For nearly 250 years, St. Thomas was under Danish rule. In 1917, the U.S. purchased the Virgin Islands, and since then St. Thomas has emerged as a top tourist and shopping destination of the Caribbean. If you’re lucky enough to have business in St. Thomas, be sure to take advantage of the many water and shopping activities after your work is done.

Get in, on, or near the water in St. Thomas

St. Thomas is encircled by picturesque bays and teeming reefs, making water and beach activities a favorite pastime. There’s good snorkeling off most beaches, particularly the reefs off of Secret Harbor. Brewer’s Bay Beach offers shade trees and a view of the jets at the airport. Bolongo Beach Bay is good for turtle-watching and Great Bay Beach is the place to go for windsurfing.

Boating is another exceptional way to enjoy St. Thomas’ beautiful environment. Certified divers can follow a shipwreck trail or dive on an abundance of healthy reefs. Snorkeling tours, especially to nearby St. John are popular too. A favorite is a six-hour trip aboard Heavenly Days, a 53-foot catamaran that sails from Bolongo Bay Beach Club to Honeymoon Beach on St. John for snorkeling and a champagne buffet on board. Another fabulous outing is a trip to the sun-shafted grottos of The Baths on Virgin Gorda, BVI.

There are plenty of opportunities for bill- and sport-fishermen to reel in record sailfish, tuna, tarpon, barracuda and others year round and the famed blue marlin is the catch of the summer. Charters are available at many marinas.

Landlubber Pursuits on St. Thomas

St. Peter Mountain is the highest point on St. Thomas with spectacular views of 20 other islands and cays, including St. John, USVI and Tortola and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. The Mountain Top observation deck is famous for its banana daiquiris and photo ops, as well as being a popular wedding venue. The St. Peter Great House and Botanical Garden is a classic 19th-century West Indian plantation house surrounded by manicured gardens, both open for viewing. You can also get a lift on the Skyride to Paradise Point for sweeping views of the Charlotte Amalie Bay and beyond.

There’s only one golf course on St. Thomas, but it’s spectacular and very hilly. Mahogany Run is a par-70 course featuring the famous “Devil’s Triangle” that is perched along the sheer cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Families with kids will delight in the small Butterfly Garden where you can see butterflies in all stages of growth and fluttery flight. Sugar Bay Resort & Spa has miniature golf, bumper boats and arcade games, plus a sports bar for some time out of the sun. Coral World Ocean Park has an underwater observation tower and the world’s only underwater post office box! For a different perspective, you can don a large helmet with an attached air hose and walk on the ocean floor through the coral and fish.

Live music – calypso, reggae, steel bands and jazz – is found in many large hotels and restaurants at night time. Check the schedules in This Week magazine.

St. Thomas Retail Therapy for Shoppers

St. Thomas is a magnet for bargain hunters and the shopping mecca of the Caribbean. Prices on electronics, cameras and watches can be very good. Jewelry stores line every block and sell gems set and unset. You’ll also find plenty of perfume, china and liquor. Feel free to bargain and if you don’t agree on a price, try another store with similar goods. Travel Maestro tip: Check sale prices at home so you know a bargain when you see it.

More Travel Maestro Tips:

• The water is safe to drink in St. Thomas, but you’ll probably prefer bottled water, especially in Charlotte Amalie.
• Do try the local Blackbeard Ale and a Frozen Bushwacker, which is a strong alcohol drink a bit like a chocolate pina colada.
• Learn to pronounce gade (the Danish word for street) correctly: GAH-duh
• St. Thomas has had problems with crime. Beware of pickpockets and don’t walk alone or on the beach at night.
• Pants and shirt normally suffice for business attire, but if working in court or government offices, wear a suit.
• Taxis are the most efficient transportation. Authorized taxis have TP on the license plate. The charge for two people will be less than the price for one – strange, but true. Accept it.
• Driving is on the left, but cars’ steering wheels are also on the left. If you do drive, be careful – it’s easy to revert to driving on the right. Also, it’s illegal to use a cell phone while driving.
• At Atlantic Seafood and Internet Café, across from the airport entrance gate, you can check your email before your flight and grab a takeaway meal for the plane.

If you travel to St. Thomas for business, we hope you can take time to appreciate the beaches, beauty and shopping of this U.S. Caribbean gem. For assistance planning your trip, contact Covington’s business or vacation specialists.