The U.S. Virgin Islands are one of the most enchanting and pleasant places in the Caribbean. It’s always warm and sunny, and the stunningly beautiful tropical wildlife and vibrant underwater world readily reveal their secrets to you. Scuba dive for pirate treasure, spot colorful birds of every hue and color in the evergreen forests, or simply lie around on the Caribbean’s glamorous beaches and get bored. In the late afternoon, sit on a chaise lounge with a glass of rum and gaze at the mysterious brilliance of the Southern Cross, the guiding thread of many great explorers of the past.
Geography
The Virgin Islands group is located in the Caribbean, 60 km east of Puerto Rico. Three of them (St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix) belong to the United States and bear the common name of the American Virgin Islands. The rest, much smaller part of the archipelago, belongs to Great Britain. The climate is tropical, hot and humid, with occasional hurricanes and earthquakes. There are no rivers and lakes, so for a long time the islands have been catastrophically short of fresh water. This problem has now been solved by desalination plants.
Much of the flora and fauna were destroyed by humans in the colonization process. A small amount of rainforest has survived on St. John and is protected by the state. It has a national park, which occupies about 2/3 of the territory. Marine fishing is well developed here, as coastal waters are rich in fish, shellfish, and crustaceans.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are divided into 3 districts, each consisting of 20 areas. As of 2010, they have about 106,405 residents, 76% of whom are black, 17.4% are Hispanic, and 15.7% are white. Most of the population speaks English, but Spanish, French, and several local dialects used by Creoles are also common.
Best time to visit
The climate here is just perfect for relaxing – it’s summer all year round. However, the maximum number of tourists come to the Virgin Islands between December and May. The maritime tropical climate of the region can be roughly divided into two seasons – dry (winter-summer) and wet (spring-autumn). The greatest amount of precipitation falls between September and November. Rains are usually very heavy, but short-lived. The maximum likelihood of hurricanes persists from July to October. In summer, the air warms up to +29 ° C, and in winter the temperature drops slightly to +24 ° C.
Useful tips
- All public places, hotels and restaurants in the U.S. Virgin Islands have Wi-Fi, cell phones work well.
- As for security, all cities are relatively calm. But it is still not a good idea to walk alone at night on the city outskirts. There are pickpockets in crowded places, so it is better not to flaunt large sums in your wallet and expose expensive things.
- In hotels you may face additional charges. In addition to the basic amount for accommodation – room tax, payment for electricity and staff work.
- Raise a sunken object from the bottom and even collect shells on the beach – is strictly prohibited. The same applies to living sea creatures – for fishing you need to get a special permit.
- In small cafes it is customary to tip the waiter personally, whereas in restaurants they are included in the bill.
- Only bottled water should be consumed – there are many intestinal infections on the islands.