Even if you’re not on a cruise, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all of the energy of cruise ship day. Vendors line Strand Street in Frederiksted, making it a great time to find gifts from local artisans. You’ll also find several shops and eateries throughout town.

We recommend getting a coffee from Polly’s at the Pier and finding a park bench near the clock tower for some people watching. You may even see a mocko jumbie or two! Often times there will be live music from the gazebo, setting the tone for tourists as they step foot on St. Croix.

As you meander through the street vendors, you’ll find handmade arts and crafts, jewelry, food items, clothing, ceramics and more, as well as souvenirs like t-shirts and hats.

The Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts is also located on Strand Street and has undergone renovations. In addition to the downstairs gallery, explore the upstairs galleries showcasing regional artists. The gift shop has a variety of handmade items for sale. There is even a nice courtyard in the back where you can enjoy a cold drink and free WIFI.

Dive shops and boutiques offer a relaxed shopping environment, while restaurants and bars feed off the energy that the cruise ships brings to town. Be sure to all the way down Strand Street to check out The Fred, St. Croix’s newest boutique hotel, as well as the nearby restaurants. You might even decide to rent snorkel gear from a dive shop and take in some underwater scenery in Frederiksted.

It’s also a great opportunity to tour Fort Frederik, which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark, and pay homage to the Emancipation Monument.

Check out the 2018-19 Cruise Ship Schedule for the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility at the Frederiksted Pier.

If you’re visiting St. Croix during a weekend between September and March, we highly recommend that one of your Perfect Days include a visit to Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, but closed during peak sea turtle nesting season (April through August). The beach is a critical nesting habitat for leatherback, green and hawksbill seat turtles, which is why it closes during peak nesting season.

Fun Fact: Sandy Point has the longest continuous beach in the USVI

Sandy Point is a two-mile stretch of sandy beach, comprised of 383 acres, on the southwest corner of St. Croix. There are a variety of activities to be done, including hiking, wildlife observation, nature photography, hanging out on the pristine beach, and swimming in the crystal clear water. Birders will delight as there have been more than 100 species of birds documented in the woodland, mangrove, salt pond and beach habitats.

There are no amenities or shade at Sandy Point, so plan accordingly. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and maybe even a picnic lunch. Given that the area is known for turtle nesting, pick up lunch from Turtle’s Deli (Saturday only) in Frederiksted — it will be one of the very best deli sandwiches you’ve had in your life!

Fun Fact: The last scene of The Shawshank Redemption was filmed at Sandy Point

Note that if you spend time on the beach there are no umbrellas, tents or chairs allowed because there of the risk of disturbing a sea turtle eggs beneath the surface of the sand.

Head to Louie & Nacho’s in Frederiksted for cocktails and tacos after Sandy Point closes. Their balcony offers the perfect view of a breathtaking Caribbean sunset.

Smoke STX

There’s a new barbecue place on St. Croix that everyone is talking about! Smoke STX BBQ & Bottle Shop has a mouthwatering menu complete with starters, sandwiches, plates, sides and desserts — even including some vegan options.

A few things that stand out on their menu are the BLT (you’ll see why in a second), Three Day Ribs, Smoked Meatloaf, Mahi, and Chili (with a vegan option). Smoke makes their own special sauces — Original Honey Spice, Carolina Mustard, Shenandoah Red or Hellfire — three of which are Chef Joe’s secret recipes and one passed down from family. And, get this, they make their own bacon and sell it by the pound.

Owned by Joe Smith and Brian “Monty” Montgomery, Smoke STX is located in Frederiksted in the Louie & Nachos complex and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am- 9pm. They’re currently working on seating, but their carryout BBQ and bottles are perfect for the beach.

CoralFire

And where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Though it can’t be on the same day as experiencing Smoke, we definitely think you should make time to see CoralFire at The Mermaid at The Buccaneer Resort on a Monday evening (starts at 7pm). They put on a spectacular fire dancing show using various contraptions, like twin hoops, dragon staff, fire poi, fire fans, and a flaming parasol.

CoralFire also performs at special events, including the upcoming Slow Down Dinner at Ridge to Reef Farm on September 9. Or you can hire them for a private show to suit your own theme, from jazz and flapper to rockabilly or swing, electronic or hip hop, reggae or Latin — they even have characters for kid’s parties, like Alice in Wonderland and princesses.

If you’re interested in learning their art, CoralFire offers private workshops and they are hosting the CoralFire Flow Arts & Yoga Retreat on St. Croix in November.

Here’s Adrian’s idea of a Perfect Day on St. Croix, starting with a dive to search for sea horses and ending with a sunset horseback ride along the beach (and in the water!).

photo credit: Cruzan Cowgirls

Early morning dive at the pier spotting sea horses and octopus, followed by a dip and picnic at monks baths. Head to Christiansted for afternoon cocktails and snacks and the back west for Cruzan Cowgirls sunset horseback ride.

The Frederiksted Pier is alive with vibrant corals and marine wildlife. As our partners at SCUBA say, “Each column is encrusted in coral and sponges. It’s not unusual to see seahorses, frog fish, bat fish, and many more very rare sea critters.” There are multiple dive shops in Frederiksted offering opportunities to dive the crystal clear West End.

The Monk’s Bath is just a couple miles north of Frederiksted and is a private, historic and breathtaking place for a picnic.

A jaunt into Christiansted will give you several dining options. Stroll the Boardwalk to find a place right on the water or wander into town to find everything from local cuisine to casual snacks to fine dining.

Cruzan Cowgirls is a horse rescue offering tours that take you along the beach, through the rain forest and back with a little swim in the ocean. That’s right, you’ll actually go in the water on horseback! It’s an incredible way to feel the pure strength of these beautiful creatures, not to mention a memorable way to take in a St. Croix sunset. A visit to the Cruzan Cowgirls Facebook page will show you lots of smiles atop beautiful horses.

You’ll see from Jeanne’s Perfect Day on St. Croix that it’s hard to limit it to just one day. She has enough ideas to fill multiple days!

Our day would start with the realization that we will be enjoying another beautiful day in STX and all the beauty that surrounds us on land and sea.

Our first thoughts will be to have a pleasant morning with friends, depending on the day possibly for brunch at Blue Water Terrace or some quiet eats at home. Then after that maybe get in an invigorating hike up to blue mountain or maybe hams bluff.

And if breakfast out is not in the cards, then we are checking weather, planning and gearing up for an awesome day of scuba diving the north shore or maybe Frederiksted Pier and if weather permits even the south shore or east end might be in the cards.

My favorite thing is to chat with the dive shops to see what fish have been seen and where, then get my camera gear ready to hit the water! After one or two morning dives it is time for food again! Eating at Dianna’s Off the Wall sitting at the bar area and chatting with locals and tourists alike, or Eat at Cane Bay checking to see if I got even one good shot!! Views just do not get better than this!

After all of this and there is energy left, we are ready to clean up and get some friends and head on down to Rowdy Joe’s for some awesome food or maybe into town for any one of a number of great restaurants. And it is always my pleasure to be around for Art Thursday!

This is my idea of a day in paradise, and St Croix has it all for us!