance to step foot on the island.” In addition to paddling for 45 minutes, kayakers visit Danish and Napoleonic forts and the Garrison House armory, plus make a short snorkeling stop. A highlight is exploring Hassel’s 1840s-era Creque Marine Railway. In the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation by the park service, this steam-powered rail system, once used for hauling and repairing ships, is perhaps the oldest one of its kind. ($89 for the three-hour tour; 877-845-2925; viecotours.com)
A SMALLER FOOTPRINT
Also in the shadow of St. Thomas, 500-acre Water Island has a laid-back residential community of fewer than 200 people, creating a quirky hide-out accessible by 10-minute ferry ride from Crown Bay Marina. New to the island and powered by wind and sun is the Virgin Islands Campground ($129 double; $160 high season, with discounts for extended stays; 877-502-7225; virginislands campground.com).
There are six oversize tent cabins with wood platforms and frames, a tidy communal bathhouse, an outdoor hot tub, and a shared dining area with a fridge, grill and cooking utensils, as well as a communal TV, Wi-Fi and a telephone. While Water Island’s restaurant “scene” is slender, it’s worth noting that Heidi’s Honeymoon Grill – a food truck parked on Honeymoon Beach, Water Island’s main strand – was awarded Best Burger in the Virgin Islands by the Virgin Islands Daily News. That alone might justify a ferry ride.
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