St. Thomas, USVI

St. Thomas has been coveted by European powers since Columbus spotted the island on his second voyage in 1493. The Danish West India Company established a permanent settlement in 1672, transforming Charlotte Amalie — named for the Danish queen — into one of the Caribbean's most prosperous trading ports and, less gloriously, a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade. The United States purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million, and today Charlotte Amalie's Danish colonial architecture, cobblestone alleys, and a harbor routinely packed with cruise ships testify to a history as layered as the hillside town itself.

The harbor of Charlotte Amalie is one of the most dramatically beautiful in the Caribbean, ringed by emerald hills dotted with red-roofed houses that cascade to the waterline. Fort Christian, a rust-red Danish fortress built in 1679, anchors the waterfront as the island's oldest standing structure and houses a small museum of Virgin Islands history. Above the town, the 99 Steps — actually 103, built by the Danes from ship ballast bricks — climb steeply to Blackbeard's Castle, a seventeenth-century watchtower with sweeping views of the harbor and neighboring islands. The Synagogue of Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasadim, with its sand-covered floor, is the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

Shopping and dining are central to the St. Thomas experience. The duty-free shops along Main Street and the Havensight Mall offer jewelry, liquor, and designer goods at prices that draw thousands daily. Beyond the retail therapy, the island serves Caribbean-Creole cuisine of real character: conch fritters, kallaloo (a thick soup of leafy greens, okra, and crab), and johnnycakes — golden fried dough that accompanies nearly every meal. Bush tea, brewed from local herbs like lemongrass and soursop leaves, is a restorative tradition. For a memorable meal, the hillside restaurants along Red Hook offer grilled lobster tail with fungi, the local cornmeal-and-okra side dish.

Beyond Charlotte Amalie, the island rewards exploration. Magens Bay, consistently ranked among the world's most beautiful beaches, lies fifteen minutes north — a heart-shaped cove of powdery white sand backed by coconut palms. Coral World Ocean Park, perched on a northeastern point, offers an underwater observatory, sea-lion encounters, and a chance to snorkel with sea turtles. The ferry to St. John — just twenty minutes from Red Hook — delivers access to the Virgin Islands National Park, where hiking trails wind through tropical dry forest to secluded beaches of pristine beauty.

St. Thomas is among the most popular cruise destinations in the Caribbean. Azamara, Carnival Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, Emerald Yacht Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea, and Virgin Voyages all call at the Crown Bay or Havensight terminals. Nearby ports include Frederiksted on St. Croix and Cruz Bay on St. John. The dry season from December through April offers the most reliable weather, though the island's gentle trade winds and warm waters make it an appealing destination year-round.