6 Reasons to spend 60 Hours in St. Croix
In an island like Puerto Rico, the choices are quite limited if you want to hop on a plane and take full advantage of a long weekend. Which is why the Virgin Islands are a great alternative if you want to skip the layovers and spend most of your time wondering around a new destination and not an airport.
My childhood best friend has been living in St. Croix for almost a year and basically said "nena, o vienes ahora o no vienes nunca" so that was my sign to hop on a plane with my husband and some friends and make the most of it. He was not only a wonderful host but an amazing tour guide. After a beautiful President's Day weekend at "Santa Cruz", these are my top 6 reasons why you should make your way to this Island pronto.
1- NO NEED FOR A US PASSPORT
Since St. Croix is part of the US Virgin Islands, the need for a US Passport is optional (given you have your Real ID). As of October 1st, 2020 the license will no longer be a valid form of ID for domestic flights. You can check TSA's website for more information. Make sure to catch a window seat and take advantage of sky-high beautiful views if you are flying from SJU (Puerto Rico) to STX (St. Croix). We got to see some amazing places on the east coast of Puerto Rico that you would certainly miss while on the ground.
St. Croix from up in the air.
2- NO BITCHY BEACHES
Different from other Islands nearby, St. Croix holds such a chill vibe...you never see big crowds or a crazy party scene at the beaches. In our short time we got to see the Annaly Bay Tide Pools, The Fred, Sandy Point and Rainbow Beach. Each one very different from the other.
The Annaly Bay Tide Pools hay que tener un chin de resistencia para llegar a disfrutárselo. After a 45 minute hike leaving from Carambola Beach Resort, we arrived at this beautiful beach with no sand, just rocks. I can still hear those rocks coming back and forth with the waves...a very peaceful yet unusual sound.
Para aquella que piensa que fui muy producida para ir hiking....si usted va Glamping, pues yo puedo ir "Glamking"....Sencillez antes todo.
The views on your way to the tide pools are out of this world and the experience is even more pleasant since you're listening to the sound of the ocean throughout the entire hike.
After hiking and arriving at this rocky beach, we reached a point were the tide was higher than usual, which meant we would have to do some minor rappelling with the possibility of plummeting to my death. No joke, I told my husband to continue without me (dramática full), that I would see his pictures later. Then I thought it would be ridiculous to have come so far to just stay sitting on the sidelines. Todo para el Gram, no? Con la ayuda de todos, tanto física como moral, enfrenté el reto mediante un temblor de rodillas 6.7.
The tide pools are perfect to create your very own surreal picnic spot. I recommend taking some water shoes to navigate more comfortably. Indeed, worth the hike!
Once you step foot at The Fred Hotel you say to yourself "Ahhh esto es lo mio". With perfectly aligned lounge chairs and an almost private area for snorkeling, you can't go wrong with grabbing a drink here.
Sandy Point beach is also a natural refuge for the leatherback sea turtles. Its turquoise waters and serene environment was the perfect stop to sit down and take it all in.
The last beach we visited before heading back to the airport was Rainbow Beach. The restaurant, Rhythms, is conveniently located there with many water sports activities as well as a great food menu.
3- THE PIGS
Probably the weirdest activity I've ever encountered. The Mt. Pellier Domino Club is nothing more than a Tiki Bar where you can feed pigs non-alcoholic beer (they of course spit out the can after feeling refreshed). ¿A quién no le gusta una friita?
4- THE BEER
At the Island of St. Croix you will find at least two Microbreweries: BREW STX located on the beautiful Boardwalk in downtown Christiansted and Leatherback Brewing Co which was our go-to beverage of the weekend.
*Fun Tip: If you decide to hit BREW STX I recommend arriving early and taking the $5 Round Trip Ferry to Protestant Cay (2 minute ride across the Boardwalk). Spend the day at Hotel on the Cay, do some snorkeling or chill by the beach and then finish off the day crossing over to the boardwalk for a well deserved beer from BREW STX. The ferry to the Cay is FREE after 5pm.
Leatherback has "Hair Flipping Fantastic" beer. Make sure you order the nachos with house-made beer cheese and a flight of their seasonal beers.
5- THE FOOD
The food in the Island is very diverse, ranging from purely Cruzan food to a mix of Cruzan with Puertorrican or Dominican flavor. As we were driving along Mahogany Road we bumped into Nidulari, an artisanal bakery that is worth your taste buds. (bonus chit-chat with the sweet Irish lady)
I know we were not in the land of Mofongos, but damn, that was one tasty dish we had at El Flamboyant, overlooking the refinery and dancing to bachata whilst waiting on our order.
I've been craving a Colombian Stuffed Arepa for the longest time and little did I know that I would find some in St. Croix....a whole menu of them. I ordered the vegetarian choice stuffed with spinach, mushroom and cheese...JUST WOW. The place is called Toast Diner and its open for Brunch over by the Christiansted Boardwalk.
6- THE CULTURE
We were lucky enough to catch the Agrifest 2020 during our weekend at St. Croix which gave us a glimpse into their culture and traditions. It was definitely one memorable experience packed with amazing food and great company!
WHAT DID I PACK?
I'm extremely picky with visors...so once I found this one, it was love at first sight. It's travel friendly and goes perfectly with my straw purse that I carry to all beach-y scenarios.
The first swimsuit I packed was perfect because it served as a blouse as well with some leggings to go hiking. The wrap around waist tie is perfect to wear in your hair for a different look!
I love white shades, specially for beach escapades...they go with everything! These are the ones I wore:
Rarely do I use gold colored jewelry, so if the outfit is too wild and you want to keep it to a minimum on the shades department....these are your go to understated statement: Groovy baby!
Si lo tuyo es ser matchy-matchy by the beach....this is your perfect duo:
Pro-Tip: You can order this belt so the cover up stays closed if you are hitting other places on the way to the beach:
¿Se te olvidó la sombrilla para la playa? No se diga más, con esta pamela resuelves.
Para el video de nuestra experiencia en St. Croix puedes entrar a IGTV bajo @sandrysabel