Island hopping is a breeze in the United States Virgin Islands, where quick and hassle-free ferry and seaplane service unite St. John, St. Croix and St. Thomas. All three islands are draped with pretty powder-soft beaches and verdant mountain backdrops, but the similarity ends there. St. Croix has one of the best preserved colonial histories in the Caribbean. St. John consists mostly of U.S. National Park Service land and unbelievably beautiful beaches. And St. Thomas is a colorful port city with hundreds of boutique shops and creative international cuisine.

Besides the USVI’s incredible variety, another important selling point revolves around the marketing tagline: "America’s Caribbean." At once exotic and familiar, the islands are the perfect choice for families and first timers to the West Indies. The Stars & Stripes are waving atop every federal building and American citizens constitute the vast majority of visitors, so it’s easy for everyone to feel right at home.

The capital city of Charlotte Amalie and its bustling cruise ship harbor anchor St. Thomas, which first established itself in the 1600s as a place where merchants from Peru to India came to trade goods. The town was named after the Queen of Denmark in 1691, and by 1845 it was home to 101 importing houses. Since then, the island has passed through seven different governments ending with the U.S. purchase of all three islands in 1917. Today, the Caribbean’s largest stable of jewelry, fashion and perfume boutiques line the harbor front, supported by a $1,200 duty free credit on purchases.

Charlotte Amalie is a definite must-see for its Danish Colonial environs and cultural landmarks. Highlights include the birthplace of Camille Pissaro at Dronningens Gade 2, and the medieval Blackbeard’s Castle, which is the only 17th century fortified tower in the Caribbean. Lush bougainvillea, oleander and hibiscus flowers swarm over the community, inundating the town in a swath of flaming colors and tropical scents.

While Charlotte Amalie does receive a lion’s share of attention, St. Thomas is also rimmed with excellent beaches, highlighted by Magens Bay. The beach lines the massive horseshoe-shaped bay at the base of the island’s tallest peak where pirate Sir Francis Drake once spied on incoming merchant ships. Lots of beachside amenities include a seafood grill restaurant and various kayaking and scuba/snorkel operators.

Nearby, Coral World is an intriguing look at the many resident marine creatures around St. Thomas. The facility is especially popular with families because kids can spend all day watching the sharks, turtles, stingrays, starfish and myriad other animals up close. The central attraction is a multi-level observatory that extends above and below the water’s surface where visitors can view educational exhibits and aquariums. For those who want to jump into the water, Coral World offers sea trekking tours where tourists walk along the sea floor after donning helmets connected to a surface air supply.

Visitors arrive to St. John via ferries departing from several locations around St. Thomas for the short breezy ride across Pillsbury Sound. And even if folks are staying on St. Thomas, they’ll significantly enhance their vacation experience by hopping over once or twice for lunch and a frolic on one of the stellar beaches.

Everyone falls in love with St. John as soon as they arrive due to the island’s lack of gentrification. Almost 3/4 of the deeply lush terrain has been owned by the National Park Service ever since Laurence Rockefeller bought the bulk of the island and deeded it back to the U.S. government. He once said, "This thing of beauty will be a joy forever," and then he made it happen.

The charming waterfront town of Cruz Bay is the main port-of-call for ferries, although the Caneel Bay and Westin properties shuttle their guests aboard private yachts. Everyone on St. John ends up in Cruz Bay eventually to sample the quaint restaurants, busy bars and funky gift shops lining the crescent-shaped harbor. The other major community is at the opposite end of the island in Coral Bay. This remote village is where locals come to eat and relax at the outdoor barbecue restaurants while passing time in semi-retirement from reality. To get around, visitors can either rent a Jeep or car, or take a taxi across the entire breadth of the island.

Few other destinations in the Caribbean have so many picturesque public beaches, with nary a mediocre one in the lot. Trunk Bay is the trophy strand of sand that features an underwater marked trail for snorkelers. The beach does get overcrowded around lunch when cruise ships are berthed in St. Thomas, so go early. For boatloads of peace and quiet, try the nearby beaches at Hawksnest Bay or Cinnamon Bay where the only crowds are schools of purple triggerfish.

Just a 20-minute flight south by seaplane from Charlotte Amalie Harbor or commuter plane from Cyril E. King airport in St. Thomas, the island of St. Croix is larger than the other two islands but welcomes much fewer tourists. Part of the reason is smaller hotels and less airlift, but the end result is an incredibly romantic destination with a compelling array of historic attractions minus any tourist mobs.

In the 1700s, St. Croix was known as The Garden Island because of the hundreds of sugar plantations covering huge tracts of land, and the semi-tropical rainforest on the west coast. Since the land is much flatter on St. Croix, the soil is much richer than that of the two sister islands. Hence, the plantations thrived and contributed to one of the wealthiest economies in the West Indies. Today, more than 100 coral rock windmills once used to crush sugar cane still stand. There are even remains of elegant Great Houses that anchored the large plantations, which are easy to find by following the self-guided tour along the St. Croix Heritage Trail. The best example of this is the fully restored French home and grounds at Whim Plantation.

During St. Croix's colonization, the Danish built large forts adjacent to the two waterfront towns buttressing St. Croix’s main cities. On the north coast, Christiansted is fast becoming one of the cuisine capitals of the Caribbean with a coterie of avant garde chefs straight from the great kitchens of San Francisco, New Orleans and New York. Guarding the waterfront, the bright-yellow Fort Christianvaern built in 1774 is open for walking tours, and the U.S. Park Service employees are anxious to educate tourists about the slave trade, maritime wars and King Sugar. Visitors should also take the time to tour the southwestern shore and Fredericksted, an artsy little waterfront town highlighted by Fort Frederick. Make sure to stop for a bite and live music at Blue Moon Café.

About a 45-minute sail from Christiansted, Buck Island Reef national Monument is an 850-acre island with staggering beaches and two underwater marked trails for snorkelers. Various sailboats charter tourists over to the protected island, although half the fun is the sailboat ride over and back while mingling with other guests.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Marriage requirements: Notarized application to territorial court, which takes 8 working days to process. Application fee is $25, marriage certificate is $50.

Temperature: Averages 82ºF

Rainfall: 43 inches annually

Official currency: U.S. dollar

Entry requirements: Proof of citizenship (birth certificate) and photo I.D.

Departure tax: None

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