Brief History of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Many know the U.S. Virgin Islands as “America’s Paradise”. Many are not aware that this small group of Caribbean islands has been a territory of the United States since its purchase in 1917 for just $25 million from the Danish government. Famous for world-class scuba diving, the best marlin fishing in the world, beautiful beaches and island-style hospitality, the U.S. Virgin Islands have a rich history beginning with Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are comprised of four unique islands, each distinctly different from the other three. St. Croix, the largest of the four islands, was once home to sugar cane plantations. Today it is known for its well-preserved historical landmarks. St. John, the smallest commercial island, is devoted largely to National Park, a generous gift covering 2/3 of the island donated by Laurence Rockefeller to the U.S. government in 1956. This is a favorite retreat for hikers and other eco-tourists. St. Thomas is the most cosmopolitan of the four islands. Its historic port of Charlotte Amalie, once teeming with four-masted trading ships, now plays host to visiting cruise ships and a fleet of sail and power yachts. Water Island, recently named the fourth Virgin Island, has no gas stations or garbage trucks! During our history, the islands have been home to many European nations, including Spain, France, England, The Netherlands, Denmark, the Order of the Knights of Malta, and finally the United States of America. The melting pot of nationalities in the Caribbean has created a rich and varied culinary tradition. One would have great difficulty pointing to a dish or an ingredient that is solely Caribbean – our ingredients and dishes have been appropriated and recreated from cuisines from all over the world.

Traditional Island Cuisine

Fungi - A cornmeal porridge flavored with okra and thyme – like Caribbean polenta.

Rice and Peas - A pilaf prepared with aromatic vegetables and pigeon peas.

Johnny Cakes - Made for the journey, this fried bread dough was made by locals to take them on their travels.

Paté - Johnny Cake dough filled with spiced beef, saltfish, chicken, conch or vegetables.

Stew Chicken - All dishes braised with vegetables and served with rice and or local sweet

Stew Mutton - potatoes. and Oxtail Conch in Stewed conch with onions and peppers in a buttery veloute sauce flavored Butter Sauce with thyme.

Kallaloo - Local soup prepared traditionally with dasheen leaves, coconut milk, okra and seafood.

Salt fish - Used widely on all islands, a salt preserved cod fried or soaked and marinated for salads.

Roti - From the island of Trinidad, this dish consists of an Indian chicken curry served wrapped in a traditional chickpea flatbread.

Area Attractions

Get Wet
St. Thomas boasts over forty beaches featuring sparkling blue water and swaying palm trees. Aside from sunbathing and solitude, the beaches and coves offer water-sports including snorkeling, scuba, kayaking, and sport fishing. Rent sports equipment, or book a water adventure through the local businesses along the water’s edge.

Tours and Eco-Attractions
The many Eco-Attractions on St. Thomas allow you to explore Caribbean marine life, bird watch, or observe the best examples of the Caribbean’s native flora. Your vacation wouldn’t be complete without booking a day cruise or water tour to get you and your family out on the water for a trip around the island. Cruise the Caribbean waters off the

coast of St. Thomas and discover the colorful reefs and sea life that lie beneath.

Taste St. Thomas
The collection of restaurants on St. Thomas are in a category all by themselves. Venture outside the bounds of your hotel, guest house or villa to experience the wide variety of cuisines. Red Hook on the East End of St. Thomas has at least 8 restaurants with cuisines to tantalize your tastebuds. Reserve a table in the historic Frenchtown, and explore the menus of the downtown Charlotte Amalie eating establishments. There is no excuse for eating poorly while on your vacation in St. Thomas.

Charlotte Amalie – History and Culture
Charlotte Amalie, the capital city of St. Thomas is within minutes of Bluebeard’s Castle. Stroll through the streets and enjoy some duty-free shopping. Experience the history and culture of the island through walking tours, museums, historic buildings and local events. Charlotte Amalie is also home to attractions such as the 99 Steps, Blackbeard’s Castle, Emancipation Park and more.

99 Steps
These stairs lead from Kongens Gade up into a canopy of trees at Blackbeard’s Castle’s foot. The steps were constructed using ship-ballast brick in the mid-18th century. The view at the top impresses. Explore in the cool of the morning, before the cruise-ship crowds arrive.

Emancipation Gardens
The park was built to commemorate the freeing of the slaves which took place July 3, 1848. A commemorative plaque, a bronze bust of a freed slave blowing a conch shell and a replica of the Liberty Bell are featured. The park was also ringed with a fence of old ships’ anchor chain and cannons recovered from the harbor. Carnival celebrations and concerts take place here, but mostly folks kick back under trees with a fruit smoothie from the Vendors’ Plaza next door.

Drake’s Seat
Drake’s Seat is a historic location on St. Thomas. Legend says that it is the location where 16th-century explorer Sir Francis Drake kept watch for enemy ships of the Spanish fleet. This lookout includes a panoramic view of where the Caribbean Sea joins the Atlantic Ocean.

Beaches

Bolongo Beach
Best known for beach volleyball games on Thursday night. There are also restaurants, a gift shop and waters ports rentals. For relaxing, settle into one of the hammocks strung beachside.

Coki Beach
Adjacent to Coral World Ocean Park and connected by a short boardwalk, Coki Beach is one of the most popular beaches on St. Thomas. The crystal clear water, white sand and extensive reef make it ideal for snorkeling, diving or just sunbathing on the beach.

Magens Bay Beach
Magens Bay Beach has been called one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world by National Geographic Magazine. It has a long and interesting history. Local legend has it that Sir Francis Drake used Magens Bay as an anchorage for his ships while he watched from a nearby hilltop for ships he could plunder. Later, the local sugar cane plantations used Magens Bay as a shipping point for sugar, molasses and rum. The remains of an old brick road can still be seen at the end of the beach. Magens Bay Beach is heart shaped and is approximately one mile long.

The bottom is sandy and slopes down gently. While there is plenty of beach to sun on, there is also plenty of shaded areas under the trees. Magens Bay has restaurants, bars, water sports and equipment rentals. Lifeguard service is provided from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Monday through Sunday year-round. On the southern and northern ends of the beach are rock formations that provide great snorkeling. NUDE BATHING is not allowed on Magens Beach. However, it is allowed at Little Magens Beach, which is a short swim away.

Sapphire Beach
Located in front of the Sapphire Beach Resort, this beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Snorkeling is easy right off of the beach, and snorkel equipment rentals are available right the beach. A restaurant, snack bar and gift shop are also at the beach.

Secret Harbour
A lovely spot for a day at the beach. Bejeweled with palm trees, this small cove features a terraced restaurant and bar, watersport rentals and a floating swim platform. A great place to soak up the Caribbean sun.

Shopping

The US Virgin Islands are outside the U.S. Custom Zone. A special exemption of $1,200 for each person traveling to this U.S. Territory is allowed. Family members traveling together may combine total purchases. Many items are individually exempt.

Since the trade winds brought the schooner and clipper ships of old, St. Thomas has been a duty-free port. Other Caribbean Islands have only recently endorsed the duty-free concept. As a result, Virgin Island Merchants offer lower prices and a more varied product.

AH Riise Mall (See ‘Convenient Local Businesses’ section)
Experience premier duty-free shopping and old world charm within one of the island’s most elegant and historic settings. Shop for jewelry, perfumes, cosmetics, Caribbean gifts, liquor, tobacco and more.

Charlotte Amalie
Named for a Danish Queen, the centuries-old warehouses stretch from the downtown waterfront to Dronnigens Gade (Main Street). They once held molasses, lumber, rum, and spices awaiting export and trade goods such as manufactured items, ceramics, gold, and gems brought from around the world. You won’t find much molasses or lumber downtown, but all the rest, and products unimaginable to Captains and Chandlers of old. The warehouses are now tastefully converted and restored to house retail stores with products and prices to satisfy the most demanding clients.

Market Square
People come from all over the island to sell fresh fruit and vegetables. The busiest market day is Saturday: vendors arrive hours before dawn. Ask for some genips. You break open the skin and suck the sweet/sour pulp from a stone. Delicious!

Red Hook, American Yacht Harbor
A variety of great shops and restaurants on the east end of the island that overlook the boats in the harbor and the Red Hook Ferry Dock that connects St. Thomas to St. John.

Yacht Haven (See ‘Convenient Local Businesses’ section)
Situated in St. Thomas’ scenic Charlotte Amalie Harbor, Yacht Haven Grande plays to an impressive array of the world’s finest megayachts as well as sailing, sport fishing, and pleasure crafts. The Shops at Yacht Haven Grande host an array of boutiques, restaurants and services within a 120,000 square foot duty-free retail village.
Whether you're looking to shop, enjoy a Caribbean inspired lunch or fine-dining atmosphere for dinner, Yacht Haven Grande will offer an array of options that will provide you with an amazing experience.

Other Islands

St. Thomas and the Virgin Islands are well known for their sports fishing, day cruises, snorkeling and scuba diving. St. Thomas has a huge selection of local companies and boat captains that will be happy to enhance your St. Thomas vacation.

St. John
St. John is easily accessible with a short ferry ride from the Red Hook dock on the east end of St. Thomas. Enjoy the shopping in Cruz Bay and Mongoose Junction, a short walk from the ferry dock. There are many selections of fine restaurants to choose from as well. Island National Park, renowned throughout the world for its breathtaking beauty, covers approximately 3/5 of St. John. Within its borders lie protected bays of crystal blue-green waters teeming with coral reef life, white sandy beaches shaded by sea grape trees, coconut palms, and tropical forests providing habitat for more than 800 species of plants. To these amazing natural resources, add relics from the pre-Columbian Amerindian civilization, remains of the Danish Colonial sugar plantations, and reminders of African slavery and the subsistence culture that followed during the 100 years after Emancipation – all part of the rich cultural history of the Park and its island home.

St. Croix
St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is 28 miles long and seven miles wide, located approximately 45 miles from St. Thomas. Its vegetation ranges widely from rain forest on the west end to desert out east. St. Croix is accessible by multiple airline flights daily. The ferry usually operates in-season only.

Its Danish ancestry is reflected in the island’s architecture. First colonized in the 1700s, St. Croix is now home to about 50,000 permanent residents. Christensted is located on the east end of the island and is known for its duty-free shopping, art galleries, and the charming bars and restaurants along the harbor side boardwalk.

St. Croix is well-endowed with beaches, reefs, and recreational watersports opportunities. Sandy Point, on the southwest end of St. Croix, is known as a nesting ground for endangered sea turtles. You will certainly want to visit offshore islands easily within reach by boat offering isolation and adventure: Buck Island National Park, an 800-acre reserve, features the only underwater snorkeling site within the National Park system and one of the best beaches you can imagine; Protestant Cay located off Christensted harbor.

British Virgin Islands – Tortola
The British Virgin Islands, including Tortola, are easily accessible with a short ferry ride from St. Thomas or St. John, but usually require 24-hour notice and your passport.

Island Map

This Directory Prepared By: Regal Publications
8684 Doverbrook Dr. • Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(571) 329-4264 • www.regalpub.com