The Best BeachesMany
Caribbean islands have only rocky beaches or beaches made of
black volcanic sand (which heats up fast in the noonday sun),
but those in the Virgin Islands are known their fine white sand.
Best of all, every beach in the Virgin Islands is free (except
for Magens Bay in St. Thomas) and open to the public, although
in some cases, you'll have to walk across the grounds of a
resort (or arrive by private boat) to reach them.
Magens Bay Beach
(St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands): This
1/2-mile loop of pebble-free sand and remarkably calm waters is
by far the most popular and picturesque beach in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Two peninsulas protect the shore from erosion and
strong waves, making Magens an ideal spot for swimming. Expect a
lively crowd here in the high season.
Sapphire Beach
(St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands): This
beach is one of the finest on St. Thomas and a favorite with
windsurfers. Come here for some of St. Thomas's best shore
snorkeling and diving (off Pettyklip Point). And, don't worry
about equipment--water sports concessions abound here. Take a
moment to enjoy the panoramic view of St. John and other
islands.
Trunk Bay
(St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands): This
beach, which is protected by the U.S. National Park Service, is
a favorite with cruise-ship passengers. It's famous for its
underwater snorkeling trail. Trunk Bay is consistently ranked
among the top 10 Caribbean beaches, most recently by
CondEacute; Nast Traveler.
Caneel Bay
(St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands): Site of a famous resort, Caneel
Bay is a string of seven beaches, stretching around Durloe Point
to Hawksnest Caneel. Rosewood Hotels, which operates Caneel Bay
Resort, admits day guests.
Sandy Point
(St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): The biggest beach in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, Sandy Point lies in the southwestern part of St.
Croix, directly to the west of Alexander Hamilton Airport. Its
waters are shallow and calm. Because the beach is a protected
reserve and a nesting spot for endangered sea turtles, it's only
open to the public on weekends from 9am to 5pm.
Cane Garden Bay
(Tortola, British Virgin Islands): Cane Garden Bay is the most
popular beach in the British Virgin Islands and a close rival to
Magens Bay for scenic beauty. Its translucent waters and
sugar-white sands are reason enough to visit Tortola; it's also
the closest beach to the capital at Road Town.
The Best Dive Sites
The Wreck of the HMS Rhone (off
Salt Island, British Virgin Islands): The Rhone wreck is
the premier dive site not only in the Virgin Islands but also in
the entire Caribbean. This royal mail steamer, which went down
in 1867, was featured in the murky film The Deep.
Cow and Calf Rocks
(St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands): This
site off the southeast end of St. Thomas (about a 45-minute boat
ride from Charlotte Amalie) is the island's best diving spot.
It's also a good bet for snorkeling. You'll discover a network
of coral tunnels riddled with caves, reefs, and ancient boulders
encrusted with coral.
Buck Island
(off St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): This
is one of the major diving meccas in the Caribbean, with an
underwater visibility of some 100 feet. There are enough
labyrinths and grottoes for the most experienced divers, plus
massive gardens of fiery coral inhabited by black sea urchins,
barracudas, stingrays, and other creatures.
Frederiksted Pier
(St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): Conventional wisdom has
designated this pier, located in an old ramshackle town at the
west end of St. Croix, the most interesting pier dive in the
Caribbean. The original pier was virtually destroyed by
Hurricane Hugo in 1989, but a new one opened in 1993. Plunge
into a world of exotic creatures, including sponges, banded
shrimp, plume worms, and sea horses.
Chikuzen
(Tortola, British Virgin Islands): Although
its not the Rhone , this 270-foot steel-hulled
refrigerator ship, which sank off the island's east end in 1981,
is one of the British Virgin Islands' most fascinating dive
sites. The hull--still intact under about 80 feet of water--is
now home to a vast array of tropical fish, including yellowtail,
barracuda, black-tip sharks, octopus, and drum fish.
Alice in Wonderland
(Ginger Island, British Virgin Islands):
This brilliant coral wall, offshore of a tiny island, slopes
from 40 feet to a sandy bottom at 100 feet. Divers often refer
to the site as "a fantasy" because of its monstrous overhangs,
vibrant colors, gigantic mushroom-shaped corals, and wide
variety of sea creatures--everything from conch and garden eels
to longnose butterfly fish.
The Best Snorkeling
A readers' poll by Scuba Diving
magazine confirmed what Virgin Islanders knew all along: The
islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas are among the
finest places to snorkel in the Caribbean. Here are some of the
best spots:
Coki Beach
(St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands): On the north shore of St.
Thomas, Coki Beach offers superb year-round snorkeling.
Especially enticing are the coral ledges near Coral World's
underwater tower.
Trunk Bay
(St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands): The self-guided, 225-yard-long
snorkeling trail here has large underwater signs that identify
species of coral and other marine life. Above water, the beach's
freshwater showers, changing rooms, equipment rentals, and
lifeguards make snorkeling more convenient.
Leinster Bay
(St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands): Easily accessible Leinster Bay,
on the northern shore of St. John, offers calm, clear, and
uncrowded waters teeming with sea life.
Haulover Bay
(St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands): A favorite with locals, this
small bay is rougher than Leinster and is often deserted. The
snorkeling, however, is dramatic, with ledges, walls, nooks, and
sandy areas set close together.
Buck Island
(off St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): This
tiny island, whose land and offshore waters are classified as a
national monument, lies 2 miles off the north coast of St.
Croix. More than 250 recorded species of fish swim through its
reef system. A variety of sponges, corals, and crustaceans also
inhabit Buck Island, which is strictly protected by the National
Park Service.
Cane Bay
(St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): One of the island's best
diving and snorkeling sites is off this breezy, north-shore
beach. On a good day, you can swim out 150 yards to see the Cane
Bay Wall, which drops dramatically off to deep waters below.
Multicolored fish, elkhorn, and brain coral flourish here.
The Best Golf Courses
Mahogany Run (St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands; tel. 800/253-7103 or 340/777-6006): This
par-70, 6,022-yard course, one of the most scenic in the
Caribbean, has breathtaking views of the British Virgin Islands.
It's famous for its "Devil's Triangle," a tricky trio of holes
(13, 14, and 15).
The Buccaneer
(St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; tel.
800/255-3881 or 340/773-2100): This 6,117-yard resort course
has some spectacular vistas, especially from its signature third
hole, where the seascape stretches from Christiansted to Buck
Island.
Carambola
(St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; tel.
340/778-0747): This par-72 course at Davis Bay, known for
decades as Fountain Valley, was designed by Robert Trent Jones
Sr. It's one of the most challenging in the Caribbean. The
well-maintained holes are characterized by dangerous water
hazards and ravines.
The Best Walks
The Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins Walk
(St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands): This paved walk is only 1/4
mile long, but it's a highlight of the 10,000-acre U.S. Virgin
Islands National Park. The trail traverses the ruins of what was
once the most important sugarcane plantation on the island.
Slaves' quarters, a windmill tower, and ballast-brick buildings
recapture a long-vanished era. Stunning views look toward
Tortola, Great Thatch Island, and Jost Van Dyke on the opposite
side of Sir Francis Drake Passage.
The Rain Forest Hike
(St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): At the
northwestern end of St. Croix lies the 15-acre "Rain Forest,"
which is thick with magnificent plant life. The little-traveled
four-wheel-drive roads through the area provide great hiking
paths.
Buck Island Walk
(off St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands): A
circumnavigation of this island, which is reached by boat, takes
about 2 hours and is rated moderate. Since the island is ringed
with white sandy beaches, feel free to take a break for a
refreshing swim. There's also a trail that points inland.
Sage Mountain National Park
(Tortola, British Virgin Islands): This
3- to-4-hour hike is one of the most dramatic in the British
Virgins. It goes from Brewer's Bay to the top of Mount Sage, the
highest peak in the Virgin Islands at 1,780 feet. Along the way,
you'll see intriguing ruins of old homes, not to mention the
beautiful flora and fauna of the park's primeval forest.
