Although
St. Croix is only 27 miles long - it can sometimes take an hour
to get from one end to the other. To the east lies Christiansted,
and to the west lies Frederiksted. There will always be a rivalry
between to two as to which side is better but because they are
so unique, each provides a wonderful haven for your vacation
or your new home.
As
you drive west, you notice the terrain gets greener and the water
gets calmer. The west side gets more rain and even a small rainforest
exists with tall tropical palms, enormous kapok trees, elephant
ear plants, bromeliads high in the trees, a few waterfalls and some
freshwater streams. The calm water and long, white sandy beaches
are what you dream the Caribbean looks like. And it does. Relax
in a hammock at a beachside bar and let the gentle sound of rolling
waves put you at ease. It is truly beautiful!
We recommend
you spend some time in Frederiksted and have even compiled a list
of places to stay, eat and hang out, and things to do and see while
in Frederiksted. Remember- this is just a brief overview- contact
any of the businesses listed for more information. Click on the
options below to find out more.
Where to Stay | Where to Play | What to See | What to Do | Where to Eat | More
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| Where to Stay
Sandcastle
on the Beach is the ultimate one-stop beach resort in Frederiksted.
There is a beautiful beach for sunbathing and snorkeling. There
are two pools on the property, spa services, as well as the popular
Beachside Café, where live jazz and wine dinners are served
under the stars. Click
here to find out more about Sandcastle on the Beach.
Cottages
by the Sea is a hotel consisting of individual cottages
on lush tropical grounds next to a beautiful white sand beach. It
is the perfect, private paradise you have been looking. Here, among
the tall and breezy coconut trees, you will find a relaxed atmosphere
and beauty that is equal to no other in the Caribbean. Yet, with
a location just a half mile from the quaint downtown of Frederiksted,
you are only minutes away from a variety of restaurants, shops and
local night spots. Click
here to find out more about Cottages by the Sea.
Frederiksted
Hotel is situated on the waterfront in the middle of the
historic district of Frederiksted. It is a small, European style
inn with an inviting pool in the courtyard. The restaurant specializes
in West Indian style menu favorites. Walk down the street for café,
scuba diving shops and historic buildings. The hotel provides picturesque
views from any of their 40 rooms, some with spectacular sunsets!
Click
here to see more of The Frederiksted Hotel.
Camping in the
Caribbean? You bet! Mt. Victory is camping Caribbean
style. Owner Bruce Wilson built the campgrounds using all local
woods and materials. Each bungalow is built around massive mahogany
trees amongst historical sugar plantation ruins. All of the bungalows
are well appointed with everything you need to be comfortable and
relax. Make sure you join the authentic West Indie style pig roast
every Sunday afternoon- and enjoy all the fixings! Click
here to find out about Mt. Victory Camp.
If a private
B&B is your style, then Sprat Hall is the place
to be. Sprat Hall Plantation is the oldest plantation on St. Croix
and proprietor Joyce Hurd was born and raised there, and now her
daughters help out, too. Sprat Hall is across the street from one
of Frederiksted's most pristine beaches and popular restaurants.
There are sugar plantation ruins on the property with a perfectly
intact sugar mill (a perfect backdrop for small wedding!)
Click here to read more about Sprat Hall.
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| Where to Play
Ahhh- at the
beach! The waters out west are calm, clear and very inviting.
The beaches are a beautiful white sand and you'll even find some
treasure sea shells and glistening sea glass. Frederiksted and
the West End have at least 9 terrific beaches that we have described
in detail for you. The beaches out west will provide you with
some of the COOLEST snorkeling around (checkout my starfish!),
so don't forget to bring you gear to the beach. Just click
here to read more about the beaches in Frederiksted.
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What to See
Before you
make it into town, you will pass Cruzan Rum Distillery.
Using only the purest natural ingredients and processes, Cruzan
Rum has for over 300 years made this best-selling rum at its distillery
on St. Croix. For a small fee, guests can have a guided tour of
the distillery and see first-hand how rum is made. Tours conclude
with complimentary rum drinks at the Pavilion Gift Shop. Tours
are available Monday through Friday 9-11:30am and 1-4:15pm. Click
here to read about our rum tour!
Laweatz
Family Museum is nestled in a valley northeast of Frederiksted.
The museum's 18th-century estate house, with its accompanying
ruins and rambling garden, has a charming old-island quality.
Converted from a sugar plantation into a dairy ranch in the late
1890's by a Danish farmer and occupied by his descendants for
the last 100 years, it houses characteristic and unusual antique
furnishings and heirlooms, providing a unique view of Danish West
Indian life in the early 1900's. Read
about our day at Laweatz Family Museum.
What better
place to see lush tropical plants than at our own St.
Georges Village Botanical Gardens? St. George Village
Botanical Garden is dedicated to conservation and preservation
of both the historical and living collections on its grounds.
The Garden's mission is to conserve the native plant species of
St. Croix, as well as threatened species of other Caribbean islands
suited to local environmental conditions. In addition, the Garden
preserves the ethno-botanical history of St. Croix through living,
graphic and structural displays. Through its gardens and collections,
it is a center of education for better understanding, not only
of the island's botanical heritage, but also the horticultural
potential for contemporary gardening in the Virgin Islands. Click
here to see more of what the gardens have to offer.
Whim
Plantation Museum, an authentic Danish sugar estate dating
from the 1700's offers and unforgettable glimpse into the days
when sugar was King and rum flowed freely on St. Croix. Tour the
great house, explore sugar factory ruins, and roam the grounds.
There is also a museum store with a large selection of West Indian
crafts, furniture, prints and souvenirs.
Fort
Frederik was the first foreign fort to fire its cannons
in celebration of the newly independent United States in 1776.
They received word the U. S. had defeated Great Britain and fired
the cannons to salute them. There is a museum on fort grounds,
which change its exhibits regularly. Buddhoe park, located outside
the fort, is the location where slaves were emancipated in 1848.
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What to Do
Paul and Jill's Equestrian Stables
offer horseback riding nature tours to spectacular hilltop views.
See wood roses, Tarzan vines, wild bromeliads, and fascinating
termite nests. Ride past Egrets among famous Senepol beef cows.
Sample fruits from the exotic fruit orchard. Stroll to the sugar
mill for a spectacular harbor view before your ride. Horseback
riding is perfect for kids or experts. No experience necessary.
Reservations suggested at least a day in advance. Click
here to read about our horseback riding adventure!
Frederiksted has many historic buildings. Stroll
through the historic and picturesque streets of Frederiksted on
your own walking tour and experience an insider's
look at St. Croix's unique and diverse political, cultural, architectural
and folk history. From pre- Columbian settlements to sugar cultivation
to "fire burns" to Hurricane Hugo, feel history come
to life as your tour guide assumes the role of different historical
figures throughout the tour. All tours are led by award-winning
and internationally recognized tour guide, Andy Wartenberg. Tour
time: 2 hours. $25 per person. Tours are available at 10AM and
1PM seven days per week.
DIVE!
DIVE! DIVE! The west is best! Dive ship wrecks, the Frederiksted
Pier and even try a night dive! Let the Frederiksted dive shops
help you get to the best dive spots. Scubawest is
located in the heart of downtown Frederiksted, only two blocks
from the pier. Because of their location, Scubawest is the closest
dive shop to some of St. Croix's most interesting dives. Off the
shores of the west end are many shipwrecks and reefs, as well
as the Frederiksted pier, one of St. Croix's best night dives,
and home of such elusive sea creatures as seahorses and frog fish.
Click here
for dive package information, as well as adventure diver vacation
ideas.
Scuba Shack is another dive shop out west that
offers incredible diving. The beachfront store, located just north
of town on the water, provides you with the perfect compliment
of exciting dive sites and the individual attention you deserve.
Dave Ward, the shop owner, has ten years experience working with
NOAA, the National Undersea Research Center, and Marine Scientists.
Scuba Shack is a full service dive facility with NAUI and PADI
certified instructors, teaching introductory through advanced
diver training. Click
here to find out more.
Sunset Jazz takes place one Friday each month.
Currently, it is being held on Fort Frederik Beach, right across
from the ballpark. Frederiksted Economic Development Association
makes this event possible. Sit outside, enjoy the sunset and breeze
coming off the water, and relax to some great music. The event
is free to everyone, but you will need to bring lawn chairs or
a beach blanket. Music begins at 6:00pm. Click
here to view our calendar of events to see when the next Sunset
Jazz will be. Click here
to find out more about Sunset Jazz.
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Where to Eat
At Beachside Café, brunch, lunch and dinner
are served 7 days a week during winter season. An outdoor dining
terrace overlooks a magnificent stretch of white, sandy beach,
which is an ideal serene setting to enjoy a St. Croix sunset.
The Beach Side Café features a wide and varied menu of
fresh seafood, duck, chicken, pork, quality cuts of beef, imaginative
pasta, vegetarian and ethnic dishes plus specialty desserts. A
full service bar is also available and includes a diverse wine
selection to match your palate and budget. The Beachside Cafe
is also home to our Beach Cam- where your friends
and family can see you live! right on the beach in St. Croix.Reservations
are recommended! Click
here to see more.
Tropical Java is Frederiksted's newest and only
coffee shop, located on Strand Street, on the waterfront, this
inviting café is the perfect venue to have coffee, tea,
a smoothie with a muffin, brownie or any of the other tasty pastries
they decide to make for the day. Play a game of dominoes, browse
through their selection of paperbacks to take one to the beach
with you, sit on their comfy couches and write your postcards
to send back home or just to browse through a magazine. Their
goal is to provide you with excellent service and good libations!
At Changes In L'Attitude Beach Bar & Grill
you can enjoy great food and cold drinks right on the beach. Changes
has the largest ice-cold beer selection on St.Croix. Open daily
from 9am to 9pm, serving you lunch and dinner. Sunday is Sunday
Brunch by the Sea. From 4-6pm, Monday through Friday, is Happy
Hour where you can sit back and relax in one of the beach chairs
to enjoy the best view of the sunset on the island. You can catch
live music every Sunday and Friday evening. The specialty is southern
fried catfish served all day Friday. Changes In L'Attitude is
the closest beach bar to the Frederiksted pier/seaplane terminal,
only a 5minute walk north of town.
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More
Sit a while
to enjoy the famous west end sunset. There are not many places
where you can see the sun disappear into the water, but Frederiksted
is one of them. If you are lucky, you might even catch the "green flash". The green flash is the spark of light you can
sometimes catch when the sun descends and hits the water.
Why not rent
a car to take you from one beautiful place to another. A drive
through the rainforest is unforgettable in an open-air jeep listening
to all the sounds!
The most unusual
thing to see is hidden in the rainforest...Beer Drinking
Pigs. Just stop in the Dominoe Club, grab a couple of
cold ones (non-alcoholic, of course) from Norma, the owner, and
watch the pigs work their magic as they take the can out of your
hand, crush it and throw their heads back to get every last drop
of beer.
Frederiksted
has so much to offer in terms of history, beauty and things to
do and see. This is just the tip of the surface. Once you get
into town, one thing will lead to another and another and another.
Plan to stay a night or two, or even you're your entire trip.
One thing that is constant between the two cities is that things
are very relaxed, the people are friendly and in an island state
of mind!
Click
here to email the author your questions or comments. Have
you already experienced Frederiksted? Tell us about your stay.
Click
here.
Photos and text by
Anna Eason © gotostcroix.com
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