Set along the west coast of popular Buck Island, Turtle Beach is about as perfect an example of a pristine Caribbean shore as you can find. It has a long stretch of uncrowded powder-white sand that meets calm turquoise waters with a magnificent view of St. Croix in the distance. With calm currents, the water is great for swimming, and snorkeling along the coral of an underwater trail. Beyond strolling the sands, Turtle Beach offers great hiking just a few steps inland along the foliage that meets the beach. Accessible only by boat, the best way to get there is to set out from Christiansted.
With a mission to preserve the native flora of St. Croix, the St. George Village Botanical Garden welcomes with 16 acres of amazing flowers and tropical trees that give way to tangles of vines and exotic shrubs. The haven also preserves the island’s history, as it is constructed around the remnants of a village that was once home to the workers in a 19ths century sugar plantation. stroll a fruit orchard where fig trees bloom alongside oranges, limes, and mangoes. Then explore the Medicinal Herb Garden to learn about the native plants that have been used to heal for centuries, finishing with visits to the picturesque Wedding Garden and the self-explained Fragrance Garden.
St. Croix’s second-largest town Frederiksted usually offers a quiet scene, save for when cruise ships are in port and hordes of cruisers descend on Strand Street to buy crafts and other souvenirs. Standing to protect the town since the 1700s, the waterfront Fort Frederik today houses a museum, though it did little to protect the town from a devastating fire in the late 1800s, which destroyed most of the structures. The subsequent rebuilding was done in the then en vogue Victorian style, giving the town a quaint vibe that exists to this day.
The island’s largest city, Christiansted is home to the iconic Fort Christiansvaern, with its striking yellow walls and a stunning view across the harbor. Today the complex that was built to repel raiders from the sea houses a museum. Stroll the town’s narrow streets and take in Danish architecture dating to the 1700s, with notable buildings such as the grand Government House, Guinea Company Warehouse, and Scale House. The boardwalk is another big daw, fronting the downtown harbor and welcoming with a host of open-air eateries.
Marking the easternmost point of territory in the United States, the stone Millennium Monument atop Point Udall is a sundial that was erected to meet the first sunrise of this century, to capture the first ray of sunlight that touched America at the literal dawn of a new era. But sunrises aren’t the only amazing thing about this tranquil spot that offers sweeping views across the sea. Follow an untamed trail down the rocky slope to find an amazing beach below, with softs sands that are kissed by calm turquoise waters.
Historically notable as a spot where Christopher Columbus came ashore, Salt River Bay today is an ecological preserve that protects a myriad of wildlife such as exotic birds, native fish, and nesting sea turtles. One of the best ways to explore this pristine piece of nature is with a kayak tour, with some stops to snorkel in the crystalline waters by the shoreline. On land, you’ll find secluded beaches that meet mangrove forests that tangle their way to the bay.
If you take a trip to St. Croix, you will almost certainly make it to Buck Island. A 30-minute boat ride from the Christiansted harbor, the uninhabited isle offers amazing nature escapes. Just beyond Turtle Beach’s sugary sands, you’ll find some of the area’s most amazing snorkeling, as a barrier reef wraps around two-thirds of the island. The underwater trail is renowned for the host of marine life that lives there, giving you the opportunity to spot colorful parrotfish, blue tang, and angelfish among the massive variety of tropical species. You’re also apt to come across some octopus and sea turtles. On land, there’s a scenic beach trail that meanders through a pristine manchineel forest populated by towering sandpipers and tamarind trees.
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