St. Croix - US Virgin Islands
St. Croix is my favorite of the 3 U.S. Virgin Islands; for the diving, the people, the food, and the laid-back vibe of the island in general.
Diving in St. Croix mostly takes place along the wall, which stretches the length of the north side of the island. It's on the edge of the Puerto Rico Trench, which drops off to around 13,000 feet. Many of the wall dives here are nearly vertical. There's abundant marine life, including morays, rays, crustaceans, turtles, sharks, plenty of reef fish, and much more. The times I have dived here, current was almost nonexistent, making both boat and shore diving easy and pleasurable. Another great dive that shouldn't be missed is the Frederiksted pier. If you have a rental car, it's an easy, leisurely trip across the island. If you don't have a car, any of the dive shops in Christiansted will arrange a trip. While diving the pier, we saw several seahorses, a few octopuses, a baitball, and a lot more. It was an excellent, out-of-the-ordinary dive. Please make the effort to do this one.
The people here are warm and welcoming. That includes the local island people and ex-pats as well. If you're on the island during "Jump Up", be sure to take in the festivities. Jump Up on St. Croix is a party in the streets of Christiansted. It has become one of St. Croix’s favorite social events among locals and visitors alike. Music, dancing, food, drinks, street vendors, cultural dancers, shopping, steel pans, fire dancers, as well as the iconic Mocko Jumbies all come together and Christiansted comes alive. Another bonus is that English is the official language, no passport required, and the official currency is the US dollar!
There are a lot of restaurants on St. Croix, including everything from fine dining to small local Island food places. Be sure to try some of the local dishes. My three favorites are Conch, Roti, and Rum Cake. You can also bring rum cake home from many shops and the airport as well.
In St. Croix, life seems to move in semi-slow motion. It's much slower than busy St. Thomas, and not filled with condos owned by the rich and famous, like St. John.
As you can see, I'm a big fan of St. Croix. I'll continue to return for the wonderful island experiences. If you like jewelry, check out the famous St. Croix hook bracelets. You'll fall in love the first time you visit this island paradise.
