Charlotte Amalia
Charlotte Amalia is the capital and largest city of the American Virgin Islands, located on the coast of St. Thomas. Tourism here began to grow after 1959, when Cuba was revolutionized. This event redirected the flow of tourists from the U.S. to the Virgin Islands and gave impetus to the development of local infrastructure. Charlotte Amalia sits on three low hills along a picturesque harbor. The natural world is sparse, but the small drawback is made up for by the indescribable beauty of the sea and its inhabitants. Visitors come here for the sunbathing on Majence Bay Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Go scuba diving or sailing. Take the cable car to the top of Paradise Point. Of architectural sights of the city can be noted Fort Christian and Blackbeard Castle, built in the XVII century. The latter, according to a legend, was the residence of the famous pirate. Another interesting architectural monument is Beracha Veshalom Vegimult Hasidim, the oldest synagogue in the United States and the second oldest in the Western hemisphere. It was built by Jewish refugees who left Spain during the Middle Ages. Fans of Impressionism can visit the house-museum of Camille Pizarro, which has a unique collection of paintings of this famous artist. Popular among tourists is the Coral World Marine Observatory. Its aquariums are home to a variety of sea creatures, and an underwater tower has been built to observe them.
Christiansted
Christiansted (Crischensted) is located on St. Croix and is considered the most beautiful city in the Caribbean. It is one of the largest ports of the archipelago and the former capital of the Danish colony. Many monuments of architecture have been preserved here, which is why Christiansted has been listed as a National Historic Landmark in the United States. Notably, almost all of the old buildings are built from bricks that were brought to the island as ship’s ballast about 500 years ago. The most famous are Fort Christiansvayern, the Stipple Building, the Danish House, the old customs house, which now houses an art gallery, and the first church on the island. Popular with tourists enjoy the Botanical Gardens. It collected more than fifteen hundred different species of tropical plants, and is an ancient pharmacy. It was opened by a Danish pharmacist in 1828, and now there is a museum where you can see the equipment of those times.
Cruz Bay
Cruz Bay is a small resort located on the west coast of St. John Island. Despite its small size, the town is considered the capital of the island. There are no historical landmarks, but that doesn’t mean there’s not much to see. For a start, head to the port. This is where the hustle and bustle of Cruz Bay is, and the banks of the L-shaped bay offer very scenic views of the sea and town. If you feel like strolling, head to Elaine-yon-Sprouw Mansion. It has a museum with several very interesting exhibits about the history of the archipelago and the Caribbean Sea. You can also visit the Annaberg plantation to see the conditions under which the black population of the island lived and worked before slavery was abolished. But excursions there are not free of charge. For shopping lovers, there is a whole shopping alley called Mongus Junction. It is located in the northeastern direction from the port. Beautiful beaches are the real pride of the city. The best (especially for holidays with children) is considered Wharfside Village Beach. However, it’s not likely to appeal to long-distance swimmers – it’s very busy with boat and ship traffic.
Frederiksted
Frederiksted is a tiny resort on the west side of St. Croix with a population (as of 2000) of just over 700 people. It was built in the 18th century, but all the buildings of that time were destroyed by fire in 1879. The most interesting sights are the old English church of St. Paul and the huge Fort Frederick. True, these are only copies, but done to a very high standard. There are several other beautifully reconstructed churches in the city – Catholic, Moravian and Lutheran. On the outskirts of Frederiksted there is a small private nature reserve Rhein Forest. It is often visited by tourists to walk through the evergreen rainforest and buy cute souvenirs. They are made right there – in a small woodcarvers’ workshop. In addition to beach holidays, diving and snorkeling are very popular at the resort.
Buck Island
Tiny Buck Island is one of the most famous diving and snorkeling spots in the world. No people live here, but everything is organized to the highest standard for tourists, there is even a specially marked underwater trail for divers. At the bottom there are signs that contain all the necessary information about the site and the direction to the next point of the route. It is really interesting to dive here – there are a lot of shipwrecks and coral reefs, along which dazzlingly bright surgeon fish, glowing sea angels and hundreds of other exotic inhabitants of the Caribbean Sea scurry around.