St. Thomas

St. Thomas is the hub the rest of the USVI revolves around. Cyril E. King Airport handles direct flights from the mainland. Charlotte Amalie is one of the oldest and most naturally beautiful harbors in the Caribbean. Red Hook on the east end puts you fifteen minutes from St. John and five minutes from the charter bases that run routes through both island chains. It is also a proper city with real restaurants, a walkable colonial waterfront, and more to do in two days than most people realize until they are already there.

St. Thomas operates at a different scale than St. John or the BVI. It is busier, more developed, louder on the cruise ship days, and it rewards the traveler who looks past the duty-free shopping on Main Street to find what else the island has. There is quite a lot else.

Charlotte Amalie

The harbor at Charlotte Amalie is the first thing that will stop you: large, protected, ringed by hills with Danish colonial buildings running up from the waterfront in shades of yellow and red. The 99 Steps, actually 103 if you count, climb from the waterfront neighborhood of Kongens Quarter up through the old town to Blackbeard's Castle. The walk is worth doing at any time of day, faster in the morning before the heat builds.

Main Street runs the length of the waterfront and is known for duty-free shopping in jewelry, rum, and electronics. It is genuinely good shopping if you are in the market. It is also genuinely crowded on days when the cruise ships are in. Check the port schedule and plan accordingly.

For dinner, Virgilio's in the alley off Main Street has been serving Italian in a candlelit stone-walled space for decades and remains one of the best meals in the USVI. Gladys' Cafe on Back Street is the right call for breakfast or lunch with real local food. Sol at Mafolie sits 866 feet above the harbor with one of the best views in Charlotte Amalie. A table on the hillside terrace at sunset is the kind of thing you plan around. Closed Tuesdays. The Greenhouse at the Waterfront is casual, reliable, and good for a group.

Magens Bay

Magens Bay on the north shore is routinely listed among the most beautiful beaches in the world, and it earns the description. A long, calm, heart-shaped bay with clear water and a beach that runs unbroken for nearly a mile. Arrive early. By 10am the park is filling up and the parking becomes a negotiation. Come in the first hour after opening, have the beach mostly to yourself, and leave when the crowds arrive. The entrance fee is nominal and goes to beach maintenance.

Sapphire Beach on the east side of the island and Lindquist Beach at Smith Bay are both less visited alternatives with good snorkeling and a fraction of the Magens Bay crowds. If you have limited time and the beaches are the priority, Magens Bay once is the right call. If you are staying multiple days, Lindquist is the local's answer.

Red Hook and the St. John ferry

Red Hook on the eastern tip of the island is where the ferry to St. John departs. It runs roughly every hour from early morning to late evening, takes fifteen minutes, and costs a few dollars each way. The Red Hook area has its own cluster of restaurants and bars concentrated around the ferry terminal and marina. It is more local than Charlotte Amalie and a better base if your plan involves spending most of your time on St. John and using St. Thomas for flights in and out.

Charter base

St. Thomas is a launch point for charters covering both the USVI and the eastern BVI. The main charter bases operate out of Red Hook and the American Yacht Harbor marina. If you are planning a trip that crosses from the USVI into the BVI, confirm with your charter company whether the vessel and your crew are cleared for international travel. The paperwork is manageable; the surprise is not.