St Thomas is home to the capital of the USVI, Charlotte Amalie. The mountainous St Thomas Virgin Islands offer spectacular views in nearly every direction. Charlotte Amalie, founded in 1666 as Taphus (meaning “beer house” or “beer hall”) was renamed after Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, queen consort to King Christian V of Denmark-Norway.
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
Weather in St Thomas Virgin Islands
The weather in St Thomas is warm to hot year-round with the coolest temperatures in January. Since rain showers may pop up at any time, it’s wise to bring a small umbrella when going ashore. However, it’s best to take advantage of the sunny weather in summer which is from June to August.
Places to See in St Thomas
Coral World Marine Park and Observatory, offers an underwater observatory tower, a tropical nature trail, a marine gardens aquarium, and an 80,000-gallon coral reef tank.
Magens Bay. In addition to a gorgeous beach, Magens Bay also has a nature trail, food and beverage concessions, changing rooms, and lifeguards.
Drake’s Seat. Although St Thomas has many excellent views, Drake’s Seat offers one of the island’s best lookouts. It offers a panoramic view of Magens Bay as well as the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands to the east. The site is named for Sir Francis Drake.
99 Steps. The 99 steps, originally named Store Taarne Gade (which means Greater Tower Street) are actually 103 steps. The steps are the ballast bricks of the tall ships that came from the old world. After unloading the bricks, the ships would then return to Europe loaded with products from the islands.
Things to Do
Kayak through the St Thomas Marine Sanctuary and Mangrove Lagoon and along Magens Bay.
Dine. The Easterly offers waterfront dining, craft cocktails as well as wood-fired cuisine representative of the rustic Caribbean. French Quarter Bistro has upscale Cajun cuisine. For lunch, try the Side Street Pub. In addition to the regular fare, they offer vegan, vegetarian, as well as gluten-free options.
Hike. Discovery Nature Trail at Magens Beach is a somewhat challenging trail that takes you through several ecosystems. Keep a lookout for native and migratory birds such as the peregrine falcon and the stilt sandpiper.
Shop. In Charlotte Amalie, you can find a variety of shops ranging from high-end jewelry stores to touristy t-shirt shacks. In addition, find many duty-free items such as perfume, liquor, and gems.
Zipline. Tree Limin’ Extreme Zipline Tour is an adrenaline-charged, ultimate zip trip.
Fish. Since the Virgin Islands are perched at the edge of the six-mile-deep Puerto Rico Trench, the area has some of the hardiest game fish in the world such as Wahoo, Tuna, and Mahi-Mahi. Closer to shore you can land Kingfish, Bonito, Jacks, or Yellowtail snapper.
Go to the beach. St Thomas Virgin Islands has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In fact, Lindquist Beach is one of the many protected areas on the island. It’s an ideal location to have some quiet time while enjoying the shallow pristine waters if you feel like swimming. You can simply snooze under the shade of the coconut grove.
Scuba Diving On Board
