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Home > St. Croix Information
St. Croix is rich with history. When Christopher Columbus discovered the caribbean island of St. Croix in 1493 it was inhabited by savage natives. The Spanish and the natives were immediately at war which continued for about  100 years after the Spanish discovery. Sometime in the early 1600's The Dutch and the English settled the Island almost simultaneously, each country set up camp on opposite sides of the island. Predictably battles ensued and the English came out ahead until 1650. In the next 88 years the island was usurped, purchased, or abandoned by the Spanish, the Dutch, the French, and the Knights of Malta -a religious group also know as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
In 1665, while owned by the French West Indian Company the island gave
birth to some 90 plantations turning out crops of tobacco, cotton, sugar
cane, and indigo. In 1733 the French Government sold St. Croix to the
Danish West India & Guinea Co. for approximately $150,000.  The Danes were wise to let immigrants of various nationalities move in and settle abandoned plantations. Sugar became the successful crop under Danish rule until around 1830, when the sugar beet became a feasible source of sugar grown in Europe. The last sugar crop was harvested in St. Croix in 1966.
The United States purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917 for
$25 million. Since then, the economy has grown due to the construction of an oil
refinery, an industrial plant, rum production, and cattle farming
all on the flat south coast near the airport. Tourism has become more
and more important as a source of revenue as well. St. Croix, along with
St. John and St. Thomas is now a U.S. territory and the islands
residents are U.S. citizens. The island uses American currency and
allows U.S. citizens entry with their driver's license, or state photo
ID.
There is no regulation requiring a U.S. citizen to have a passport,
though it is always your best ID; a U.S. drivers license will suffice.
Citizens of any country outside the U.S. should follow regulations
required by the U.S. for their country.
Today, perhaps the best value in the United States Virgin Islands, St. Croix is a beautiful caribbean island vacation spot. Attracting divers from all over the world, the Island is the largest of the US. Virgin Islands at approximately 20 miles long, by 7 miles wide, Christiansted on the northern coast and Fredricksted on the western tip. The island is geographically diverse, with flatlands on the southern coast, 1000 ft. mountains and rainforests in the northwest, and a virtual desert to the east, with grassland spotted with cacti.
Two main cities Frederiksted and Christiansted. A charming little caribbean harbor, Christiansted is the largest town on St. Croix. The picturesque wharf area is so well preserved that it has been designated a National Historic Site and is supervised by the U.S. Park Service, which offers daily walking tours. From Christiansted you can board your choice of boat, including glass-bottomed, for the trip to Buck Island Marine Park. Most ferries offer a six hour round trip allowing time for snorkeling, walking or lounging on the beach, and hiking the National Park trail. There are over 60 different tree types and 40 species of birds to see on the trail.
Frederiksted, planned in the 1750's by a Danish surveyor, has an excellent deep sea harbor for cruise ships to dock. A free walking tour guide map can be obtained at the Visitor's Bureau on the corner of Strand and Lagoon Streets near Fort Frederik. Sites to see include the Old Customs House, Lacy Victoria House, the Public Library, Apothecary Hall, and several historic churches.
Flying? Entry requirements? What to wear? Read more travel tips.
Make your reservations online today.
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Play the world-famous Carambola Golf Course. Golf magazine awarded this Robert Trent Jones' designed 18-hole course a gold medal as one of the world's best courses. Combine this amenity with the island's ideal climate, give it status as a U.S. Territory, and it becomes a crossroads for visitors and residents from Europe and the Americas.
“The Caribbean wind can blow your ball to Cuba.” - GOLF Magazine |
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Airport info, climate, getting to the resort... |
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