DiscoverUSVIMagazine.com

Top 5 Ways to Enjoy St. Thomas

1. Go shopping! It's no secret that St. Thomas is the shopping capital of the Caribbean. It was declared a free port by the Danes in 1724 and has attracted a steady stream of bargain hunters ever since. Some of the best duty-free deals are on jewelry, watches, electronics and upscale gift items, and a few of the favorite shopping spots are downtown Charlotte Amalie, Havensight and Yacht Haven Grande to the east of the harbor, and Crown Bay Center to the west. Tillett Gardens is like a candy store for art lovers.
2. Cast Off! Leave your cares on land and set sail for a half-day, full-day or sunset cruise aboard a beautiful sailing yacht. Tours depart from Charlotte Amalie, Red Hook or Sapphire Bay and offer a taste of blue-water voyaging, deserted anchorages ripe for snorkeling and often a gourmet snack or lunch.
3. Travel Back in Time. Imagine everyday life under Danish rule on a visit to the Seven Arches Museum, on Government Hill. This 18th-century craftsman's home beckons with its arched "welcoming arms" staircase. The old brick oven, Medusa's head made of night-blooming cirrus, in the garden and lovely West Indian mahogany furnishings are beautiful relics of bygone days. A few blocks to the west, the Weibel Museum showcases the 300-year-old history of the Jews on St. Thomas. Yet farther west in Frenchtown, and located next to the Joseph Aubain Ballpark, the French Heritage Museum houses centuries-old artifacts such as fishing nets, accordions, tambourines, mahogany furniture and photographs that speak of the French who settled on St. Thomas in the 18th century.
4. Beach It! St. Thomas is encircled by beautiful beaches. Watch jets land at the Cyril E. King Airport as you dip into the usually calm seas at Brewer's Bay Beach. Nature and nurture combine at Morning Star. This beach, located between Marriott Frenchman's Reef and Morning Star Beach Resorts, boasts amenities ranging from watersports rentals to beachside bar service. There's always a steady breeze at Sapphire, which makes this beach a board sailor's mecca. A watersports concession rents rigs and offers instruction by the hour. Magens Bay is St. Thomas' most famous beach, once rated one of the top 10 by National Geographic. It's an absolutely gorgeous strip of sand with plenty of amenities, including watersports rentals, picnic facilities, a bar and a mini hiking trail that takes you around the perimeter.
5. Island Hop. Call up Dolphin Water Taxi or InterIsland Boat Services for a ride to the British Virgin Islands. Passenger ferries leave from Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook en route to the beach bar capital of Jost Van Dyke, sailing and resort hub of Tortola and big boulder baths of Virgin Gorda. Be sure to pack your passport. Seaplanes as well as small commuter planes travel several times daily to St. Croix, as well as the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and its offshore islands of Culebra and Vieques. All these destinations make great holiday side trips.

Find a complete list of activities, island tours and day trips, tour operators, charter boats for dive, snorkeling, fishing and swimming, golf and water sports - right here in our Activities Guide.