The US Virgin Islands is a dependency of the US a territory that includes 3 large volcanic islands: St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John (and dozens of small ones) located in the Caribbean Sea. Although they were discovered in 1493 by Columbus, they were the main stronghold of pirates.
In 1672, the Virgin Islands were divided into British and Danish. In 1917, the Danish part was bought by the United States for $25 million! Evergreen subtropical forests grow on the islands. During my cruise in the Royal Caribbean, I was the first to visit the beautiful island of St. Thomas.
The main occupation of the local population is serving tourists, who have come here on average between 1.8 and 2 million every year since the 1980s. The famous Magens Bay is also located here. It is one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world — according to National Geographic. The capital is very intimate and modest. Most of all I liked the ubiquitous play, no one is in a hurry. The real gem of the city of Charlotte Amalie is Kongens Gade King Street with amazing greenery and flowers.
CARIBBEAN: ST. THOMAS MAGEN'S BAY — THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH IN THE WORLD!
The kilometer-long white sandy beach in Magens Bay is one of the most beautiful in the world. Known as one of the top 10 beaches in the Caribbean. Protected by the Petersburg Peninsula. The water is calm, the giant coconut palms provide plenty of shade, and our stay is almost perfect.
We can get to the beaches with a taxi which costs $10 from the port, $8 from downtown Charlotte Amalie. There is a large car park on site. Entrance to the beach is $5 per person, $2 per car, cash only. I will tell you that I was very lucky to visit St. Thomas. This is one of the most popular stops for all cruise ships departing from Florida.
During the high season it can get really crowded. It happens that 4 huge ships enter the port, where each of them carries at least 2000 passengers. During my journey around the island, my passenger ship was the only one that docked in the port. It is hard to imagine what happens on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world when it is visited by several thousand passengers on a ship in one day. I liked the northern end of the beach for my holiday. It was a hit! Peace and quiet, rest.
Most people prefer to sunbathe next to a large beach bar and restaurant. Worth joining beer from $4.50 or tropical cocktail from $7.5, bottle of water $3.00. You can pay by card, no wifi. The snack bar serves pizza (whole or sliced), grilled items (hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.), sandwiches and salads (packaged), and snacks such as chips and sodas. The food was actually better than I expected.
Sun loungers are available for $7.00 per day and beach chairs are $5.00 per day (each option will be charged a refundable $5.00 deposit). Mask, fins and snorkeling can be rented for $15 (plus $35 refundable deposit). On the beach you will find (free of charge) three toilets and showers.
CARIBBEAN: CHARLOTT AMALIA — CAPITAL OF THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS
The capital of the island, Charlotte Amalie, was named after the wife of the King of Denmark, Christian V. Street names are given in two languages - English and Danish, and the houses here are built of red Scandinavian brick. Once the Spaniards, the British or the Danes settled here, now it is an earthly paradise dominated mainly by the Americans. This exotic spot has been listed by National Geographic as one of the best sailing, diving and fishing destinations in the world.
The capital of St. Thomas also attracts tourists with a large number of duty-free shops. It is called the largest shopping center in this part of the world. Main Street (Dronningens Gade) is an endless chain of exclusive shops. Air-conditioned interiors of ancient buildings seduce with modern electronics, perfumes, Cuban cigars. Alcohol and clothes from famous fashion designers. Shops are combined into a maze of malls with restaurants and bars. Gold and diamond boutiques are the most popular items.
St. Thomas is also one of the most convenient natural deep sea ports in the Caribbean. Interestingly, the traffic in this territory of the United States is left-handed. The island belongs to the US today, but less than 100 years ago it was Danish territory. Denmark, like all other European countries of the 18th century, drove to the left. Changes to driving on the right were made in Denmark in 1793, but the overseas colony remained with the old traffic rule.
