Hook area offers a growing selection of similar items and small boutiques.
If you’re interested in the local arts scene, visit Tillett Gardens, a cultural cluster of craft stores, visual art, music and theater. Patrons will find raku pottery, jewelry, candles, and a gallery displaying water colors, oils and acrylics by local and Caribbean artists. Tillet Gardens also hosts two music studios featuring lessons in piano,violin and voice. And an outdoor theatre accommodating 300 people is an annual home to four classical concerts and four non classical concerts, all performed by top international talent.
For a look at the art of Virgin Islands politics, stroll eastward along the waterfront until you come to the green V.I. Legislature Building. Built in the 19th century as a barracks for the Danish militia and used by the U.S. Navy when it governed the island, it also served, at one point, as the island’s only high school. The public is welcome to sit in when the 15 senators meet in full session, or in committee on the second-floor chambers (and no, you are not allowed to hurl tomatoes until you have lived here for at least 4 years and have paid all your taxes - Jest! We poke fun with politicians, lawyers, used car salesmen and insurance agents). The receptionist just inside the front door can tell you what is on the calendar for that particular day.
To glimpse the heart of the island’s history, walk across the street toward Fort Christian and the museum located on the huge edifice’s inland side. Built in 1671 by the Danes, the newly-refurbished museum has a changing series of exhibits on the island’s culture and history. Explore the dozen plus cells that served as St. Thomas’ only jail until the 1980s. There is also a pay public parking lot adjacent to the Fort that is one of the best places to park your car while you explore old Charlotte Amalie. You will find public bathrooms on the north side of the parking lot.
Continue inland across Norre Gade until you find the 99 steps, Hotel 1829 and Blackbeards, that lead up to Government House. Recent renovations to the 19th century building are complete, and escorted tours are usually available. One block over, you will find Frederick Lutheran Church, an 18th century building which is open to the public. Venture down the hill to the U.S. Post Office and follow Garden Street inland until you hit Crystal Gade.
Turn left and walk about three blocks until the brick Synagogue appears on your right. The Synagogue, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. is called the Congregation of Blessing and Peace and Loving Deeds and is the second oldest synagogue under continuous use in the western hemisphere. While this building went up in 1833 following a disastrous fire that wiped out much of Charlotte Amalie, the congregation dates back to 1796. A guide will point out the sand floor and the 19th century chandeliers.
Head back into the shopping area for a look at the Camille Pissaro building on Main Street, once home of the Impressionist painter who went off to Paris to seek fame and fortune. The building now houses several of the stores that give St. Thomas its reputation as a shopping Mecca, as well as an art gallery named in his honor.
For visitors who want to put some miles on their shoes and get closer to Mother Nature, Hassel Island sits in the middle of Charlotte Amalie Harbor. Visit the waterfront taxi services and find out how to get there. Once there, follow the trail up to the old fort on the ocean side of the 135-acre Virgin Islands National Park-owned island. There is also a trail to the signal tower used by the Danes to alert residents of approaching ships. It can be super hot at mid-day, so be sure to bring water. While seeing the Charlotte Amalie sights can be fulfilling, there are still miles of island to explore. Most visitors head to Magen’s Bay, a gorgeous strand of white sand on the island’s north side. A full-service beach with bathrooms, changing rooms, snack bar, covered picnic tables, sports equipment rental, and boutique await you. Magen’s Bay also has an arboretum recently restored by a local Rotary Club. Walk down the beach to the left and stroll through stands of palms and Norfolk pines included among the 200 varieties of exotic trees. The arboretum was established in 1948 by Philanthropist Arthur Fairchild when he donated Magens Bay to the people of the Virgin Islands.
Magen’s Bay
If you have time to spare, plan a circular tour of the island. Head west along the waterfront from Charlotte Amalie to the left turn at the light by the Veteran’s Drive Post Office. Or, stop for drinks or lunch at Frenchtown, an enclave settled by the French from St. Barths. Home to numerous restaurants and bars, the area seems to attract the island’s movers and shakers.
Back on Veterans’ Drive, continue past the Cyril E. King Airport and see the beautiful buildings of the University of the Virgin Islands nestled up in the hills to your right. The campus environs has an intimate feel reminsicent of a small New England college. Refresh yourself with a swim at Brewer’s Bay or continue uphill. As you continue around the island, one panorama after another will unfold as you follow the narrow, twisting roads. Follow Route 30 through areas that still bear the names of Danish estates; Bonne Esperance, Perseverance, and Fortuna, are just a few.
Retrace your drive to Route 301 or West End Road for a trip along the island’s northern side. Take northern Rte. 33 to head east. Make sure you have a good map, because the roads on this side of the island can easily confuse.Everybody stops at Drake’s Seat because the view is stupendous. Drake’s Seat is located at the intersection between Routes 40 and 35. For still more awesome views, continue along the north side, Route 42, until the land flattens out and you are on Smith Bay Road. Looking east, note the heart-stopping views of St. John and the British Virgin Islands. Turn left at the signs for Coral World, a not-to-be missed attraction that features an under-sea viewing observatory. Watch Caribbean sea-dwellers swim by as divers feed them. You can stop for a swim at nearby Coki Beach. Head through Red Hook at the very east end, along the south side on your return to Charlotte Amalie. The drive takes you past several hotels, groups of condos, local marinas and Havensight Mall before you get back to town. For trendy night-life, visit Red Hook at the very east end along the south side.
Staying on the Island
From cozy guest houses to posh hotels, and a coterie of vacation condominiums in between, St. Thomas has the accommodations you seek.
If money’s no object, stay at one of the newest hotels on the island; the Ritz Carlton. Located near Red Hook; the 180-room hotel dazzles visitors with elegant ambience. Strung along the south side, visitors will find a chain of similarly-sized hotels, all individually-owned, from Bolongo Bay Beach Resort & Villas, to Bluebeard’s Beach. Along the north shore you will find a string of smaller, beachfront hotels. Vacationers and business travelers like the 520-room Frenchman’s Reef & Morningstar Marriott Beach Resort, a full-service resort facility convenient to Charlotte Amalie, a few miles south of Havensight Mall. Those willing to forego a beach should try the 170-room Bluebeard’s Castle. Adjacent to an historic landmark, the hotel is located just above the city and has recently undergone major renovations. Most convenient to the Seaplane along the Veteran’s Drive is the Windward Passage while Emerald Inn Resort and Lindberg Hotel and Villas are closest to the airport.
Visitors who want all the comforts of home might want a condominium vacation. There are condos at the Anchorage, Crystal Cove Villas, and Mahogany Run at the golf course. Red Hook Apartments, Watergate, Sapphire Village and Secret Harbor Beach Resort also have condominium rentals.
In Charlotte Amalie, you will find a handful of guesthouses located in some of the historic buildings. Hotel 1829 has been in business since the island’s fledging tourism days. You will also find a handful of less expensive guesthouses scattered in and around Charlotte Amalie.
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