Local Attractions

Although we are a U.S. territory, we drive on the left side of the road! All cars, including rentals, are left hand drive models that you would find in the States. In order to rent a car on St. Croix, you have to be at least 25 years old, have a valid drivers license and proof of insurance.

St. Croix is about 40 miles south of St. Thomas and St. John. They are separated by a deep oceanic trench...the deepest in the Atlantic basin, which drops down to over 10,000 feet! St. Croix has wonderful white sand beaches with warm, crystal clear waters and is ringed by a reef system making navigating the waters around the island reserved for only experienced sailors. All beaches on the island are open to the public, however, you still need to respect waterfront property owners as the "public" part of the beach only extends 15 feet up the beach from the high tide waterline.

St. Croix is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The territory is considered an unincorporated U.S. territory. St. Croix is by far the largest of the 4 U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, Water Island and St. John are the other three). At 84 square miles, St. Croix is about three times the size of St. Thomas, however, it has about the same population as St. Thomas. St. John and Water Island are tiny in comparison. Saint Croix has flown seven different flags. It has been colonized by Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Knights of Malta, Denmark, and the United States.

Historic plantations, remnants of a time when slavery and agriculture were the mainstays of the island's economy, are located all over the island. The ruins of dozens of sugar mills are scattered all over the island, a vivid reminder of the island's past. As you explore the island, you will notice that the original plantation's names are still used to define each small area of the island.

Because it is a U.S. territory, the currency used on St. Croix is the U.S. Dollar. Credit cards are accepted by most St Croix businesses, however, there are still quite a few small businesses that only accept cash. ATM machines can be found at most banks, and many gas station convenience stores also have ATMs. There is no sales tax on St. Croix, so combining that with duty free discounts can get you some pretty good prices on jewelry, watches and liquor.

St. Croix's climate is subtropical The temperature averages 82*F/28*C year round. and to helping with The humidity level is kept comfortable most of the year because of the pleasant easterly trade winds. The temperature varies less than 10 degrees between the summer months and the winter months. Summer highs will likely be in the the 86-89 degree range with the winter months having daytime highs of 82-84 degrees. With only 50 inches of annual rainfall, which occurs mostly in late spring and fall, the island gets just enough rain to keep it green most of the year.

The electrical current and the style of the wall outlets are 110V / 60Hz, just like those in the U.S. You won't need to use an adapter if you are visiting from the U.S.

In the main towns, the water is treated and is safe to drink. Most private residences utilize cisterns to store rain water or have water delivered by truck during drier months of the year. Unless you know the water is treated, bottled water is preferred for drinking. The water at most of the villas on the island is collected rain water that is stored in cisterns below the villas. It may be safe to drink, but we recommend buying bottled water for drinking purposes.

The time zone on St. Croix is Atlantic Standard Time (AST). This time zone does not follow daylight saving time so in the summer months it is the same as East Standard Time (EST). In the winter months it is 1 hour ahead of Eastern time zone.

The USVI has the most generous duty free allowance in the entire Caribbean! There are no customs duties on most merchandise, and there are no local luxury or sales taxes. U.S. citizens are allowed a duty-free shopping quota of $1,600.00. Additionally, an unlimited number of gift packages, worth $100 or less, may be mailed to family and friends. Citizens may also bring back up to five cartons of duty-free cigarettes and five fifths of US liquor duty-free. An extra fifth can be taken if it is an U.S. Virgin Islands product such as Cruzan Rum.

- St Croix Police Department - For all emergencies, call 911 from a land line or 340-772-9111 from your cell phone - St Croix Fire Department - For all emergencies, call 911 from a land line or 340-772-9111 from your cell phone. - Hospital - General Inquiries - 340-778-6311 - US Coast Guard Auxiliary - Emergencies only - 1-787-289-2040 or 1-787-279-7778 - SCUBA Diving Emergencies - 340-778-6311, ext. 2664 - Poison Information - 1-800-222-1222

Drivers are usually required to be a minimum of 25 years old. U.S. drivers need a valid driver's license and insurance information. Others can purchase a temporary license.

Passports for U.S. Citizens are NOT required for the U.S. Virgin Islands, but you must be prepared to show evidence of citizenship upon leaving the territory (such as a government issued photo ID or your passport). To travel outside the U.S. Virgin Islands requires a birth certificate & ID or valid passport.

St. Croix is a great Caribbean island that has something for just about everyone. There are great beaches, but there is also a host of other activities to be enjoyed on the island. You can explore St. Croix's long history, go sailing, snorkeling, or scuba diving. There is great dining and lots of duty free shopping in the historic town of Christiansted. And the best part is...you won't have the crowds of many other Caribbean destinations!

You don't need much. St Croix is a casual island. Casual clothes, your bathing suit and plenty of sun screen will work! (Please note that there is a ban on certain sun screens containing Oxybenzone and Octinoxate) Casual, comfortable clothes are common on the island and even at some of finest restaurants. There are two Kmarts on the island, so if you forget something, you can probably find it somewhere on the island.

If you don't bring your own snorkel gear to bring with you, there are places on the island where you can buy or rent gear. There are two Kmarts and a Cost-U-Less (the island's version of Costco, without the membership) where you can buy snorkel equipment and you can also buy or rent gear at one of several dive shops located around the island.

Our temperatures are very moderate year round. How does an average of 82 degrees sound? During the winter months, December through April, daytime highs hover around 84 degrees. In the summer, late April through November, the temperature will be anywhere from 86-89 degrees. Nighttime lows average 72 in the winter months and 76 during the summer. Pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree? Rainfall varies by the season, but there really is no time of the year where it just rains day after day. "Dry" season vs "Rainy" season on St. Croix means 10 minute rain showers instead of 15 minute rain showers.

St. Croix does not have a lot of cruise ship visits like some other Caribbean islands. We only have a 2-3 of cruise ship visits per week during Peak Season (prior to Covid) and maybe one a week during Off Peak Season. As a comparison, St. Thomas, may have as many as 4-6 ships in port each day! That's a lot of people crowding the town and beaches.

Getting travel insurance it is something to think about. Be sure to ask a lot of questions before you purchase insurance. One of the best known travel insurance companies is TravelGuard.com. A quick search online will reveal several large and reputable companies.

Yes, and Maybe. Several cell phone companies have service on the island, although some may include roaming charges. ATT, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile will work and offer state to state service. Some others may have very little to no service on the island. We recommend contacting your carrier before you arrive to avoid huge cell phone charges. Many of the newer smartphones now have Wifi calling. If your phone is Wifi calling capable, you can also use this as a way to send and receive calls and texts.

Yes! Our condo offers private internet connection. There are also several internet cafes and many restaurants and businesses that offer connection on the island. BroadbandVI also offers WiFi connections in many areas of the island.

It is not absolutely necessary, however, please try to conserve water as much as possible. The water while in either in the towns of Christiansted or Frederiksted, is pretty safe to drink. The water at most places comes from rainfall collected from the roof and stored in a cistern under the structure (which is typical throughout the Caribbean), or is delivered by trucks. As you can imagine, this can be very expensive. Fresh water is very scarce on St. Croix. We recommend buying drinking water from a grocery store or the many convenience stores around the island.

Locals tend to use Taxi Vans. You will see them clearly marked with a Taxi sign on the roof. You just flag them down and the cost is based on distance. Regular Taxis are also available. Public transportation is not the best on St. Croix. There are public buses (VITRAN) available in certain areas of the island but they are not very convenient and really don't follow a schedule of any kind.

U.S. Dollars. Credit cards are accepted at most establishments. If you prefer to use cash, there are many ATMs located around the island.

Yes, Juan F. Luis Hospital is located adjacent to the Viya building behind the Kmart shopping center. In fact, there is a new cardiac center that is one of the largest and most modern in the Caribbean. There are doctors of every kind available on the island.