The USVI rewards visitors with a combination of beaches, coral reefs, rainforest, Danish colonial architecture, and a history that stretches from Arawak settlements through the slave trade and into the present. Each of the three main islands has its own character.
Virgin Islands National Park (St. John). Two-thirds of St. John is protected national park land, which is what makes it exceptional by Caribbean standards. Trunk Bay has one of the most photographed beaches in the Caribbean — a long arc of white sand with an underwater snorkeling trail threading through the coral. Annaberg Sugar Plantation preserves the ruins of an 18th-century Danish estate with interpretive signage on the history of slavery and plantation life. The hiking is excellent, with trails through dry forest and down to secluded bays.
Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix). A small uninhabited island off the northeast shore of St. Croix, ringed by one of the healthiest elkhorn coral reefs in the eastern Caribbean. The underwater trail here is among the best snorkeling in the US. Day trips run from Christiansted.
Christiansted (St. Croix). The most architecturally intact of the USVI's colonial towns, with cobblestone streets, pastel-painted Danish warehouses, and the restored Fort Christiansvaern overlooking the harbor. The town has a genuinely local character alongside its cafes and boutiques.
Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas). The capital, centered on a deep natural harbor that has made it a trading port for centuries. The historic district has Dutch-influenced townhouses, a working synagogue dating to 1833, and Fort Christian — the oldest standing structure in the USVI, built in 1672. The duty-free shopping on Main Street draws cruise passengers by the thousands; if you want to see the town at its best, come early or on a day without ships in port.
Salt River Bay (St. Croix). A national historical park protecting the site where Columbus's expedition made contact with the indigenous Carib people in 1493 — the only documented landing on what is now US territory. The bay also has a bioluminescent lagoon, best seen on a moonless night by kayak.
Estate Whim Museum (St. Croix). The best-preserved sugar plantation in the USVI, with the original 18th-century greathouse, windmill tower, and animal mill intact. The museum gives an honest account of plantation life and the enslaved people who made it run.
Magens Bay (St. Thomas). Often cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and while that's an overstatement, it's genuinely lovely — a sheltered mile-long bay with calm, shallow water. There's a small admission fee. It gets busy when cruise ships are in port; go early or mid-week.