St Thomas Honeymoon, US Virgin Islands

Consider a honeymoon or romantic getaway holiday in idyllic St Thomas, home to the stunning Magens Bay Beach – rated by many as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

Blessed with great conditions for sailing, scuba diving and game fishing, St Thomas also offers fine dining restaurants, a choice of luxurious 5-star resorts and arguably the best discounted duty-free shopping in the Caribbean.

Home to a natural deepwater harbour, St Thomas is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean and is certainly the busiest cruise ship harbour in the West Indies.

Things to do and see
Stroll picturesque streets lined with red-roofed, whitewashed buildings and historic colonial architecture in the picturesque capital, Charlotte Amalie, which sweeps around a deepwater harbour surrounded by lush tree-covered hills. Just offshore lie the scenic Hassel and Water islands, easily reached by ferry.

Crammed with a plethora of architectural styles that reflect the island’s diverse cultural past, Charlotte Amalie offers great shopping in the narrow cobblestoned alleyways linking Waterfront Drive with Main Street (Dronningens Gade), as well as numerous historic sights just east of Government Hill.

Visit the historic 17th century Fort Christian, then stroll the palm-lined 99 Steps (although there are actually 103) to the top of Government Hill for panoramic views and to visit Blackbeard's Castle (or Fort Skytsborg), the earliest fortification in the US Virgin Islands and said to have been the home of the notorious 19th century pirate, Edward Teach.

Admire the white pillars, stone walls and sand floor of the St Thomas Synagogue – the second-oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere. Then check out the Camille Pissaro Gallery on Main Street, where the artist (a co-founder of the French Impressionist school) was born in 1830 and subsequently raised in the neighbourhood.

Later, wander through the smaller and quieter neighbourhood of Frenchtown, located on the peninsula due west of Charlotte Amalie. Home to most of St Thomas's French descendants for centuries, discover Frenchtown’s fine dining restaurants and bars and make time to explore the French Heritage Museum.

At Coral World Ocean Park, see stingrays, sharks and giant moray eels from the three-storey underwater observation tower located just 30m offshore. For a different underwater perspective, ride the Atlantis submarine to depths of 50m or stroll along the ocean floor 6m underwater, wearing a helmet and breathing through an air tube. Whatever you choose, this is a great family attraction.

For views of the harbour and Charlotte Amalie, take the St Thomas Skyride to the summit of 200m-high Slag Hill at Paradise Point. Enjoy a self-guided nature walk around the manicured Botanical gardens that surround the Estate St Peter Greathouse that sits on the lower slopes of a volcano.

From here you can admire more than 200 varieties of West Indian plants and trees, including an umbrella plant from Madagascar, and enjoy panoramic views over approximately 20 US Virgin Islands.

For the best views of the island’s hills, white-sand beaches and surrounding crystal clear turquoise waters, hire a car and take the scenic drive along Crown Mountain Road to Mountain Top at Crown Mountain. You will be rewarded with a picture-perfect view of the Sir Francis Drake Channel, which separates the US Virgins from the British Virgin Islands.

Take a day trip over to Hassel Island to see the remains of an old 19th century British military garrison or spend the day on Water Island (often considered the fourth inhabited island in the US Virgin Islands). Here you can hire a bike and explore the island, stopping off to picnic on a choice of mainly quiet and secluded white-sand beaches, including gorgeous Honeymoon Beach.

Accommodation
St Thomas is the most American of the three main islands and offers a huge selection of accommodation options including the beachfront palazzo-style Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas, and the Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, a large, all-inclusive and luxurious American-style mega-resort.

Best time to visit St Thomas, US Virgin Islands?
The best time for a honeymoon in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands is from late November to April. The climate is subtropical year round, with high temperatures calmed by cooling trade winds.

Expect an average of 28°C, with a high of 31°C in the summer months of May to October and an average of 25°C with a high of 28°C in the winter months between November and April. The hurricane season lasts from June to early November. For more climate info: St Thomas Weather Guide

Getting there – By air, St Thomas receives daily non-stop flights from New York, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The flight time between St Thomas and St Croix is only 20 minutes. How to get to St Thomas . . .

By boat, Charlotte Amalie is just a 20-minute ferry ride from Cruz Bay on St John and 45 minutes from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.