Cruising to St. Croix puts you on an island where fun and sun are the top priorities after a tortured five century history of battles between Spaniards and cannibalistic savages followed by alternating rule under the flags of six different nations and one religious group. The United States bought St. Croix and its sister islands from Denmark in 1917 for a mere $25 million in gold.

Your ship docks at Frederiksted. Just steps from the pier is Fort Frederik, a former Danish fortress built in the mid-18th century. Just outside of town you’ll find the Cruzan Rum Distillery, where you can watch rum turn from sugar cane to the Caribbean’s signature liquor, as well as a restored plantation house containing the Estate Whim Plantation Museum. The Estate St. George Botanical Garden contains the stabilized ruins and restored buildings of a 16-acre Danish sugar cane village and rum factory. The workers’ and manager’s homes, blacksmith shop, stone dam, bake oven, and the foundations of a watermill form the backdrop of an impressive native and exotic plant collection. Beyond, 54 sugar mills with imposing chimneys and windmill towers punctuating the landscape coexist with 18th-century plantation “greathouses” all over the island.



The abundance of historical sites extends to the underwater world where high visibility and the remains of sunken ships make diving a top draw. In fact, with more than 20 dive sites, a barrier reef surrounding the entire island, and the 704-acre Buck Island Underwater National Park, St. Croix offers diving and snorkeling experiences unlike anywhere else. The bottom of Butler Bay holds the ultimate diver’s delight -- five shipwrecks within 100 yards of one other. Also unique to the diving scene, the north shore wall that drops more than 13,000 feet; night diving at Frederiksted Pier; and the active marine life bordering the Salt River Canyon where Christopher Columbus dropped anchor in 1493.

Beaches of all shapes and sizes ring the island, from Sandy Point near Frederiksted Pier to Cane Bay on the north shore. At Sandy Point, you’ll see leather and green sea turtles nesting between April and June. For everything from wave runners to parasailing, try Hotel on the Cay. And if it’s relaxation and tranquility you seek, Cramer Park’s beautiful beach and picnic area have your name on it.

For a unique jungle experience, there’s horseback riding through the island’s rainforest. Also, you can give your trip a dollop of extraterrestrial excitement with a visit to Point Udall, where the National Science Foundation’s giant dish antenna probes the universe.

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