St. Croix : Surround yourself with sea and serenity

About 1700 miles to the south of New York, this is a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea In the United States. If you love the sun then this is the place for you for here summer never ends. You can enjoy trade winds that bring soothing effect to beat the heat. So here is a list of ten places that you can visit in St. Croix:

1. Point Udall

Photo by Corena Hasselle

This is the perfect way to enjoy the very calming sunrise at the start of the day. The perfect natural setting is what pulls you here. Also it has been very welcoming with buttery, twisty roads. The monument at the center is also very enticing. Mostly a self-guided place, you enjoy the colors of the sky at the time of sunrise and sunset. Simple sit by the stone wall and have the breezy sea winds for company. A perfect location to be in at any time of the year! Hit the beach as the day rises where loads of other activities await you!

2. Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

This is in real terms a wildlife refuge where they believe in giving refuge only to the wildlife. So if you thought that you could picnic here then you have got it all wrong. Come here only for the love of wildlife and that too leather back turtles in particular. During the months of April to August this place is entirely closed for public as researches are involved in studying the nesting patterns and collection of data about the turtles. If you come at other times of the year then do care to bring your own water and that too not alone as water has its own phases that you may not be aware of.

3. Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Reserve

This is a museum that has been kept alive with all the stories of significant human and natural phenomenon as both have been aplenty over here. There are archaeological sites to visit that will reveal the nation’s natural and cultural pride. The park covers the area of 1,015 acres that comes under the management of national park service and Government of United States Virgin Islands. As the name suggests the Ecological Reserve is that part of the island that has the largest mangrove forests in the Virgin Islands and the coral reefs and also a submarine canyon.

4. Ft. Frederik of the US Virgin Island

Photo by commons.wikimedia.org

This is a red and white fort building that was constructed in the year 1750s so as to keep the pirates away. Come here to relive the most historic moments of American History. The Fort today houses a museum and a gallery that lets you walk down how it was in those days. The fading red and white walls and pillar tell the tale of how time has passed for such a historic monument. Go to the top of the fort and enjoy some of the solemn scenes of the beach and sea and the entire town of Frediksted.

5. St. George Village Botanical Garden

Photo by commons.wikimedia.org

A paradise for all nature lovers. This is a private, non-profit organization that was setup in 1972. The main intention that it has been serving is to protect as well as to promote ethno-botanical heritage of these exotic islands. Just adjacent to the Queen Mary Highway this place takes up 16 acres of land and takes pride in it 1500 native and exotic spices. It is an overlapping between nature and ruins of old American settlements that dates back almost 2,000 years. Also people come here meditates and regular classes are held under a trained personnel.

6. Fort Christiansvaern

Photo by Ralph Eshelman

All you need to do here in this serene and calm place surrounded by sea is to gaze into the vast expanse before you and dwell into the historical past. You will not find any guide because this is a self-guided tour that you can undertake with the help of brochures. Other than the Fort you can also visit the Steeple Building and the Scale House. Carry a souvenir back home from the old book store at the Scale House that has books, postcards and some educational material to know more about the history of the place.

7. Frederiksted Pier

Photo by Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view

For those who are real beach babies and love all that involve sea, this is the place for you. There is snorkeling, cruising, diving or simply gazing the vast skyline at any time of the day. You even have vendors selling gifts and lovely food. There are spots that provide lovely view of this peaceful and quite town as well as the harbor. There is shuttle service that will take you to the nearby beaches. What is worth appreciating here is that the way this little town is trying to stand back after the hurricane Maria.

8. Salt River Bay

Photo by commons.wikimedia.org

There is scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming and much more at this amazing water bay. The best way to go about it is to ask your lodge as they can guide and help you in planning the visit in the best possible manner. The island boasts of a varied terrain and because of which you could even go for hiking and enjoy the best view of the sea and the beach right from the top. For an up-close encounter with the sea you can even have a ride on the yatch and scuba dive in the deep sea.

9. Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge

This is an effort to protect the highly endangered species of St. Croix ground lizard. Because of this initiative this place is completely closed for public and practically no visitor service is provided. But for the sake of keeping wildlife enthusiasts posted with the happenings and observation in the refuge, staff maintains an official website. There are also off-refuge educational and outreach services offered from time to time. Also they ensure that nearby resorts and water activities do not involve coming to Green Cay refuge and they also make them aware about the reason having such prohibit.

10. Caribbean Museum Centre for Arts

This place is all about art and about promoting it in the best possible manner. It is a treat for the people living in close vicinity as they are treated to beautiful exhibits and displays at regular intervals. Other than the big names that adorn the walls of the museum there are also works of locals that are heavily promoted and are really popular among tourists. With such scenic beauty everywhere there is no dearth of artists who are craving to vent their artistic expression. So come and enjoy the paintings which in itself would be an appreciation of the great art.

◎ Closing

With such natural wonders surrounding the place and peaceful waters and so much more to do St, Croix is a real favorite among tourists. With a lot that has happened here centuries earlier, and the way the island is lashed with hurricanes on a regular basis, it is commendable how the locals have kept the fort going！

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