Virgin Islands! Beautiful Beaches, Exquisite Eating and the Life of Luxury!
Overview
When to Go
Getting There & Around
History
If people are going to persist with an American dream, they may as well wake up to some of this. Though the US flag and Postal trucks prevail, the commonalities pretty much stop there. The laid-back vibe and some of the most magnificent coast on earth provide a taste of paradise and a bit of light relief to millions each year.
The peak tourist season is December to May, but this has more to do with the weather in North America and Europe than it does with the reliably balmy Virgin Islands' weather. It's therefore best to visit outside this period, when you can expect room rates to be two thirds of those charged during the busier months. An additional draw is that the calmer weather between April and August tends to keep the waters clearer for diving.
Weather
Reliably Caribbean, the weather is balmy, with daily highs between a cosy 77°F (25°C) in winter and 82°F (28°C) in summer. Perhaps the most pleasant climatic aspect of these islands is the combination of the trade winds that keep humidity low, and the Caribbean currents that keep waters warm. During the wettest months, July through October, rainfall comes in short powerful bursts that are more likely to cool you off than dampen your visit.
Getting There
There are international airports on both St Thomas and St Croix. From the US, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, United Airlines and US Airways have direct flights from several US destinations. Often these flights land in St Thomas first, then go on to St Croix. Most flights from Europe connect via Miami or San Juan in Puerto Rico. American Eagle, Seaborne Airlines, Cape Air, Clair Aero and Air Sunshine offer services between the US and British Virgin Islands.
St Thomas' Cyril E King Airport is located on the southern coast, 3mi (5km) west of Charlotte Amalie. Henry E Rohlsen Airport is on the southern shore of St Croix, 7mi (11km) southwest of Christiansted.
Buses and taxis ferry new arrivals to the islands' towns and resorts.
A Saturday high-speed ferry does the two-hour dash between St Thomas' Charlotte Amalie and Fajardo in Puerto Rico. Tons of cruise ships dock in the US Virgin Islands, most at Charlotte Amalie, one of the Caribbean's most popular cruise destinations. Plenty of ships also call at Frederiksted on St Croix, disgorging hundreds of cruise shippers who head straight for the shops.
Getting Around
The best way to travel between the islands is by boat. Frequent ferries depart from Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook on St Thomas for the short jaunt to St John, including a car ferry that plies its route several times a day (www.lovecitycarferries.com).
Frequent, inexpensive ferries also travel between St Thomas and St John to Tortola and on to the other British Virgin Islands (be sure to carry a passport on these trips; you will go through Customs). Dozens of yacht charter companies provide visitors with the opportunity to sail from island to island at their own pace. To travel between St Thomas and St Croix, most passengers opt to take a seaplane (several times a day, 20 minutes). From November to May, the Salacia, otherwise known as the 'fast ferry,' shuttles passengers between St Thomas and St Croix. This 75-minute ferry is a good option if you're prone to overpacking; the seaplanes have weight restrictions (30lbs max), but the ferry does not.
Hiring a car or jeep is a good way to get around the islands, though finding a parking space in Charlotte Amalie can be troublesome. Scooters and motorbikes can also be hired, but are not recommended, as the roads are steep, windy and often populated with chickens and mangy dogs. Signage around the islands is usually restricted to route numbers - the free tourist maps include these. Keep in mind: you drive on the left-hand side of the road (a la Britain), but the steering column is also on the left (a la the US), making it confusing as hell. Signs saying 'keep your shoulder to the shoulder' help you avoid head-on collisions. There are decent, if slow, bus services on St Thomas and St Croix, and a fledgling service on St John that runs between Cruz Bay and Salt Pond. Taxis are abundant on all islands, especially the open-air variety that carry 12 or so passengers at a time. They charge a set rate based on the destination and how many passengers are onboard.
Pre-20th-Century History
The earliest settlements in the Virgin Islands date back to about 2000 BC. Three known groups of Indians predated European arrival: the Siboneys, the Taino and the Caribs. The latter had only secured the islands a few decades before Columbus arrived in 1493 and disrupted them. Columbus, perhaps feeling the lack of female company shipboard, called the islands Las Virgenes in a somewhat obscure reference to St Ursula and her 11,000 virgins. The next 150 years were typified by unsuccessful attempts by the Spanish, English, French, Danish and the Knights of Malta to establish permanent settlements on the islands, punctuated by the naughty activities of pirates and buccaneers. In 1672, the Danish West India Company firmly established its presence on St Thomas and, in 1694, on St John. In 1733 the company purchased St Croix from the French, united all three islands under Danish rule and transformed the islands, then known as the Danish West Indies, into one of the major sugar producers in the region.
The sugar industry was entirely dependant on slavery and the largest slave auctions in the world took place in Charlotte Amalie on St Thomas. In 1797, 25,500 slaves out of a total population of 30,000 worked on the islands. After emancipation in 1848, higher labour costs combined with drought, hurricane and an increase in sugar production from US and European growers to instigate the decline of the Danish West Indies. The US first recognized the strategic importance of the islands' fortresses and deep-water harbours during the American Civil War, but the congress failed to approve a US$7500000.00 purchase from Denmark.
Modern History
At the outbreak of WWI, when the islands became critical to US control of the Caribbean basin and the Panama Canal, the purchase was finally consummated for US$25 million in gold, the highest price the US had ever paid for land.
The US Virgin Islands remained under the jurisdiction of the US Navy for the next 14 years, when the US Department of the Interior assumed responsibility for them. The population was granted US citizenship was granted to the populace in 1927, and four years later the Navy Department ceded administrative powers of the islands over the Department of the Interior. The Organic Act of 1936 allowed for the creation of a senate, and the political process evolved along the lines of the US model, with the Democratic and Republican parties dominating political discourse. Home rule was granted in 1970 and today the islands are an unincorporated territory under the US flag. In the 1950s and 60s, inexpensive air travel and the US embargo against Cuba brought an influx of tourists to the area, significantly altering the basis of the islands' economy.
Recent History
Tourism remains the most dominant feature of the islands, and development of infrastructure continues. Despite their prominence in Caribbean tourist brochures, the islands only seem to come to international attention when a hurricane wreaks havoc, as Hurricane Hugo did in 1989 and Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn did all over again in 1995.
The offshore banking industry was put under the microscope when in 2000 an OECD report included the US Virgin Islands on a list of countries and territories whose laws were conducive to money laundering. The tourist industry remained strong, particularly in relation to cruise ships. Almost 2 million passengers arrived by cruise ship in 2004.