Did you know that there is no passport required for the US Virgin Islands? You can visit the beautiful islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix without a passport. Each island is beautiful and unique in its own special way. Each island can be an independent destination, or you can combine them for a true Caribbean sampler. Generally speaking, the best time to visit the US Virgin Islands, and of course peak travel season for the islands, is December – April, but it is a great year round destination. The average annual temperature on the islands is 75°- 84°F. Hurricane Season is June – November with peak season being mid-August through mid-October. December – February fall to the cooler side and are slightly windier. Since the islands are a US Territory, the unit of currency is the US Dollar. While there is a wide range of accommodations throughout the islands, all-inclusive resorts are not commonplace.
St. Thomas is your island for bustling beaches, nightlife and shopping. St Thomas offers a wide variety of attractions, beaches and activities such as watersports, golf, tennis, sightseeing, restaurants and nightlife. The capital city, Charlotte Amalie, is a major port of call for duty-free shopping. St Thomas is a heavily developed island with a definite North American atmosphere and lacks a bit of Caribbean distinction. Despite this, and largely thanks to the many cruise ship passengers, this island is high-volume tourism (among the highest in all of the Caribbean). St Thomas is the most visited island of the 3 US Virgin Islands.
St. John is just about the opposite of St Thomas. St. John is tailor-made for nature lovers with unspoiled scenery and quiet surroundings with much of the island being a National Park. St John is just off the coast of St Thomas and is an easy ferry ride away. This makes for a great day trip, or a combination vacation of the 2 islands. St John is also a great island to get away from it all and truly relax and rejuvenate. With plenty of water activities, beaches, and nature trails, there is certainly enough activity to provide the right balance for your vacation. St John is also the smallest of the 3 US Virgin Islands.
St. Croix is the largest of the Virgin Islands and retains an unhurried island atmosphere. St. Croix is most typical of other Caribbean islands. It has a great balance of attractions and shopping, yet a very relaxed atmosphere and great historic architecture. St Croix is divided basically in to 4 areas: Christiansted, the North Shore, the East End, and Frederiksted. The varied terrain includes arid rockiness as well as a verdant rainforest, mango, mahogany, and tree ferns that dot the landscape, while beautifully secluded beaches entice water lovers. One fun fact, Point Udall on St Croix is the easternmost tip of the United States.
I hope you have enjoyed your brief introduction to the US Virgin Islands and will consider 1 or more of them for your next vacation experience.
Kelley