Things To Do in St. Thomas, USVI

In 1733, the Danish government acquired the Virgin Islands from the Danish West India Company. The Danes did not find land suitable for agriculture, and St. Thomas became a bustling port instead through which the products from the rest of the West Indies were traded. It also became a center for transporting slaves.

The Virgin Islands remained under Danish rule until 1917, when the U.S., fearing German infiltration in the Caribbean during World War I, purchased the islands from Denmark. Today the U.S. Virgin Islands claims the highest per-capita income in the Caribbean, with some 50,000 settlers of varying ethnicity making their home in St. Thomas alone. The port is also the busiest cruise-ship harbor in the West Indies, outranking Puerto Rico.

Today you can see many vestiges of the island's history. The capital, Charlotte Amalie, with its white houses and bright red roofs glistening in the sun, is one of the most beautiful towns in the Caribbean. It's most famous for shopping, but the town is also filled with historic sights, like Fort Christian, an intriguing 17th-century building constructed by the Danes. The town's architecture reflects the island's culturally diverse past: You'll pass Dutch doors, Danish red-tile roofs, French iron grillwork, and Spanish-style patios.

Charlotte Amalie

Even with the crowds and shops, it is easy to see how the natural colors and charm of the Caribbean come to life in the waterfront town of Charlotte Amalie. The capital of St. Thomas once attracted seafarers from all over the globe, and pirates and sailors of the Confederacy used the port during the American Civil War. At one time, St. Thomas was the biggest slave market in the world. Today, the old warehouses, once used for storing stolen pirate goods, have been converted to shops. In fact, the main streets, called "gade" (a reflection of their Danish heritage), now coalesce into a virtual shopping mall, and are often packed. Sandwiched among these shops are a few historic buildings, most of which can be seen on foot in about 2 hours. Start your walking tour along the eastern harborfront at King's Wharf.

In the West

Route 30 (Veterans Dr.) will take you west of Charlotte Amalie to Frenchtown (turn left at the sign to the Admiral's Inn). Early French-speaking settlers arrived on St. Thomas from St. Bart's after they were uprooted by the Swedes. Many of today's island residents are the direct descendants of those long-ago immigrants, who were known for speaking a distinctive French patois. This colorful village contains a bevy of restaurants and taverns. Because Charlotte Amalie has become somewhat dangerous at night, Frenchtown has picked up its after-dark business and is the best spot for dancing, drinking, and other local entertainment.

Farther west, Harwood Highway (Rte. 308) will lead you to Crown Mountain Road, a scenic drive opening onto the best views of the hills, beaches, and crystal-clear waters around St. Thomas.

Especially for Kids

Coral World -- This is the place on St. Thomas to take your children. It's a hands-on experience -- kids can even shake hands with a starfish at the Touch Pond. Later, they can discover exotic Marine Gardens, where 20 aquariums showcase the Caribbean's incredible natural marine treasures.

Magens Bay Beach -- This beach is one of the finest in the world, with calm waters, white sand, and lots of facilities, including picnic tables.

Attractions Around the Island

A driving tour is the best way to see the island. Tropic Tours, 14AB the Guardian Building (tel. 800/524-4334 or 340/774-1855; www.tropictoursusvi.com), offers practically the same tour of St. Thomas, including Drake's Seat, the Estate St. Peter Greathouse, and Charlotte Amalie shopping. The cost is $45 per person, $36 for children 12 and under.

The Best Views in St. Thomas

The Paradise Point St. Thomas Skyride (tel. 340/774-9809; www.stthomasskyride.com) affords visitors a dramatic view of Charlotte Amalie's harbor, with a ride to a 700-foot peak. The tramway, similar to those used at ski resorts, operates six cars, each with an eight-person capacity, for the 15-minute round-trip ride. It transports customers from the Havensight area to Paradise Point, where you can disembark to visit shops and the popular restaurant and bar. The tramway runs daily 9am to 5pm. Reservations are required; the cost is $21 per adult round-trip, $11 round-trip for children 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under.

For those who can afford it or who simply aren't satisfied with the view from Paradise Point, there's Air Center Helicopters, Waterfront, Charlotte Amalie (tel. 340/775-7335; www.aircenterhelicopters.com). The short but dramatic rides go over the U.S. Virgins. A four- to six-seater helicopter flies at a cost of $750 per half-hour. Day trips to St. John and St. Croix can also be arranged, as well as trips to San Juan and the B.V.I.

The discounted, duty-free shopping in the Virgin Islands makes St. Thomas a shopping mecca. It's possible to find well-known brand names here at savings of up to 60% off mainland prices. But be warned -- savings are not always good, so make sure you know the price of the item back home to determine if you are truly getting a good deal. Having sounded that warning, we'll mention some St. Thomas shops where we have indeed found really good buys. For more help, the local publications This Week in St. Thomas and Best Buys have updates on sales and shop openings.

Most shops are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm. Some stores are open Sunday and holidays if a cruise ship is in port.

The Best Buys & Where to Find Them

The best buys on St. Thomas include china, crystal, perfumes, jewelry (especially emeralds), Haitian art, clothing, watches, and items made of wood. St. Thomas is also the best place in the Caribbean for discounts in porcelain, but remember that U.S. brands may often be purchased for 25% off the retail price on the mainland. Look for imported patterns for the biggest savings. Cameras and electronic items, based on our experience, are not the good buys they're reputed to be.

Nearly all the major shopping in St. Thomas is along the harbor of Charlotte Amalie. Cruise-ship passengers mainly shop at the Havensight Mall, at the eastern edge of Charlotte Amalie, where they disembark. The principal shopping street is Main Street or Dronningens Gade (the old Danish name). Some of the shops occupy former pirate warehouses. To the north is another merchandise-loaded street called Back Street or Vimmelskaft. Many shops are also spread along the Waterfront Highway (also called Kyst Vejen). Between these major streets is a series of side streets, walkways, and alleys -- each one filled with shops. Other shopping streets are Tolbod Gade, Raadets Gade, Royal Dane Mall, Palm Passage, Storetvaer Gade, and Strand Gade.

It is illegal for most street vendors (food vendors are about the only exception) to ply their trades outside of the designated area called Vendors Plaza, at the corner of Veterans Drive and Tolbod Gade. Hundreds of vendors converge here Monday through Saturday at 7:30am; they usually pack up around 5:30pm. (Very few hawk their wares on Sun, unless a cruise ship is scheduled to arrive.)

When you tire of French perfumes and Swiss watches, head for Market Square, as it's called locally, or more formally, Rothschild Francis Square. Here, on the site of a former slave market and under a Victorian tin roof, locals with machetes slice open fresh coconuts so you can drink the milk, and women sell ackee, cassava, and breadfruit.

Other noteworthy shopping districts include Tillett Gardens, a virtual oasis of arts and crafts -- pottery, silk-screened fabrics, candles, watercolors, jewelry, and more -- located on the highway across from Four Winds Shopping Center. The Jim Tillett Gallery here is a major island attraction in itself.

All the major stores in St. Thomas are located by number on an excellent map in the center of the publication St. Thomas This Week, distributed free to all arriving plane and boat passengers, and available at the visitor center. A lot of the stores on the island don't have street numbers or don't display them, so look for their signs instead.

Shopping Tip -- Friday is the biggest cruise-ship visiting day at Charlotte Amalie (one time we counted eight ships at once), so try to avoid shopping then.

Don't Be Shy About Bargaining -- Theoretically, bargaining is not the rule on the islands, but over the years we have found merchant after merchant willing to do so, particularly on expensive items such as jewelry and perfume. The slow late spring, summer, and fall seasons are the best times to try to make deals with local vendors.

Diamonds Are Forever -- Jewelry is the most common item for sale in St. Thomas. Look carefully over the selections of gold and gemstones (emeralds are traditionally considered the finest savings). Gold that is marked 24-karat in the United States and Canada is marked 999 (or 99.9% pure gold) on European items. Gold marked 18-karat in the United States and Canada has a European marking of 750 (or 75% pure), and 14-karat gold is marked 585 (or 58.5% pure).