8 Day St Croix Itinerary: An Island Full of Surprises!
When you think of the U.S. Virgin Islands, most people think of St John or St Thomas. St Croix is often overlooked. After spending a week there, I am surprised! It has amazing food culture, beautiful hikes, some spectacular snorkeling sites, and very unique attractions. Follow my St Croix itinerary to discover all these gems.
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DAY 1: TRAVEL DAY TO ST CROIX
We arrived at the airport in St Croix (STX) at 1:30 pm. A representative from Vacation St Croix, who manages the villa rental we booked, met us at the airport.
We rented an SUV from Centerline Car Rental. The check-in process was seamless, and we picked up the car on-site at the airport. We then followed the Vacation St Croix representative for about 25 minutes to our villa rental. Once we arrived, we dropped off our suitcases and headed to the local grocery store.
4 pm: Grocery run at Plaza West.
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner: Today was a travel day, so breakfast/lunch was eaten at the airport/plane. We ate at the villa for dinner.
DAY 2: ANNALY BAY TIDE POOLS
10:15 am – 1:15 pm: We hiked for 1 hour to get to Annaly Bay Tide Pools, an incredibly unique and gorgeous attraction in St Croix! It does take a little effort though and advance planning. Check out my Guide to Annaly Bay Tide Pools for all the details.
1:30 pm: After our morning adventure, we elected to make our own cocktails and relax in our private pool for the afternoon.
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner: At the villa
Overnight: The Pearl
DAY 3: BUCK ISLAND + ZIGGY’S
9 am – 1 pm: Read any St Croix guide book, and everyone will tell you a visit to Buck Island is a must! It offers some great snorkeling and a visit to one of the most pristine Caribbean beaches. All you need to do is book a boat. Follow my Buck Island Guide on how to make this excursion happen.
1:45 pm: Since we were already located on the eastern end of the island, we visited Point Udall which is marked by a giant sundial known as the Millenium Monument.
Breakfast/Dinner: At the villa
2 pm Lunch: We had a tasty lunch at Ziggy’s Island Market, which is located at a gas station! It is kind of a thing here in St Croix. To find out more, check out my Top 13 Things To Do in St Croix.
Overnight: The Pearl
DAY 4: FREDERIKSTED PIER + RHYTHMS + MONKS BATH
10:30 am: We snorkeled at Frederiksted Pier, one of the most unique snorkeling experiences we have done so far. As you swim under the pier, you will see the pylons coated with all these beautiful brightly colored red, orange, and yellow corals. Hiding among the coral are all kinds of little sea creatures. We also saw schools of blue tang and a family of squid. It was incredible! Want to know more? Check out my Top 5 Snorkeling Sites in St Croix.
2 pm: We checked out another tide pool called Monks Bath. It required little effort (5-minute walk) and was interesting but not as spectacular as Annaly Bay Tide Pools.
Breakfast/Dinner: At the villa
1 pm Lunch: Rhythms at Rainbow Beach. This beachfront restaurant is supposedly the “Original Home of the Lima-N-Da-Coconut” tropical drink. We had a few of these and also enjoyed some delicious, fresh Mahi tacos.
Overnight: The Pearl
DAY 5: MT. EAGLE HIKE
2 pm: We slept in and enjoyed a delicious homemade breakfast of an egg & chorizo biscuit, hash browns, and a cinnamon bun. Then we worked off those calories by hiking to Mt. Eagle. This is the highest mountain on St Croix and offers some great panoramic views. The trailhead was difficult to find, but the hike was fairly easy. If you want to know how to find the trailhead, check out my article on the Mt. Eagle hike.
4 pm: Martinis by the pool. FYI: St Croix is home to Sion Farm Distillery, which produces the local Mutiny Island Vodka made from breadfruit. You can visit the distillery for a tasting or buy it at the local grocery store.
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner: At the villa
Overnight: The Pearl
DAY 6: CANE BAY + RAINFOREST + SANDY POINT + SAND CASTLE
9:30 am: We snorkeled at the beautiful Cane Bay. We saw turtles and plenty of schools of fish. If you are adventurous, you can also dive “The Wall,” a vertical steep cliff that has a dramatic drop-off.
11 am: After our snorkeling adventure, we drove through the rainforest to see the beer (nonalcoholic) drinking pigs. Unfortunately, they were closed when we went, but it was still a nice scenic drive.
11:45 am: Next we checked out Sandy Point Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean with its soft white sand and vivid turquoise waters. It is only open Saturdays and Sundays and is closed from April 1 – September 1.
12:30 pm: Next stop was snorkeling at Sand Castle, where we saw some beautiful brightly colored starfish and many tropical schools of fish.
Breakfast/Dinner: At the villa
2 pm Lunch: La Reine Chicken Shack. Best BBQ chicken ever!
Overnight: The Pearl
DAY 7: HIKE TO ISAAC & JACK BAY + SNORKELING + CHRISTIANSTED
11 am: We hiked 20 minutes to Isaac Bay and then another 20 minutes to Jack Bay. Both bays have beautiful clear water, soft white sand beaches, and coral reefs. The hike is not overly challenging, but it is hot since there is no shade.
11:30 am: Once we arrived at Isaac Bay, we decided to cool off and go snorkeling. It was a little windy which made the snorkeling more challenging, but we were still able to see some tropical fish and even a lobster.
2:30 pm: We checked out the colorful town of Christiansted and had some ice cream at What’s Da Scoop.
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner: At the villa
Overnight: The Pearl
DAY 8: RELAXED MORNING AT THE VILLA + FLY BACK HOME
We slept in, had a late breakfast, and got one last swim in. A rainbow appeared before we had to drive off at 12 pm. Incredible! It was so hard to leave!
3:35 pm: Flight back home.
Breakfast: At the villa
12:30 pm Snack: We swung by Thomas Bakery for some local coconut sweets and then headed to the airport.
Who Will Like This St Croix Itinerary
- Beach lovers
- Snorkeling & hiking enthusiasts
- Foodies (St Croix definitely has a great food culture)
Best Time to Go to St Croix
Avoid hurricane season from June-November. If you go then, buy travel insurance.
April and May are ideal due to better temperatures, little rainfall, and slightly fewer crowds. December – March is also a nice time to visit, but it is peak season so prices will be higher. Also, “Christmas winds” occur during this time which can make snorkeling difficult or impossible.
Villa Rental Booked
- 7 nights
Airlines & Lounges Used
American Airlines
- We had a layover in Miami both ways. Total flight times from the east coast + layovers were about 6-7 hours.
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami
- Beautiful lounge but crowded!
Car Rental & How to Get Around St Croix
- St Croix is large and spread out. I would highly advise renting a car. We used Centerline Car rental. I highly recommend them.
Tour Operators We Used for This St Croix Itinerary
- Buck Island Tour
Lunch/Dinner Reservations Booked in Advance
- None. All of the restaurants we chose did not require reservations.
What I Would Have Considered Changing in My St Croix Itinerary
- We went during the pandemic at Christmas, and a lot of the food establishments we wanted to visit were either closed or had reduced hours. Places on our list to check out when we go back are Ital in Paradise, Savant, AMA at Cane Bay, 40 Eats & Drinks, Nidulari (food truck in the rainforest), and Singh’s Fast Food for local food.
- Cruzan Rum Distillery was closed when we went, but I would have loved to have done a tour and a tasting. Instead, we settled for buying bottles of rum at the grocery store and did our own rum tasting back at the villa rental.
Cane Bay Beach in St Croix USVI
Questions about our St Croix itinerary?
Let me know in the comments below!
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