 |
||
 |
Language(s) | |
 |
Currency | |
 |
Phone Code | |
 |
Population | |
 |
Area | |
 |
Capital | |
 |
GDP | |
|
||
|
Language(s) | |
|
Currency | |
|
Phone Code | |
|
Population | |
|
Area | |
|
Capital | |
|
GDP | |
St. Thomas, the second-largest island among the U.S. Virgin Islands, both in size and in population, draws the largest number of visitors – many of them arriving on the sleek cruise ships that make Charlotte Amalie harbor the busiest port of call in the Caribbean. The island offers a hybrid vacation. The sun, sea and sand that all Caribbean islands offer are here in abundance, but St. Thomas is also a cosmopolitan and sophisticated oasis boasting a variety of big-city amenities not found elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Peter Island, the largest private island in the BVI, lies four miles southeast of Tortola in the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The Peter Island Resort owns virtually every acre of the 1,200 that comprise this fifth-largest island in the BVI chain. The island has pristine beaches and manicured trails through the mountainous terrain and secluded coves. The island can be reached only by water or helicopter, and is a terrific day-trip destination for visits to Tortola and a popular anchorage site as well.
St. Croix (Croy) offers a more traditional Caribbean vacation than does St. Thomas. Where the pace in Charlotte Amalie is bustling and frenetic, that of St. Croix’s capital, Christiansted, is leisurely and laid back, and that of Frederiksted (the island’s second town) is almost somnolent. Although St. Croix’s beaches aren’t as beautiful as those of St. Thomas or St. John, the island itself is physically beautiful. Its 84 square miles are green and fertile, with rolling hills rather than mountains, and the island is dotted with picturesque sugar mills – both in ruins and restored – as well as elegant Great Houses.
St. John is unique, a rather overused word to be sure, but apt in this case, for over two-thirds of this beautiful island is part of a US National Park. The Virgin Islands National Park, created in 1956 with just under 5,000 acres, has expanded to over 8,000 land acres, plus thousands of offshore acres as well. While this has caused some resentment on the part of entrepreneurs anxious to construct luxury hotels along its stunning beaches, it has been a boon for visitors like us. The park has permitted the island’s considerable natural beauty to remain undeveloped.
Virgin Gorda is two distinct islands joined by a narrow ribbon of land. The northern part is mountainous, while the southern part is quite flat. The latter area, dubbed "The Valley", has the island’s largest village, Spanish Town, and its major attraction, "The Baths". And while the physical character of the island is changing noticeably with new development, Virgin Gorda’s lure is still its natural beauty and the friendly, proud people who live here.
Tortola, which means ”turtledove” in Spanish, is the principal island of the British Virgin Islands. It is home to some 16,000 people, a fourth of whom live in the picturesque capital, Road Town. The island, only 12 miles long and three miles wide, could easily be circled by car in just a few hours if it weren’t for the mountain chain that splits its core. The jagged peaks create beautiful vistas, as well as breathtaking hairpin turns and extremely steep grades. These will slow you down a bit and allow you to really explore Tortola.
