Planning a trip to St. Croix, USVI

Island Layout

St. Croix has only two sizable towns: Christiansted on the northcentral shore and Frederiksted in the southwest. The Henry E. Rohlsen Airport is on the south coast, directly west of the former HOVENSA oil refinery, for many years the island’s main industry (at press time, the refinery was closed and up for sale). No roads circle St. Croix’s coast.

To continue east from Christiansted, take Rte. 82 (also called the E. End Rd.). Route 75 will take you west from Christiansted through the central heartland. Melvin H. Evans Highway, Route 66, runs along the southern part of the island. You can connect with this route in Christiansted and head west all the way to Frederiksted.

Christiansted

The historic district of Christiansted has four main streets leading toward the water: Strand Street, King Street, Company Street, and Queen Street. Because the city is compact, it can easily be explored on foot. All streets start at the harbor and go up slightly sloped hillsides, and each street heads back down the hill to the port so you can’t get lost. The visitor information center is located at 53A Company St. The center of Christiansted can get very congested, and driving around is difficult because of the one-way streets. It’s usually more practical to park your car and cover the small district on foot. You will find open-air parking on both sides of Fort Christiansvaern.

The North Shore

This coastal strip that stretches from Cottongarden Point, the eastern tip of the island, all the way west past Christiansted and up and around Salt River Bay, comes to an end as it reaches the settlement of Northside in the far west. It is the most touristy region of St. Croix, site of the best beaches, the most hotels, and the densest shopping. It is also the takeoff point (at Christiansted Harbor) for excursions to Buck Island, St. Croix’s most popular attraction. Many visitors confine their stay in St. Croix entirely to the north coast. The northern coastline is not only long but also diverse, going from a lush tropical forest that envelops most of the northwest to the eastern sector, which is dry with palm-lined beaches.

The East End

The East End begins immediately east of Christiansted, the capital, taking in Tamarind Reef Beach and Reef Beach before it reaches Teague Bay, coming to an end at Cottongarden Point, the far eastern tip of St. Croix. This section of St. Croix is linked by Rte. 82 (also called E. End Rd.). The Buccaneer, the major resort of St. Croix, is found here, along with the Tamarind Reef Hotel. The area is far less congested than the section immediately to the west of Christiansted, and many visitors prefer the relative isolation and tranquility of the East End. This section of St. Croix is somewhat dry, the landscape a bit arid, but its compensating factor is a number of palm-lined beaches. The best place for a beach picnic is Cramer Park at the far eastern tip, a U.S.V.I. territorial beach popular with islanders.

Frederiksted

Little Frederiksted has a storied past. It was established in 1751, but its colonial architecture was destroyed by fire in 1878 during a legendary labor revolt. The town was rebuilt in the Victorian style, and its historic waterfront today has been revitalized, a boon for the big cruise ships that arrive at the town’s deep-water pier weekly. The two major streets, both of which run parallel to the water, are Strand Street and King Street.

Fast Facts

Banks  -- FirstBank Virgin Islands (tel 340/773-0440; www.firstbankvi.com) has full-service locations in Christiansted (12–13 King St. and Orange Grove); in Frederiksted (6A Strand St.); and at Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Scotiabank (tel 340/693-2966; www.scotiabank.com) has a full-service locations in Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Banco Popular tel 800/724-3655; www.popular.com/vi) has full-service locations in Christiansted (Orange Grove) and Sunny Isle. Most are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 3pm and Friday 9am to 4pm; both Scotiabank and FirstBank have Saturday-morning hours.

Business Hours  -- Typical business hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm. The V.I. Dental Center, 2024 Estate Mt. Welcome, Ste. 15–16 (tel 340/772-6000; http://videntalcenter.com), has a team of dentists that are members of the American Dental Association. Call for information or an appointment.

Doctors  -- For a referral, call Sunny Isle Medical Center (tel 340/778-0069) or the Beeston Hill Medical Complex (www.vihealth.com).

Drugstores  -- Try the Golden Rock Pharmacy, Golden Rock Shopping Center (tel 340/773-7666), open Monday to Saturday 8am to 7pm and Sunday 8am to 3pm.

Emergencies  -- To reach the police, fire department, or an ambulance, call tel 911.

Hospitals  -- The main facility is Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center, 4007 Estate Diamond Ruby (tel 340/778-6311).

Maps  --  Newspapers & Magazines  -- St. Croix has its own online newspaper, “St. Croix Source” (http://stcroixsource.com). “The Virgin Island Daily News” (http://virginislandsdailynews.com) covers all the Virgin Islands. A good source of local information is “St. Croix This Week,” which is distributed free by the tourist offices to hotels, restaurants, and most businesses.

Police  -- Police headquarters is on Market Street in Christiansted. In case of emergency, dial tel 911; for nonemergency assistance, call tel 340/778-2211.

Post Office  -- The post office is on Company Street (tel 340/773-3586), in Christiansted. The hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm.

Safety  -- St. Croix is safer than St. Thomas. Although there have been random acts of violence against tourists in the past, even murder, most crime on the island is petty theft, usually of possessions left unguarded at the beach while vacationers go into the water for a swim, or muggings (rarely violent) of visitors wandering the dark streets and back alleys of Frederiksted and Christiansted at night. Exercise caution at night by sticking to the heart of Christiansted and not wandering around in Frederiksted. Avoid night strolls along beaches. Night driving in remote parts of the island can also be risky; you might be carjacked and robbed at knifepoint.

Taxes  -- The only local tax is an 10 percent surcharge added to all hotel rates.

Telephone  -- You can dial direct to St. Croix from the mainland by using the 340 area code. Omit the 340 for local calls. Make long-distance, international, and collect calls as you would on the U.S. mainland by dialing 0 or your long-distance provider.

Toilets  -- There are few public restrooms, except at the major beaches and the airport. In Christiansted, the National Park Service maintains some restrooms within the public park beside Fort Christiansvaern.

Getting Around

If you plan to do some serious sightseeing on the island, you’ll need to rent a car, as getting around by public transportation is a slow, uneven process.

By Car

Remember to drive on the left. In most rural areas, the speed limit is 35 mph; certain parts of the major artery, Route 66, are 55 mph. In towns and urban areas, the speed limit is 20 mph. Keep in mind that if you’re going into the “bush country,” you’ll find the roads very difficult. Sometimes the government smoothes the roads out before the rainy season begins (often in Oct or Nov), but they rapidly deteriorate.

St. Croix offers moderately priced car rentals, even on cars with automatic transmissions and air-conditioning. However, because of the island’s higher-than-normal accident rate (which is partly the result of visitors who forget about driving on the left-hand side of the road), insurance costs are a bit higher than elsewhere. Avis (tel 800/331-1212 or 340/778-9355; www.avis.com), Budget (tel 800/472-3325 or 340/778-9636; www.budget.com), and Hertz (tel 800/654-3131 or 340/778-1402; www.hertz.com) all maintain headquarters at the airport; look for their kiosks near the baggage-claim areas. Collision-damage insurance costs $14 per day, depending on the company and size of car, and we feel that it’s a wise investment. Some credit card companies grant you collision-damage protection, if you pay for the rental with their card. Verify coverage before you go.

By Taxi

At Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport, official taxi rates are posted. From the airport, expect to pay about $16 to $36 to Christiansted and about $12 to $24 to Frederiksted. Even though taxi rates are standardized, cabs are unmetered, so agree on the rate before you get in. Taxis line up at the docks in Christiansted and Frederiksted.

We highly recommend the following taxi drivers (who double as wonderful tour guides): Ames Joseph (tel 340/277-6133) and Francis M. Vazquez (tel 340/690-4045). If they aren’t available, contact the St. Croix Taxicab Association (tel 340/778-1088).

 More and more drivers are employing multi-passenger taxi vans and open-air safaris (converted truck beds with open-air seating), ideal for transporting cruise-ship passengers arriving weekly on island excursions.

By Bus

Air-conditioned buses run between Christiansted and Frederiksted about every 45 minutes daily between 5:30am and 8pm. They start at Tide Village, to the east of Christiansted, and go along Route 75 to the Golden Rock Shopping Center. They transfer along Route 70, with stopovers at the Sunny Isle Shopping Center, La Reine Shopping Center, St. George Village Botanical Garden, and Whim Plantation Museum before reaching Frederiksted. The fare is $1, or 55[ce] for seniors. For more information, call tel 340/773-1664.

Getting There

By Plane

Currently, the best way to reach the island by plane, but a fast ferry was said to be in the works at press time. Most flights to St. Croix land at the small international Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, Estate Mannings Bay (tel 340/778-1012; www.viport.com/airports.html; airport code STT), 6 miles southwest of Christiansted on the island’s southern coast. Seaplane flights with Seaborne Airlines from St. Thomas land right at the seaport on the Christiansted waterfront.

American Airlines (tel 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) no longer offers frequent service to St. Croix. American has one direct flight daily from Miami, with one stop (but no change of plane) in St. Thomas. US Airways (tel 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) offers a nonstop flight from Charlotte in the high season. Most visitors arrive via connecting service through Puerto Rico or St. Thomas. Seaborne Airlines (tel 888/359-8687 or 340/773-6442; www.seaborneairlines.com) offers several flights daily, some on seaplanes that fly “downtown to downtown” between St. Thomas and the Christiansted waterfront (flight time: 25 min.). Cape Air (tel 800/227-3247 in the U.S. and U.S.V.I.; www.capeair.com) flies between St. Croix and San Juan, Vieques Island, or St. Thomas. JetBlue (tel 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com) has daily afternoon connections from San Juan.

A number of major car-rental firms maintain kiosks at the airport, including Avis (tel 340/778-9355), Hertz (tel 888/248-4261), and Budget (tel 888/264-8894). At the Christiansted seaport, Avis (tel 340/713-1347) is located at 1210 Watergut St. The oldest independent car agency in St. Croix, Olympic Rent-A-Car (tel 888/USVICAR; www.olympicstcroix.com) offers free airport dropoff and pickup. Otherwise, taxis are on call at the airport and in downtown Christiansted to transfer you to your destination.

Travel time to St. Croix from St. Thomas is 25 minutes; between St. Croix and San Juan 50 minutes; and between St. Croix and Vieques 25 minutes. There are no direct flights to St. Croix from Canada or the United Kingdom; connections are made via Miami.

By Boat

The SeaTrans fast ferry that traveled sporadically between St. Thomas and St. Croix was out of commission at press time (it ran aground on one of the small cays between the islands a couple of years ago), but government plans are in the works for the introduction of spiffy new catamaran ferries to travel between St. Thomas and St. Croix. Special ferries do run between St. Thomas and St. Croix in April for the St. Thomas Carnival and again in December around St. Croix’s Carnival. It’s a 1-hour trip over one of the world’s deepest oceans, and when the seas are up, it can be rough passage for those with motion sickness.

By Cruise Ship

The island’s main cruise ship pier, the Ann E. Abramson Pier, on the Fredricksted waterfront, was upgraded and now has the capacity to accommodate two mega-ships at a time. The dock enhancements have already upped cruise-ship visitation from one ship every 3 weeks to one or two ships making port stops weekly.