Port guides / Eastern Caribbean
St. Thomas
A premier Eastern Caribbean haven featuring duty-free shopping in Charlotte Amalie, crescent-shaped Magens Bay, and breathtaking mountain vistas.
St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands has long been celebrated as the Caribbean's duty-free capital and one of the most scenic island calls in the archipelago. Its dramatic harbor is framed by steep emerald hills dotted with red-roofed villas.
Getting around the island
Taxis on St. Thomas take the form of converted open-air safari buses with tiered bench seating. They wait at both cruise terminals:
- Havensight Pier: Docks right at the Havensight Mall, with duty-free stores, souvenir shops, and the Skyride tramway entrance right across the road. Charlotte Amalie is a 20-minute flat walk or 5-minute safari ride.
- Crown Bay: Located west of town near Sub Base, roughly a 7-minute taxi ride to the center of Charlotte Amalie.
- Taxi rates: Fares are published per person and set by the VI Taxicab Commission. Check the posted chart before departure. Note that vehicles drive on the left side of the road, even though cars have steering wheels on the left!
Island highlights
- Magens Bay Beach: Ranked among the world's most beautiful beaches, this heart-shaped, mile-long inlet is protected by surrounding hills, keeping the water calm and pool-like. Amenities include paddleboard rentals, bathhouses, picnic areas, and a beachside grill.
- Skyride to Paradise Point: An aerial tramway that lifts you 700 feet above Havensight to a viewing deck overlooking the harbor, cruise ships, and neighboring islands.
- Charlotte Amalie & 99 Steps: Stroll along Main Street and historic Danish warehouse alleyways (alleyways paved with historic ship ballast bricks) for fine jewelry, Swiss watches, and local Cruzan rum. Walk up the 99 Steps to Blackbeard's Castle.
- Day trip to St. John: Ferries run every hour from Red Hook (on the east end of St. Thomas) across the Pillsbury Sound to Cruz Bay, St. John, home to Virgin Islands National Park and pristine Trunk Bay.
Duty-free allowances
U.S. citizens enjoy a generous duty-free customs exemption when returning from the U.S. Virgin Islands: up to $1,600 in merchandise per person (double the usual international limit), including up to five liters of liquor if at least one was manufactured in the USVI.