St. Croix, a Different Island
From St.Thomas you can take a seaplane to St. Croix, 65 km. south. As written in a signal of the seaplane station in St.Thomas, “its amazing to land on the sea”. When you go through Christiansted, the main city, you will suddenly notice the big difference between St.Thomas and St. Croix. At the latter, it takes more time to go from one place to another. Besides, the landscape changes radically from east to west. The 33 km. long and 210 square km. of St. Croix has changing weathers. The eastern region weather is dry, while the west end of the island is humid, and usually covered by mist.

Bars are usually full of natives talking about which of both islands is the best. The foreign residents (a third of the population), as well as the immigrants coming from other Caribbean places searching for jobs (they are known as garotes, a bird that goes flying from island to island), and Americans (called continentals), seem to agree in their will to keep St. Croix’s quiet nature, contrasting with the noisy St.Thomas.

Christiansted, a City with Danish Reminiscence
The Danish influence remains all around the island, though in a very special manner in the main city, Christiansted, located at the northeast. Many of their cream color buildings are built with the bricks used as dead weight by the Danish ships. The Danes built their buildings in a way that air could flow freely between them. Christiansted is a city built to receive the breeze coming from the sea, judging by the houses with balconies adorned with hangings and galleries through which the cool air flows.

Many of the red roof buildings constructed by rich merchants in the prosperous years of the XIX century, have been restored.

The port’s boulevard is a place with historical interest, as well as Government House, a majestic colonial building at King Street and where you can visit the dancing hall and the beautiful gardens. Another historically important building is the Palace of Justice (Open daily; free entrance). At the square you will find the Old Danish Scale House that was used, in the past, to weigh sugar and molasses before shipping, and currently is used as a tourist information center. 

Nearby, is Fort Christiansvaern (open Monday to Saturday; entrance fee, includes visit to the Steeple building), built by the Danes in 1774, where you can visit the dungeons and punishment cells, and assist to an exhibition of how to fire a cannon. At the other side of Hospital Street, is Steeple Building (open from Monday to Friday. close between 12:00 and 13:00, entrance fee including visit to the fort), originally built in 1753 as a Lutheran church, and currently hosting a museum of the first years in the history of the island. Behind the boulevard, where seaplanes land, is King’s Alley Walk, built after the hurricanes destroyed the region in 1995. In this labyrinth of galleries and alleys, you’ll find lots of shops, restaurants and bars. Many times a year, and aiming to increase their sales, this place is animated by music bands playing for the mokojumbies (dancers with stilts), who dance frenetically to dismiss bad souls. At 27 km west is Frederiksted; few shops welcome passengers arriving at a modern dock, almost ½ km. long, built after the Hugo hurricane destroyed the previous one completely.

Each Plantation Tells a Tale
If St.Thomas is known as Rock City, the neighboring island of St. Croix should be considered their shepherd suburb, because modernity has not affected its provincial appeal. You’ll find old sugar plantations with names as Jealously, Upper and Lower Lover, in memory of the many lovers that landlords had around the islands, which leaves us questioning ourselves about the meaning of names like Bold Slob.

If you go northeast from Christiansted, you’ll reach, after 6 km., Salt River Bay. Columbus arrived here looking for drinking water, instead he found hostile Caribbean Indians. At present it is a national park. The north coast highway passes alongside many of the most beautiful beaches of the island. The coast sea, with no reef protection, is ideal for windsurfing. Also, submarine fans, will enjoy a submarine wall near the Cane harbor. South, the route 69 passes along a golf field Carambola, before reaching Mahogany Road that goes through the heart of the tropical woods.

Back to Frederikstad, by the route 69, is St. George Village Botanical Garden (open daily between November and May; closed Sunday and Monday between June and October; entrance fee). At 3 km. from there is Whim Great House (open from Monday to Saturday); entrance fee), a building that, after a careful restoration, gives visitors a true portrait of how life was in one of the 400 plantations existing in the island in times of the Danish domination.

A Submarine Park 
Near to the northeast coast of St. Croix, is Buck Island National Monument, with a territory of 340 ha. of arid land, crystalline waters and a coral barrier. In the west coast there is a beach with dressing rooms and picnic tables. You can also rent a ship and all the necessary equipment for submarine practice, having two routes, with proper white arrows signals, to follow in the depths of the sea. Sometimes you’ll find warnings advising you not to touch corals, due to their frailty. Diving in these waters means watching an amazing spectacle, the different kinds of fishes and their colors are unbelievable.