Places to visit in the U.S. Virgin Islands, History, Sightseeing, Shopping, Duty Free Info, Beaches, Scuba Diving - Big C Productions, Your Production House

U.S. Virgin Islands - At A Glance
1493: C. Columbos arrives in St. Croix and names it Santa Cruz
1666: Settlement by the Danish
1695: St. Croix was under French control
1733: The Danes buy St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John
1848: Abolition of slavery
1917: The U.S.A. purchases the Danish portion of the islands

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Charlotte Amalie
Territory of the U.S.
~ 125,000
136 sq mi (352 sq km) (V.I. total)
English, Spanish, Creole
US Dollar
Left Side (steering wheel: left side!)

U.S. Virgin Islands - In Depth
St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John are the three prinicpal islands of the U. S. Virgin Islands. With 84 sq miles, St. Croix is the largest of all the islands, while St. John is considered to be the most pristine of the U.S. Virgin Islands due to its National Park that covers 2/3rds of the island. At 20 square miles, it is also the smallest of the islands.
For over 150 years before their settlements, the Virgin Islands served mostly as a favorite place of refuge for pirates. Today, with its Megan and Trunk Bays, we can still see why. The Virgin Islands were first settled by the Danish beginning in 1666; the capital town of Charlotte Amalie was named after their queen. During the 17th century, the islands were divided between the English and the Danish.

Sugarcane drove the islands' economy during the 18th and 19th centuries, which had been in decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. In 1917 the U.S.A. purchases the Danish portion of the islands. back to top

St. Thomas

The island’s history itself seems a ready-made touristic selling point. Fort Christian is the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands. First completed in 1671 by the Danish, it has been used as a government building, church, courthouse, and until as recently as 1983, as a jail. Today it serves as a museum. Nearby, the legislative building offers an unexpected example of Italian Renaissance architecture. Charlotte Amalie’s famed 99 Steps guide you upward for a walk through former police offices and soldiers’ barracks, now newly converted to museum galleries and tourist quarters.

Upon climbing all 99 steps, you'll find Haagensen House, which was built in 1827 and was the home of Danish banker, Hans Haagensen. The house, now a museum displaying West Indian antiques, sits on the hillside overlooking Charlotte Amalie and its' scenic harbor.

If you continue walking towards Blackbeard's Castle, you'll pass another charming, historical building, Villa Notman. Built by Scottish engineer, Robert Notman in 1860, it is one of sixteen buildings built out of ballast bricks, used to balance and weight the hulls of ships sailing from Europe to the Caribbean. The house is surrounded by a very beautiful garden. back to top

The fabled pirate Blackbeard’s Castle, another of the oldest standing structures in the Virgin Islands, today is home to a popular restaurant and hotel. History and recreation stretch out hand in hand on these grounds: together they share equal footing and billing amidst the scenic beauty, and wide open panoramic views. Another historical site, now converted into honeymoon suites by one of the major hotels on the island, is Bluebeard's Castle, only a couple of "hills" away from Blackbeard's Castle.

The St. Thomas Skyride, which is only a few hundred yards from the cruise ship terminal, offers an invitation to more of the island’s beautiful scenery, by way of a 700 ft elevated viewpoint overlooking Charlotte Amalie harbor. Trailwalks allow a more up-close and personal introduction to its native greenery; and picture post cards are ready for the taking, by anyone armed with a camera and an eye for attractive vistas. back to top

The Ultimate Shopping Paradise...
For some, St. Thomas stands as the sailing capital of the Caribbean; its soothing tradewinds and gentle waters add to its beautiful scenic delights.

For others, St. Thomas is regarded, simply, as the ultimate island shopping destination. No doubt due in large part to its history as the Caribbean’s leading center for trade and commercial enterprise, the spirited merchants and vendors seem as much a part of the island character, as do the fish teeming in its waters. The call of the wild, expert shopper in St Thomas is “Duty Free!”- and that means on everything from the finest jewelry and linen, to leather and streetwear; from T-shirts and electronics to rare, antique collectibles, and the latest in fashionable Swiss watches.

U. S. Citizen are allowed to bring $ 1,600.00 in merchandise back to the U.S., regardless of age and, U.S. households can combine this allowance. However if you arrive in St. Thomas via cruise ship, you have to keep in mind that if you bought any merchandise on board ship and/or in other ports, your allowance from St. Thomas is reduced to $ 800.00. Nevertheless, loose diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires are tax-exempt. Further duty free allowances are: 5 liters of liquor (1 from ship/ports and 4 from St. Thomas), 5 cartons of cigarettes (1 from ship/ports and 4 from St. Thomas) and 100 cigars (sorry, no Cubans).

If you arrive in St. Thomas via cruise ship, you will inevitably be confronted with power-shopping temptations. Havensight Mall, which seems to be a part of Charlotte Amalie's cruise ship terminal, offers it all: liquor, tobacco, jewelry, electronics, clothing, tour operators restaurants, and bars - you name it! But your shopping adventure doesn't have to stop here at the pier. There are more malls outside gated Havensight and many stores that you would normally expect to find on the U.S. main land. From Cold Stone Ice Cream to K-Mart, St. Thomas has got it all!

A visit to downtown Charlotte Amalie (a $ 3.00 cab ride from the pier) will give you a chance to combine shopping with culture, history, and scenic views. All above mentioned sights (except the Skyride) are in walking distance from the downtown era, where you not only can continue looking for the best bargains, but you will also find some exceptional art galleries.
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Beaches
The U.S. Virgin Islands offer some of the most stunning and beautiful beaches you are ever likely to visit. Magen's Bay is ranked by the National Geographic Society among the top ten beaches of the world, and is one of the sites most visited by tourists in St. Thomas. Trunk Bay, located on the neighboring island of St. John, is also among the top ten beaches. Coki Beach lies in a very calm, protected bay and offers safe diving with little or no current. The fish at this site are very tame and are used to being hand fed, explaining why Coki Beach is a perfect place for snorkelers as well. Dive depths range from 35 feet to 55 feet and offer very relaxed diving conditions. Take a look at our diving video from Coki Beach, and see for yourself why snorkelers and divers may well find the fish to be among the friendliest in the Caribbean.

Sapphire Beach is another beautiful white sand beach and quite often not as busy as Coki Beach. A shallow reef on the right side of the beach offers great snorkeling.

Scuba Diving
Needless to say, with all those beautiful white sand beaches, St. Thomas is the perfect place for disappearing into clear and balmy depths. The dive sites are as numerous as the dive operators and the range of excitement will satisfy everyone from snorkeler to experienced wreck diver.

You're only a mouse click away from visiting more than 20 exciting dive sites. Click a link below or navigate through the site map.

Arches & Tunnels (part I), Arches & Tunnels (part II), Blackbeard's Eye/Fence, Coki Beach East, Coki Beach West, Claibourne, Concrete (Wreck Dive), Coral Bowl (Joe's Jam), Fifth Barge (Wreck Dive), Flat Cay West, Flat Cay East, General Rogers (Wreck Dive), Grainton (Wreck Dive), Limestone Reef, Miss Opportunity (Wreck Dive), Navy Barges (Wreck Dive), Rye Reef, Saba East, Sprat Point, T-Table (Armando's Reef), The Cartanser (Wreck Dive), WIT Shoal (Wreck Dive), RMS Rhone (B.V.I.) (Wreck Dive)

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