So, picture this: I had my heart set on a kickball tournament in St. Croix, all pumped up to compete and have a blast. But guess what? The tournament got canceled! Bummer, right? But hey, every cloud has a silver lining, and in this case, it meant more time to explore the stunning island of St. Croix!
Now, here's the scoop. Going to the US Virgin Islands wasn't initially on my radar, but when the opportunity knocked, I couldn't resist. So, let me take you on a virtual journey through the travel logistics and our day-to-day adventures on this incredible island. Get ready for some island hopping fun!
Logistics
Flights: We decided to drive 4 hours to Atlanta and fly out of ATL into Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The flights were significantly cheaper out of ATL vs CLT and had more flight options. We flew Spirit airlines
If i were to do it again, I'd splurge for the flights out of CLT because that 4.5 hour drive home starting at 11pm was not it.
Lodging: I explored the options of staying in Frederiksted vs Christiansted and ended up staying in Christiansted based on rental options - either would have been perfectly fine as the island is small and easily accessible. We stayed at Maddie's Oasis and it was amazing! Great place, great view and great hosts!
No matter where you stay, I would recommend getting there during daylight for the first time since navigation/gps is not the best - especially if it's your first time to the island
Car Rental: You'll definitely want to get a car rental as there is no public transit. We rented through Centerline Car Rentals and it was great.
Don't expect the nicest cars or in the best condition, because you'll be sure to hit a few pot "holes" or 17 while you're there. If you're me, you might even scratch a few trees (more to come on that one)
My Top Recommendations
Day 1
Breakfast at Caroline's Breakfast - not many breakfast spots on St. Croix but this one was very good!
Point Udall - rode over to Point Udall for some amazing views - the first place in the US to watch a sunrise! Stopped by multiple beaches on the way there and back. So many places to stop and walk through the sand and take in the sights.
Hams Bluff Lighthouse - We traveled to the other side of the island to Frederiksted after that to see the island and make it to Hams Bluff Lighthouse. This is off the beaten path for sure, it's a dirt road with massive potholes and at times you'd think it's no longer a road. Keep driving. Then keep driving some more and you'll get to the building, stop and look for the signs to the trailheads. It is short but it is uphill basically the whole way. However, worth it for the views but this is an old lighthouse and no NC Outer Banks lighthouse.
Frederiksted - walked around the shops by the port and meandered for awhile. This is where cruises port but not a lot of shopping or restaurants.
Day 2
Annaly Bay Tide Pools - this was on our list from day 1 - a hike + water = count me in! We stopped for some food and snacks for the hike then made our way to Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort to park for the 2.5 mile hike. They also have Jeep tours that take you if you're not for a hike! No real signs when you get there, just look for the trailhead and take off. The tide pools were amazing and gorgeous and everything you could imagine HOWEVER, please use caution! I was crossing from one pool to another to catch up with the amazing group of strangers that were there, and myself and an elderly man were standing about 3 feet apart. A big wave came, and even though I kept the 3-point contact rule (2 feet and 2 hands), the wave hit us from the back and took us both into the pool. He went left and got scratched up, but I went right and into a very narrow rock alley and got banged up really bad. Luckily, one of those amazing strangers was a nurse and helped me. Needless to say, the hike back was miserable and painful. Please use CAUTION if you go, we heard about about a lot of fatalities that occur out there. I wasn't able to get a lot of pictures because I left my phone on the coast away from the tide pools, but trust me, they were beautiful!
Day 3
After a quick stop to the urgent care to try to get stitches, we hit the road again! Pssst, I had waited too long to get stitches, so just some butterfly bandaids and a long time to heal.
Beer Drinking Pigs at Mt. Pellier Hut Domino Club - Yep - exactly what it sounds like! Good local, homemade food and then dessert is a non-alcoholic beer you feed to the pigs! They take you back in small groups and hand your can to a pick to watch them drink up!
The Landing - we went riding to see what we could find and we found The Landing - a beach front bar with amazing views and delicious drinks! We sat there and looked for whales (no luck)! Even ran into the nurse from the Tide Pools that helped me and her husband and sent them a round of drinks!
Sugar Mills - you'll see old sugar mills everywhere and we randomly stopped at one and walked around and took in the views! No matter where we went, there were amazing views!
Bioluminescent Bay Kayak Tour - at dusk we headed towards Salt RIver Marina and did the bioluminescent bay kayak tour! So unique and fun! As you go through the water and put your net into the water, you're agitating billions of bioluminescent microorganisms, causing them to light up underneath the water! Didn't get any pictures of this due to the nature of my inability to kayak and take pictures :D
Flyer's Bar & Grill - grabber dinner near the bay and even ran into the elderly man that was standing next to me at the Tide Pools, so delicious food and great company!
Day 4
Breakfast at Caroline's Breakfast - again, not many breakfast spots on St. Croix so we did a repeat!
Snorkeling Adventure to Buck Island - after breakfast, we hung out on the boardwalk and waited for our snorkeling adventure. Great time! While I wasn't allowed in the water because of my open wound, everyone else got to go out and go snorkeling the underwater trail. I sat on the boat and relaxed with a drink in my hand. The captain even opened up the bottom of the boat so I could still some exotic fish through the glass bottom even without being able to get into the water. On the way back, we got some rum punch and enjoyed the boat ride!
After the half day trip, we went to a grocery store, got some dinner and made a nice steak and salad dinner at home, played cards and hung out by the pool!
Day 5
Local exploring - we went down to the boardwalk and walked around the fort and in and out of shops and grabbed lunch at Rum Runners for some wings. We even ran into a local parade too!
After an early lunch, we headed back to the other side of the island through the back roads and went to Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in hopes of seeing some sea turtles - while we didnt get to see any turtles, we did have the beautiful beach front to ourselves until the area closed.
Off The Wall - after we left there, we went riding down the coastline and found the oceanfront bar, Off the Wall. We sat, drank some drinks and watched the sunset.
Random sporting event - on the way back to the airbnb, we noticed that one of the parks we passed every day was packed so we decided to stop and see what it was all about. We went into the mart, got some drinks and went to the ball field to watch - come to find out, it was the St. Croix baseball team playing the St. Thomas baseball game! It was so much fun watching the game, talking to the locals and just hanging out!
Day 6
Jet Skis - We went driving through the island and found a beachfront and decided to rent some jet skis for a little while from West End Watersports! The area they let you go was very large and you could get up to full speed and wide open!
Sea Turtle Hunt! - We wanted to see a sea turtle and it was our last full day on the island and while while we were walking the pier, we finally got to see one swim right by us and under the bridge! Amazing to see!
Zip Lining - after the sea turtle sighting, we headed inland to go zip lining! We have somehow started to make zip lining a tradition and try to find it everywhere go. These were the longest lines that I have ever been on and the views were amazing! Usually zip lines are just long enough to finally open your eyes before its over, but these were nothing like that. I felt like each lasted 5 minutes and I was just sitting there taking it all in! The guides were amazing too!
Dinner at Goat Soup & Whiskey - we got a little dressed up and headed to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed a nice dinner on our last night on the island!