Worth a DetourBeachesSnorkelingHistoryRum

St. Croix

The largest Virgin Island, with handsome Danish towns, rum distilleries and the famous reef at Buck Island.

Photo: Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0

St. Croix feels less touristy than its neighbors. Christiansted's yellow Danish fort and arcades are a national historic site, Alexander Hamilton grew up here, and Frederiksted's waterfront was where enslaved people forced their freedom in 1848.

A boat trip takes you to Buck Island Reef, a national monument with an underwater snorkel trail.

Worth a Detour in US Territories

Best Time: December–May
Time Needed: 3–4 days
Cost Level: $$$$
Open: Year-round
Getting There: Nonstop flights from Miami and some other US cities to St. Croix (STX), or a short hop from St. Thomas.

What to See

1 of 4 are free

PaidHalf a day

Buck Island Reef National Monument

Boat trips from Christiansted to a marked snorkel trail through elkhorn coral and a white-sand beach.

Paid2 hours

Christiansted

A yellow 1700s fort and Danish buildings, part of a national historic site, by a lively boardwalk.

Free2 hours

Frederiksted

A quiet Victorian waterfront with a great pier for diving among seahorses, and a fort where freedom was proclaimed.

Paid2 hours

Cruzan Rum and Estate Whim

A distillery tour and tasting, then a restored sugar estate with a windmill.

Know Before You Go

Bring proof of citizenship for the trip home.
Hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking from August to October. Check forecasts and consider travel insurance.
They drive on the left, and you'll want a car.