HIGHLIGHTS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
ST. THOMAS: St. Thomas has many interesting spots to explore. Walk along the famous mile long beach of Magan’s Bay. Travel to the highest point on St. Thomas, St. Peter Mountain. From Mountain Top you can enjoy a spectacular view of Magan’s Bay. There is even some shopping. Mahogany Run is a world famous golf course with 18 beautiful holes, this is a great time to check out Devil’s Triangle on the 13th hole. If you are near Havensite try out our new Trolley with rides to Paradise Point. From this vantage you can see all of downtown Charlotte Amalie. St. Thomas has many lovely restaurants, some with exceptional gourmet foods. In the gourmet category, choices would be Hotel 1829 on Government Hill, right in town. Frenchtown is home to several excellent restaruants, Epernay, Alexander’s Cafe, Chart House and Craig and Sally’s or try Agave Terrace at Point Pleasant Resort on the East End of the island. For fine West Indian food, try Eunice’s in Smith Bay. Café Lu Lu’s at Blackbeards has another spectacular harbor view. Don’t forget St. Thomas’s duty free shopping! Most stores are closed on Sunday, so if you want to fit in a day of shopping before or after your charter, plan a day other than Sunday.
ST. JOHN: Most of St. John is a National Park. The beaches are the real highlight; a slow motor past Caneel Bay, through the Durloe Cays, leads you to the picture post card St. John Bays of Trunk Bay, with its underwater snorkel trail. Plus the beautiful Hawks Nest and Cinnamon Bay. The sea turtles make the waters around St. John their home, so keep a sharp eye out, and if you see any swimming around your boat, throw them some lettuce – they love it! If you love to hike, check out Reef Bay Trail and view the petroglyphs at the end of the trail. If you enjoy history stop by the Annaberg Plantation for a tour of the old sugar mill ruins. You clear back into U.S. waters at Cruz Bay and this is a great time to enjoy Cruz Bay, a small artistic community on the western end of St. John. Mongoose Junction, easy walking distance from town, is an interesting stop. This is a very nice shopping mall with gift shops, jewelry stores and craft shops.
JOST VAN DYKE: This little island is packed with fun things to do. Great Harbour is the site of the famous gathering for New Year’s eve at Foxy’s. He also features the annual wooden boat regatta in September. “Foxy’s” is a funky West Indian bar and if you are lucky, Foxy will be on hand. Try a “Pain-killer”, lie down in a hammock and listen to Foxy as he sings about life in the islands. Night life often centers around Sidney’s and Harris’s Place in Little Harbour. A favorite day dive and beach stop is Green Cay just off Little Jost Van Dyke. Another uninhabited spot just off Jost is Sandy Cay. Explore the white sandy beach and the little bit of island that is there. White Bay, hidden behind a reef, is also a sensational beach.
TORTOLA: Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British islands, with lots to explore. Rent a car and explore the beautiful countryside or anchor off shore an explore on foot. Cane Garden Bay is lovely, but can be untenable with a Northern swell. Stanley’s is a beach bar that is well known on the island and they serve great West Indian style fish; call or stop in a few hours before dinner time and place your order. Rymer’s is a recreational center in Cane Garden Bay; they have a game room for the kids and a restaurant. The Village Cay Marina is a good place to dock in Road Town, with novelty and clothing shops close by. It is an easy walk to town and shops. Casual restaurants: The Pub, The Wharf, Cafesito, Pussers, and others make it difficult to choose. Also, you might want to check out the Sage Mountain National Park with the highest peak being 1780′ and its graveled paths for hiking. Sky World is a breathtaking place to have sunset drinks and appetizers. On the highest peak of Tortola, it offers a magnificent 360 degree view. Off of the north side of Tortola you will find Tony Snell and his well known Last Resort. He is a joke-telling, piano-playing fellow with a British sense of humor; his Last Resort is located on Bellamy Cay in one of the lovelier anchorages- Trellis Bay.
NORMAN ISLAND: Also know as Treasure Island in Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel. The Bight is a popular anchorage. Dive or snorkel the famous Treasure Island caves. For a neat lunch, stop in at the William Thornton, an old Baltic Trader that has been turned into a restaurant.
PETER ISLAND: Peter Island is lovely. This is a beautiful resort island that is owned by the Amway Corporation. Many guests request to have dinner ashore here for one night of the charter. Dock space is available. Your captain can call ahead for dinner reservations. Unlike most places in the islands, jackets are required for dinner. Food is good but be prepared to pay top of the line resort prices.
SALT ISLAND: Salt Island is famous for the three salt ponds in which many residents still harvest salt for sale. Scuba divers will know Salt Island for The Wreck of the Rhone. The Rhone is a 310′ Royal Mail Ship sunk in 1867 from a hurricane. The deepest spot is approximately 90′, a bit too deep for the average free diver. You can make arrangements for a rendezvous dive; they bring the gear and meet you there if your yacht does not offer diving.
COOPER ISLAND: Manchioneel Bay is the home of Cooper Island Beach Club, which features fresh fish, and they sometimes schedule a B B Q or other special event. Go ashore for a drink to take in the sights. This island is practically uninhabited – at last count there were three residents other than the club personnel!
VIRGIN GORDA: Do not miss the Baths – the snorkeling is excellent. Climb the giant boulders and explore the crevasses. If you are a daredevil at heart, you can even try diving off one of the boulders! Your captain may ask you to go rather early in the day to avoid the crowds. Don’t forget the film for the camera as here is a great spot for photos. The Bitter End is a large, well-planned resort in North Gorda Sound. Their dinners are average, but the Pina Coladas make up for it – they’re terrific! Take the crew out for a lunch or go ashore for cocktail hour and see the cross section of sailors, tourists and guests.
ANEGADA: If time and weather permit, you may want to explore the miles of flat uninterrupted beaches of Anegada. This island is surrounded by beautiful coral reef. Great place to snorkel, scuba dive or have dinner ashore.
GREAT ST. JAMES: You may want to stay at Christmas Cove the first or last night of your vacation. It is just a short sail from St. Thomas. Anchor off Little St. James and snorkel the area. Dog Island and Dog Rock provide a great dive spot, too. Your captain can anchor in Christmas Cove overnight as the anchorage is well protected, and the snorkeling is good around the rocky sections of the shore line. It makes for a short run back to St. Thomas if that is your originating port.
A FEW LAST TIPS: The sun is hot down here! Be sure to apply sunscreen often to avoid ruining your holiday with a bad sunburn. The Islands are casual when it comes to dressing; at beach bars or small restaurants, bathing suits are the only requirement, particularly when you swim ashore, but when in town, please wear a shirt and shorts. The West Indian people are pleasant and enjoy tourists, but become offended if you don’t respect their ways and customs. Also, many do not want to be photographed, especially the older folks. Please do not break off coral or sea fans to take as souvenirs – leave the underwater beauty for the next people who come along; fishing is permitted in some areas; try catching your dinner one night! The fish caught near coral can often be dangerous to eat, so it is best to drag a line behind your boat, or fish in areas where there is no coral. Fish like to eat bread, cheese, lunch meat and table scraps of that kind – so drop leftovers into the water when you see a lot of large fish, and watch them beg for more! …………….Fair winds.
