What is the best U.S. Virgin to visit? Looking for the true Caribbean feeling?

Question

I want the best the Caribben has to offer. I'm looking to visit the Caribbean. I have looked at St. Croix, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. Any suggestions? Again, looking for beautiful waters and beaches, friendly people, local bars, good food....not so much looking for anything fast paced! Relax, maybe drink a tropical drink or three, romance, etc.,. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I have not been to St. Lucia or St. martin yet, but I have lived in st. Thomas for the past three years. I would definitely recommend it as a place to visit. The locals here are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. There are several good local bars and restaurants that cater to "statesiders" Especially in the Red Hook area of St. Thomas. St. Thomas has the best nightlife of the three. I have been to St. John many times and St. Croix once. St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix are all US owned, so they have been increasingly "Americanized" over years. Especially, St. Thomas, which is overrun by tourists and jam-packed when the cruise ships come in during the busy season Nov-Mar. Now, in our slower season, the craziness dies down a little. However, you can still find some relaxing, secluded spots here and the general pace of life here on all three islands is pretty much laid-back. Magen's Bay, St. Thomas and Trunk Bay, St. John have both been named one of the top ten beached in the world by several travel magazines.However, Magen's can get crowded when the ships are in, but suddenly are deserted around 3:30 when the passengers have to go back to the ships. St. Croix, The largest of the three US Virgins, is pretty much deserted (and much less hilly than the others) compared to St. Thomas, at least during my one visit there. If you are into historical stuff, St. Croix is the best bet. They still have the old Danish fort from the 1600's that they converted into a museum. As for the ultimate relaxation, St. John is the place.STJ has by far the best beaches in the Virgin Islands. It is unspoiled and 2/3 of the islands are a protected national park with hiking trails through tropical forests. And St. John is accessible only by ferry ($5 one way) from St. Thomas. So you could stay in St. Thomas and take a day trip to St. John. And if you do decide on St. Thomas, and if you are staying for a week, I would recommend renting a car (that's if you can get used to driving on the left) because taxis here are very expensive because rates are set by the government and they are based on the destination and are per-person, each-way. So a rental car could pay for itself in two or three days, especially if you are traveling with others. I Hope this info is helpful.

Answer 2

Check St. Vincent, Tobago or Barbados also. St. Lucia would be my choice with all that you've narrowed it down to. It's very pretty, less touristy and has some nice things to do outside of the typical tourist stuff.