The Best Of What to Do in St Croix 2023

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Greetings, Internet Stranger, and welcome to a day of what to do in St Croix USVI! I went to St Croix for the first time recently, and I was quite pleased to discover what a charming island it is.

St Croix is part of the US Virgin Islands, just like its neighboring island, St Thomas. St Thomas gets more visitors, especially those who love shopping, but St Croix is just as worth a visit. It has great food, shopping, beaches, cultural attractions, and more!

Plus, it even has the Captain. Who is the Captain, you might ask? Join me for a day of what to do in St Croix, and you’ll find out!

What do Do in St Croix

Where to Stay?

It would be ideal to spend a few days in St Croix, and not just one day in St Croix, but sadly we don’t have enough time. I came here as a guest on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, so that’s where I stayed.

Obviously there are quite a few cities or towns in St Croix, but we’re focusing on the largest city, which is Christiansted, for this itinerary, so that’s where I am looking for hotels.

You want a convenient location where you can meet your tour of the island, and where it will be easy to get to the main attractions of your day of what to do in St. Croix. Christiansted isn’t the capital of St. Croix, since St Croix is part of the US Virgin Islands and doesn’t have its own capital. However, it is the biggest city, so that’s where we’ll go.

That’s why I recommend staying at the Caravelle Hotel. The location is right by the historical buildings of Christiansted and some excellent beaches, so it’s a perfect home base for exploring. The rooms are gorgeous and have wifi and access to a private garden and air conditioning, among other great amenities.

If you want a great deal on this hotel, click here.

And if you’re looking for great deals on other hotels in St Croix, just click here.

This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay for your day of what to do in St Croix. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.

What to Do in St Croix

Morning: Walking Tour of Frederiksted

Frederiksted, the cruise port city in St Croix, is quite an interesting and beautiful place. I was so glad that I was able to explore it in the morning with a thorough walking tour led by a fantastic local guide. We were able to see all the most interesting spots in the city and learn about the place from someone whose family has lived on the island for seven generations.

Check rates and availability of this tour by going here.

Then get ready for…

Approximately Top 5: What to Do in St Croix

1) Fort Frederiksted

Wow! You might be looking at the name of this fort and feeling befuddled. Why is there a fort in the Caribbean called Frederiksted? Well, as you already know, the islands of the Caribbean were colonized by many European powers like the English, the French, the Spanish, and the Dutch.

But the US Virgin Islands used to belong to Denmark. (Many Americans forget that the Danes used to have colonies.) The US Virgin Islands were sold to the United States about a century ago, but the evidence that Denmark ruled St Croix still remains, and Fort Frederiksted is the most prominent reminder.

On the tour, we had some free time to wander the fort on our own. The museum exhibits change from time to time, but don’t miss the chance to see some extremely pretty wooden furniture.

It looks even better up close!

2) Moko Jumbies

You are quite lucky if you get to experience the moko jumbies on your day of what to do in St Croix. The moko jumbies are stilt walkers who wear colorful costumes and perform at special occasions. In St Croix, they also come out when cruise ships are in town to entertain visitors.

Don’t worry because I got permission to take this photo! Always ask permission before taking people’s pictures and please leave a tip if they have a tip jar out.

Moko jumbies are an important part of St Croix culture and you can see their image on artwork of the island. But nothing is as exciting as seeing them stilt walk in person. I just don’t know how they do it!

3) Churches

We learned that there were four different kinds of churches that were allowed in St Croix by the Danish government, and we got to see them all on this tour. The most prominent church was the Lutheran church because the Danes were Lutheran. However, they also allowed Catholic, Anglican, and Moravian churches.

Now, my mom was Catholic and I am Anglican (Episcopalian if you’re an American), so I’m pretty familiar with those denominations. However, I had never heard of a Moravian church before. It’s apparently a very old German Protestant denomination. I wonder why the Danes allowed them but not the Methodists or the Baptists. Who knew the Danes were so strict?

Anyway, I bet you were not expecting to travel to the Caribbean just to meet possibly your first Moravian church, were you? I certainly wasn’t, but life is full of surprises.

4) Lutheran Cemetery

I mentioned that the Lutherans ran things all up in the Danish Caribbean, so it’s not surprising that the Lutheran Cemetery is so large. (People in St Croix are still buried here, but we didn’t say anyone getting buried on the tour.)

One advantage of having a guide whose family has lived in St Croix for such a long time is that she had plenty of stories about her family members who are buried in this cemetery. Some of her ancestors were from Denmark, and some of them were enslaved people who had been forced to work on the island.

She mentioned that one of her Danish ancestors had settled down with a local woman from St Croix. However, he apparently hadn’t been such a faithful husband, and when he died of a mysterious illness, there were some rumors that one of the women in his life poisoned him. Again, who knew that the Danes were so spicy?

5) Caribbean Museum

Our last stop on the tour was the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts. This lovely museum showcases the work of local artists, including artists from other parts of the Caribbean. And it’s a great place to stay out of the sun and enjoy the gorgeous art and beautiful views.

Yup! This is the actual view from the top floor of the museum. Pretty neat, huh?

The museum also has an excellent gift shop where you can buy local art. However, there are also artisans in booths outside who sell their work whenever cruise ships are in town, and perhaps on other days as well.

Ready to Have Fun?

Those are all the St Croix secrets I can share for now.

Check rates and availability of this tour by going here to find out more!

What to Do in St Croix

Afternoon: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

After all that walking, you’ve probably worked up an appetite! I’m more than happy to take you to a great place to get Crucian local food. We’re also going to tour some of the best breweries and distilleries on the island. It’s going to be a wild afternoon, so let’s not waste any more time.

PS. Make sure you have a designated driver for this portion of the day. You’ll need one! Then get ready for…

Three Fun Facts: What to Do in St Croix

1) Where Can We Get Lunch?

My guide recommended going to a restaurant called Tail End, which is just a quick walk from the Caribbean Museum. If you want yummy and affordable local food that you won’t find anywhere else, this is the place to go for lunch. Everyone there when I went was a local, which is pretty impressive, considering how many tourists were in town.

I suggest getting the lunch plate with your choice of protein and all the sides. I opted for the kingfish, which was a slightly oily and packed with flavor. However, if you don’t want fish, they also have chicken and other options.

The sides were provisions, which is a local term for assorted root vegetables, rice, veggies, mac and cheese, and a whole bunch of sauce. The meal was so comforting, and it’s smart to fill up before we head to the brewery and the distillery. We need to get our bellies stuffed so we don’t get too tipsy!

2) What’s this about a brewery?

I’m a big craft beer fan, so I was delighted to learn that there is an excellent brewery in St Croix called Leatherback. I believe it’s named after the famous Leatherback turtles that live on the island, even though Leatherback kind of sounds like a character in a horror movie.

They are a fairly new brewery–their opening was originally delayed because of a hurricane. And I was excited to learn about how their operations are sustainable, and they actually use purified rain water to make their beer.

We got to sample four of their beers, going from lightest to heaviest. We started with the Beach Life blonde ale, which was refreshing. Next, we went on to the Bush Life ale, which is actually made with a special local bush tea. This was the most popular flavor for those of us on the tour.

The last two beers really packed a punch. There was a classic IPA called Reef Life. Some people really hate IPAs and some love them, and I definitely fall in the love them category.

Finally, we tried the Hurricane Thanksgiving beer, which tastes like a holiday party and is actually aged in rum barrels. You can really feel that rum flavor in the beer. And I do hope you like rum because we’re about to go visit the Captain!

3) What’s this about a distillery?

Aha! I see you’re ready to meet the Captain! Some people might forget that the Captain Morgan distillery is located in St Croix. They offer rum tours and tasting, but I would call ahead to see if you need a reservation. Their website is right here.

On our rum tour, we got to learn all about the distilling process, which involves turning molasses into sweet, sweet rum. Then we were able to taste several different kinds of rum.

As you can see from my photo, we tried the original spiced rum, the white rum, which is often used in mixed drinks, and the private stock rum, which was my favorite. I even got a bottle to take home. You also get to choose one of the flavored rums, and I selected pineapple, which I recommend if you like sweet and fruity drinks. (I do!)

You also get a rum cocktail with the tour, and I selected the Captain Stormy, which is just a Dark and Stormy made with Captain Morgan. (Dark and Stormies are made with ginger beer, so if you like the spice of ginger, this is a must try.)

What to Do in St Croix

Evening: Relax on the cruise ship!

I mentioned that Frederiksted was a big cruise port, so you might be in town on a cruise ship like I was! If that’s the case, relax and enjoy your evening. Don’t forget to take in the wonderful views of St Croix from your ship.

I get my own balcony when I cruise, so I can bring a cocktail to my balcony and sip it while I enjoy a mystery novel. I like to call it “The Happiest Hour!”

On Royal Caribbean, they have theme nights in the dining hall, and this night was Italian night, so you can kick your meal off with an Italian classic like minestrone soup. Soup is usually a good thing to get on a cruise ship because it’s easier to make something like soup for a large group of people.

For a main course, how about an Italian classic like a warm slice of lasagna? It’s the lashings of cheese that make it so delicious.

And then finish the whole thing off with a sweet and creamy treat like tiramisu. It’s the perfect end to our perfect day of what to do in St Croix!

What to do in St Croix

Shopping List

• A cell charger so you won’t have your cell die on you just when you are taking pictures of your day exploring what to do in St Croix
• The best travel adapter just in case you are not American and need to plug in your cell phone during your 24 hours in St Croix. (It’s the USA, remember!)
• These great TSA approved clear toiletries bags, so I can always keep spare toothpaste and travel sized toiletries in any carry-on
• The most reliable travel umbrella that is small enough to fit in my purse, but strong enough to stand up to rain during our day of what to do in St Croix
• My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you how travel can take you on a journey of self-discovery.
• My favorite guidebook to the US Virgin Islands

That’s What to Do in St Croix

What do you say is what to do in St Croix? Are you ready to start booking your hotel in St Croix? Email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know!

Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend 24 hours with what to do in St Croix. Check out an awesome Antigua excursion.

There is also a Tortola shore excursion. Experience the best things to do on Punta Cana. Try this itinerary for what to do on Barbados. Try a top things to do in Saint Lucia day. Go for the best 24 hours in St Thomas things to do. Don’t forget about what to do at St Kitts! Add on a Barbados Welchman Hall Gully tour. Check out a what to do on Nevis Island tour.