The US Virgin Islands were bought from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million in gold — one of the stranger real-estate transactions in Caribbean history. Columbus named them Las Vírgenes in 1493, in honour of St. Ursula's legendary 10,000 martyred virgins. Today the territory consists of three main islands, each with a distinct character.
St. Thomas is the capital and the busiest, built around the deep-water port of Charlotte Amalie. Cruise ships dominate the mornings but the island earns its reputation: excellent beaches, duty-free shopping, and a surprisingly preserved Danish colonial core. St. John is a short ferry ride away and almost completely unspoilt — the Virgin Islands National Park covers two-thirds of the island, leaving just a small strip of development around Cruz Bay. St. Croix is the largest and the quietest of the three, with a different pace and some of the best diving in the region.
Americans need no passport to visit; the US dollar is the currency and American mobile plans work. But the driving is on the left, a Danish legacy that still catches visitors off guard.
