U.S. Virgin Islands

The capital of the territory spreads along its harbour and up steep hillsides, its old core a grid of narrow alleys lined with former Danish warehouses that now sell jewellery, watches and duty-free goods. Above the waterfront, the brick-red Fort Christian, begun in the 1670s, is the oldest standing building in the islands, and stepped streets such as the 99 Steps lead up to colonial houses and views over the harbour. The town's synagogue, with its sand-covered floor, is one of the oldest in continuous use in the Americas.

TipShops and alleys are packed when several cruise ships are in port; check the schedule and explore early or late in the day.

On St Thomas's north coast, a heart-shaped bay sheltered by forested headlands holds a long, gently curving beach with exceptionally calm water. It is run as a public park by the Magens Bay Authority, which charges a modest entry fee and rents chairs, kayaks and paddleboards, and it is regularly ranked among the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. The beach was open daily from 8am to 4.30pm in 2026.

TipThe lookout at Drake's Seat, on the road above, gives the classic view down over the bay.

On the island's east end, small Coki Beach is one of the easiest places on St Thomas to snorkel straight from the sand, with reef fish gathering around the rocks at either side of the bay. Next door, Coral World Ocean Park has an underwater observatory, touch pools and turtle and shark exhibits, and the beach has a lively, local feel at weekends.

TipKeep valuables out of sight, and use only reputable vendors for gear rental.

Ferries from Red Hook on St Thomas reach St John's main town in about 20 minutes. Cruz Bay is small and easy-going, with bars, restaurants and boutiques, and the national park visitor centre beside the dock is the place to pick up maps and check trail conditions. From here, the North Shore Road winds east past one bay after another.

Probably the most photographed beach in the Virgin Islands, Trunk Bay is a long sweep of white sand facing a small, palm-topped cay. An underwater snorkelling trail runs around the cay, with submerged signs identifying corals and fish, and the beach has lifeguards, showers and a snack bar. The National Park Service charges an expanded amenity fee of US$5 per person aged 16 and over, payable by card or on Recreation.gov; the booth no longer accepts cash.

TipArrive early: by mid-morning, day-trippers from St Thomas fill the car park.

The longest beach on the north shore has calm water, a campground with eco-tents and cottages, and good snorkelling off the small cay at its eastern end. Behind the beach, the ruins of a sugar factory and a short loop trail through the forest show how quickly nature has reclaimed the old plantations.

On a breezy hillside above Leinster Bay stand the stone ruins of one of St John's largest sugar estates: a windmill tower, a horse mill, the boiling house and the remains of the quarters where enslaved workers lived. A short self-guided trail explains how cane was crushed and boiled into sugar and molasses, and what life was like for the people forced to do the work. Below, a coastal path leads to Waterlemon Cay, a favourite spot for snorkelling with turtles and rays.

TipBring water and snorkel gear and combine the ruins with the walk to Waterlemon Cay.

The best-known hike on St John descends through moist forest from Centerline Road towards the south coast. A side trail leads to a pool where ancient Taíno petroglyphs are carved into the rock beside a small waterfall, and the main path continues past the ruins of the Reef Bay sugar factory to the shore. It is downhill all the way, which means a steep return climb.

TipCheck with the visitor centre about guided options and boat pick-ups that save the climb back.

On a windswept headland at St Croix's eastern tip, Point Udall is often described as the easternmost point of the United States. A sundial monument marks the spot, the views take in the dry, cactus-dotted East End and, in winter, migrating humpback whales may be seen offshore. It is a popular place to watch the sunrise.

A short boat ride off St Croix's north coast, Buck Island is surrounded by an elkhorn coral barrier reef protected as a national monument since 1961. Snorkellers follow a marked underwater trail through the reef, while the island itself has a beach at its western end and a trail to a hilltop lookout. Access is by private boat with a permit or, more usually, on a trip with one of the park's licensed concessionaires from Christiansted or Green Cay. The island is open from 7am to 5pm and there is no camping.

TipFull-day trips usually combine the reef snorkel with time on the beach; book ahead in peak season.

The former capital of the Danish West Indies is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in the Caribbean, with arcaded streets and pastel buildings. Christiansted National Historic Site protects the yellow Fort Christiansvaern on the harbour, the Steeple Building, the old customs house and the warehouse of the Danish West India and Guinea Company, where enslaved Africans were once sold. Entry is US$10 for adults (valid for three days), paid by card at the fort. A boardwalk lines the harbour, with bars, restaurants and boats to Buck Island.

This sheltered bay on the north coast is where a landing party from Columbus's second voyage came ashore in November 1493 and clashed with the island's Indigenous people, one of the earliest recorded encounters of its kind. Today it is a national historical park and ecological preserve with mangroves, seagrass and a bioluminescent bay that glows at night, best seen on a guided kayak tour.

Rum has been made on St Croix since the plantation era, and the Cruzan distillery, run by the same family for generations, offers tours of its ageing warehouses and old sugar-mill grounds, with a tasting at the end. The island is also home to a large Captain Morgan distillery.

TipCheck tour days and hours online before you go.

Just outside Frederiksted, Estate Whim is a restored eighteenth-century sugar plantation with an oval-shaped great house, a windmill, cookhouse and museum, run by the St Croix Landmarks Society. It gives a sober picture of the plantation system and the lives of the enslaved people who sustained it.

St Croix's second town, on the west coast, has wide streets of Victorian-era buildings and a long cruise pier that is also one of the islands' best night and day dive sites, with seahorses and octopus among its pilings. The red Fort Frederik is where, on 3 July 1848, Governor-General Peter von Scholten proclaimed the emancipation of enslaved people in the Danish West Indies after thousands gathered in protest. The town is the place to watch the sun set over the sea.

At the island's south-western tip, a long, undeveloped beach is one of the most important nesting sites for leatherback sea turtles under US jurisdiction. Access is restricted to certain days and hours, and the beach closes during the main nesting season, so check the US Fish and Wildlife Service's current schedule.