St. Croix Vacation Packages

You’ve got three separate islands to explore within the U.S. Virgin Islands, each with its own distinct flavor. St. John is the greenest island, full of nature preserves and pristine beaches. Two-thirds of this entire island is a National Park. Here, there's very limited development except for a few no-footprint, tent resorts. St. Thomas, on the other hand, is a completely different vacation experience. Large resorts cater to the constant tourist flow while cruise-ship traffic makes for a bustling harbor and lots of shopping and activity. Then there's St. Croix, the little island with just about everything. It’s got old forts and former sugar plantations, pristine rainforest land and world-class scuba diving opportunities. Between the three islands, you’ve got one amazing vacation!

Stroll along the streets of Christiansted – luckily, most of them run at right angles to the waterfront, so unless you're just really bad with directions, you won't get lost. However you might get a little distracted on King’s Street. It's the town’s main commercial area, so you know what that means: great shopping. Take an afternoon to walk through here and pick up locally-made souvenirs. If you don’t have extra money to spend, just stroll through the streets and admire the quaint cobblestone sidewalks and stone buildings painted in an array of colorful pastel shades.

Some say that the famous Virgin Islands rum is the best in the world. But you know what momma always says: Don't believe anything until you try it for yourself. With that said, you've got no other choice than to visit the Cruzan Rum Factory. Once you arrive there, you'll take a guided tour of the grounds. During this tour, you'll get to witness firsthand just how this delicious drink is made. On a side note, you'll absolutely love seeing the factory’s quaint, old windmill! Best of all, when the tour wraps up, you get a complimentary mixed drink. You might also want to stock up on several bottles to give to your friends as souvenirs, but we promise not to tell if you decide to keep them for yourself.

Ever heard of a living museum? We don’t mean exhibits that come to life at night although that would be pretty cool, too! No, we're talking about prehistoric archeological sites and colonial ruins left completely untouched in the wild! This amazing place is called the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. You'll have to see it to believe it. The estuaries, coral reefs and submarine canyons that you'll see here were once home to several periods of human life. As you explore the tropical surroundings, you can actually see evidence of where these previous humans used to live. Not only that, but this eco-reserve also encompasses the largest remaining mangrove forest in the Virgin Islands. A visit to the Salt River Bay is like a fascinating history book that you can experience yourself.

True confession: this site isn't technically a real rainforest, but these grounds are definitely worth a visit. The locals themselves gave this area the name ‘Rain Forest,’ but it's really more of a very dense, 15-acre forest of exotic trees. If you're brave enough to hike through the rainforest, you'll see everything from kapok trees, turpentine trees, fruit trees, ferns and other types of lush vegetation. You can take your pick from several scenic hiking trails here, so grab your camera, strap on your hiking boots and get to it.

You won't feel like you've had a real Caribbean vacation without at least one visit to a spectacular beach. Our pick in St. Croix? Divi Beach. Don't get us wrong now - there are several beaches to explore on St. Croix, but Divi Beach is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. Just drive out to the fork on Route 82 and hang a right to head to the direction of Divi Carina Resort Hotel. Once you arrive, you'll enjoy easy access to watersport equipment for rent, plus miles of white sand. Not only that, but the hotel nearby has a bar, restaurant, and even a casino. This is the beach that has it all!

Language: English

Currency: U.S. Dollar

Electricity: The electrical current in the Virgin Islands is the same as on the U.S. mainland, 110 to 120 volts AC (60 cycles).

Passport/Immigration: There is no passport requirement for U.S. citizens for direct travel to St. Croix. If you return to the mainland U.S. from St. Croix through another country (Mexico or Bermuda, for example), you will need a passport.

Drinking Water: Drink only bottled water

Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (UTC/GMT -4 hours) Peak season: December to April

Do you consider yourself a foodie? If so, you've got to try a local favorite: ox tail soup. Don't freak out just yet - it tastes just like beef. You can find this delicious treat around St. Croix at a lot of local spots and even roaming food vans, but we recommend you taste it done right first. At Dashi you can get a miso-flavored ox tail stew that will have you begging for more. After that, you can go on the hunt for more joints that serve this local delight, and see if they can compare.

Capellini Con Vongole anyone? You can find out what that is at this delicious spot. Or, you can just try the wine. Now we’re talking. The extensive wine cellar at The Galleon has won the Wine Spectator award of excellence for two years in a row. The point is: they have great wine, so go try it. Not only that, but they’ve also won several Taste of St. Croix awards for their delicious food. Great wine and great food? What are you waiting for?

If you’re short on time and souvenirs, head to downtown Christiansted. It's the perfect place for a little one-stop shopping. How do you get there? Well, it's pretty easy. Just head about a block west from the Apothecary Hall Museum, and you’ll find 2111 Company Street. Once you arrive, you'll know it because you'll see rows of charming little shops and restaurants – it’s the perfect place to stop for a little shopping, snacking and sunlight.

Anyone up for some avocados? They're easy to find on St. Croix. If you happen to see some avocados for sale on the side of the road, which you most definitely will, then stop. These babies sell for nothing more than about $2 a pop. They're delicious and cheap. What more could you ask for? Plus you’ll be supporting the locals. Grab some. There's something about the local avocados here that makes them taste so fresh and buttery. You really can’t get anything better for just a couple of bucks.

When we say you ought to hunt some hermit crabs, we don’t mean we want you to shoot them. Just see if you can spot them. Sure, you’ve seen the usual-sized hermit crabs at your local pet store in the mall, but when have you ever seen one so small that it's about the size of your pinky nail? See, that’s what we mean by hunt. Look really hard for them. It sounds a bit odd, but once you start searching, you’ll find it surprisingly addicting.

There are no travel advisories in effect for St. Croix. Airline flights to St. Croix arrive at Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX). This recently expanded airport can be reached from anywhere in the continental US. St. Croix can be reached non-stop by major airlines or through major airline, connecting to St. Croix through either San Juan, Puerto Rico, or St Croix’s sister island of St. Thomas.

Regarding immigration, citizens of the United States do not need a passport or visa to visit St. Croix. However, it is advised that you have a passport to return to the United States. Travelers to the island are required to carry a photo ID, which can be a U.S. driver’s license. There is a customs inspection on arrival. If you are returning to the states, you do go through customs. There are no x-ray machines on St. Croix, so they must physically inspect each bag.

CheapCaribbean.com has partnered with Travellers Tours as our premier transportation company in St. Croix. They’ll provide you with safe, comfortable and professional transportation, from the airport to your hotel and back. They’ll also provide transportation to any excursions booked through our site that you’d like to take while you’re in your destination.

It’s easy to find your Travellers Tours team when you arrive at the airport. They’ll be standing in the ground transportation waiting area, holding a CheapCaribbean welcome sign. All drivers are fluent in English, friendly and knowledgeable about the culture, history and things to do while you’re there. By the end of your ride, you’ll have made a new friend. Vehicles are all clean, modern and reliable.

Travellers Tours is also the official transportation rep for CheapCaribbean.com excursions when you book vacations to St. Croix on our site. The majority of our partner hotels have a Travellers Tours desk in or near the lobby so they’re easy to find, should you need them. For this reason, we suggest that our guests do not rent cars while in the Caribbean or Mexico as traffic laws and road quality and street signs are not the same as they are in the US.

Public transportation is available but making transport arrangements with our tour operator is the safest bet. If you must take a taxi, make sure you know the agreed upon price as the taxi driver could try to charge you more.