It’s rare that I return to the same place twice, especially when it’s not someplace close to home, but that’s exactly what I did with St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands. I visited one year at Christmas, and as soon as I got back home, I booked a Christmas trip for the following year. I loved everything about my St. Croix vacation: beaches, snorkeling, resorts, ease of access (no passport required!), and of course, the amazing weather while Chicago is in a deep freeze! St. Croix beaches are some of the best in the world, and are worth making a special trip for a relaxing beach vacation!

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Tip: Flying on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve is often much less stressful than other days during the holidays!

Getting to St. Croix

Arrival in St. Croix is usually via a puddle jumper from San Juan, Puerto Rico, or you may get lucky and find a direct flight from Miami to St Croix. The first year I visited St Croix, I had an 8-hour layover in San Juan, Puerto Rico on the way home, so I was also able to explore a little bit of the Old Town, which was fun. I recommend doing this, although I should have researched luggage storage as it was a pain carrying my luggage around. (I travel carry-on only, so I had ALL my stuff!) Both times I paid around $700 for a round-trip ticket from Chicago to St. Croix.

St. Croix Hotels

For both visits to St. Croix, I stayed at the Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort, a Marriott property at the northern end of the island. Some of the online reviews had me a little nervous, but it was absolutely incredible! Say what you want about chain hotels, but the Carambola Beach Resort is probably the only place I’ll ever stay on St Croix. I love everything about this resort, starting with the rum punch they have waiting for you upon arrival. The views and constant sound of crashing waves are pretty awesome, too! Almost all of the rooms are within a short walking distance of one of the top St Croix beaches. The resort suffered some hurricane damage in 2017 and is in the process of transferring ownership, but in the meantime, there are plenty of other St. Croix hotels to choose from. I’ve heard great things about The Buccaneer.

Browse St. Croix Hotels

No matter where you stay in St. Croix, try to make it out to the Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort for the Friday night Pirate Buffet, which includes an entertaining performance by the Mocko Jumbies who dance on stilts. The buffet has tons of delicious options, but everyone comes for the show.

St. Croix Beaches

I was not really a beach person before I came to St. Croix, but the beaches and the warm Caribbean water converted me! St. Croix has some of the best beaches I’ve ever seen (sorry, Hawaii) with sugar soft sand and amazing snorkeling. Of course, I’m partial to Carambola Beach, where we’ve stayed, but there are so many great St. Croix beaches. There’s one right in Frederiksted, Cane Bay, Rainbow Beach, Pelican Cove, Davis Bay and so many more. Access to all St. Croix beaches is public by law, but the access can be a little tricky, so it’s best to choose a resort with a great beach so you don’t have to worry about finding your way into other St. Croix beaches.

St. Croix Tours

While the point of any St. Croix vacation is to relax and unwind, there’s only so much sunbathing a person can do! Fortunately, there are some great St. Croix tours and day trips you can take to fill in the days between beach days.

Browse St. Croix Tours

My favorite St. Croix tour, which I took both years I visited, is the Big Beard’s trip to Buck Island, which is a protected National Monument. For about $100, you get an all-day cruise, two opportunities to snorkel near Buck Island, a beach cookout, and an all-you-can-drink rum punch. Not to mention, the amusing show by the island mongoose who gather for scraps at the lunch spot.

You can also visit Frederiksted or Christiansted, the two main towns on St. Croix. Frederiksted is where the cruise ships come in, but the town is pretty quiet when there are no cruises. Christiansted is a decent-sized town, with lots of restaurants and shops, so I definitely recommend spending a day in Christiansted.

Another fun St. Croix day trip is to go island hopping to St. Thomas or St. John via seaplane. (At one time there was a ferry, but as with most things in the Caribbean, it’s hard to know when or if it’s still running) We took a short seaplane ride from St. Croix to St. Thomas. If you love shopping and glitzy resorts, then St. Thomas is a great day trip for you. If you have more time, this St. Thomas itinerary will fill an entire week!

But if you prefer pristine beaches and fewer crowds, make your way across St. Thomas (we took a taxi) to the ferry dock at Red Hook, where you catch the ferry to St. John. Most of St. John is designated a National Park and is known for some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. We took a taxi to Cinnamon Bay, where we spend most of the day relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

St. Croix Weather

St. Croix weather is gorgeous year-round, but there are still slight seasons, including hurricane season, of course.

• December through March is the peak season for the Virgin Islands. You may catch the occasional rain shower in the afternoon, but they are brief.
• April through June is the dry season and the warmest weather you can expect in the Caribbean.
• July through October is typically hurricane season, so you can get great deals, but I recommend travel insurance!

Getting Around St. Croix

Car and Jeep rentals are readily available in St. Croix, although I have not rented a car for either visit. The cars are American, but the roads are British – driving on the left, but the steering wheel is also on the left! Roads are narrow and windy, and I’m not sure if you will always have a signal for your GPS to navigate. However, many people rent cars without issues, so it’s just a personal preference. My Chicago life involved a LOT of commuting, so on vacation, I’m happy to let someone else do the driving!

If you are looking for a full plate of activities, getting back and forth to town from the Carambola can be expensive. You would likely want to stay closer to one of the towns, or plan to stay mostly at Carambola Beach and take advantage of the quiet location and sugar sand beach.

Looking for a more active tropical vacation in winter? How about kayaking in Baja, Mexico?

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