Buck Island

If you've never been to St. Croix, an excursion to Buck Island Reef National Monument is an absolute must. Buck Island is a small, uninhabited island off the northern coast of St. Croix. This monument includes over 18,000 acres of reef and open water and is known for it's beautiful beach and snorkeling. Permits are required for all vessels to Buck Island, so the best way to visit is through a local tour operator. There are two based in Christiansted - Big Beards Adventure Tours and Caribbean Sea Adventures. We've used both companies and they are equally great! They are both highly-recommended tours with various options and taking great care to preserve and protect Buck Island and it's surrounding reef.

In addition to Buck Island tours, both companies also offer sunset cruises. Caribbean Sea Adventures also offers other expeditions and activities. Tours with either company can be booked online by clicking the links in the paragraph above.

Due to COVID, both companies may have policies in place regarding the number of people they can take on their tours and masks may be required. So book early and check with the company prior to making any reservations about any special requirements.

Beaches

So Many Beaches! St. Croix has beautiful beaches that we love to visit. We haven't been to them all but every beach we've been to is amazing.

Gentle Winds has its own beach. It's on the the north shore, so if you like waves, this is a great beach to jump around in the water and have some fun. In addition to the beach, there's a beach shower for rinsing off the sand, a pristine swimming pool, and the Sunny Snack Shack serves food and drinks (the AHI Tuna sandwich is amazing). Gentle Winds is the perfect place for those lazy beach days with all the amenities of home!

Our favorite beach to visit outside of Gentle Winds is Rainbow Beach. For some reason, the water at this beach always seems to be calm. There is a sand volleyball court, chairs and umbrellas for rent, jet ski and paddle board rentals, along with a restaurant right on the beach. It's a great place with plenty to do for the entire family. It can get crowded around holidays, as it's one of the most popular beaches on the island. However, we've found people tend to get there after the lunch hour. If you get there early, you sometimes have the entire beach to yourself.

Another favorite beach, when open, is Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. It's a pristine beach, but with zero facilities because it's a wildlife area. The refuge is closed April 1-September 1 due to turtle nesting season. Visitors are not allowed during that time. During the open season, the beaches are only accessible from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It can take some planning to make sure you get to this beach, but it's well worth it. If you happen to visit and think it looks familiar, it was the beach featured in the final scene of the movie,The Shawshank Redemption.

On the North Shore is Cane Bay beach. It has some of the best snorkeling and SCUBA diving right from the beach. There is a restaurant and a SCUBA shop right across the street. Some of the friendliest people we've met on the island have been at Cane Bay beach!

There are so many beaches on the island that we've yet to visit. We've driven by many of them and they all look amazing. Just make sure you know which beaches have facilities and which do not, as this can affect what you need to pack for your beach day excursion.

Snorkeling/SCUBA Diving

The most popular dive near St. Croix is the "Wall." It's a 13,000 drop that runs along the north shore of St. Croix. There are many SCUBA diving charter companies on St. Croix that have excursions to the Wall, among other dives. In addition to snorkeling and SCUBA, there's apparently a new experience called SNOOKAH, which combines the experience of snorkeling and SCUBA. Listed below are some of the dive shops on St. Croix and their general island locations.

• St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures, East End and West End
• Dive Experience, East End
• Cane Bay Dive Shop, West End
• Nep2une Scuba, West End
• Sweet Bottom Dive Center, Cane Bay/North Shore
• Aquaman Virgin Islands, Cane Bay/North Shore
• Adventures in Diving STX, West End

Point Udall

The easternmost point of the United States is Point Udall on St. Croix. It's a popular place to visit and watch the sun rise above the Carribean. It also gives a great view of Buck Island and has a hiking trail for the more adventurous visitors.

During holidays, especially New Year's Day, the Point can be very crowded. Many locals congregate there the night before and stay to be the first in the United States to welcome the New Year. While it sounds fun, we personally prefer to go when it's less crowded. The road is narrow and traffic on New Year's makes parking difficult. You will likely have to park quite a distance away and trek up the road to get to the Point, and traffic can make it nearly impossible to leave. Christmas Day is also a popular time to visit and does tend to be less crowded than New Year's. However, the view is spectacular, so don't hesitate to visit any time! We always make a trip to watch the sunrise from the Point every time we're on the island.

In addition the the scenery, Point Udall is also home to the Millennium Monument, a large sundial built to welcome the New Year in 2000. An interesting fact is Point Udall shares its name with the westernmost point in the United States, located in Guam. Both the easternmost and westernmost points were named after brothers, Stewart and Morris Udall. So, the sun both rises and sets on US soil at a Point Udall.

Historic Sites

There's a lot of history on St. Croix. These sites are great for the entire family, especially for those who love history. The closest to our condo is the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. This is the site where Columbus landed on St. Croix in 1493. For more information, visit Salt River Bay, National Park Service.

Perhaps the most iconic landmarks in Christiansted is the Christianstead National Historic Site. It is a collection of buildings used by the Danish Colonial government now available to tour. More information about this site, along with operating hours and current COVID restrictions are available at Christiansted National Historic Site, National Park Service

Just for Fun

In addition to the activities listed above, there are many more that deserve a mention.

• Kayaking
• Ziplining
• Beer Drinking Pigs
• Souvenir shopping
• Crab races
• Annaly Bay Tidal Pools
• Golf
• Floating Tiki Bar
• Parasailing
• Jeep/ATV tours
• Horseback riding

Even though St. Croix is a small island, there is much to do! There's more than we can possibly list, but we hope this will help you plan and enjoy your time on the island!