Trip Report St. Croix trip report July 2021

[jonhall]

Nice report. A lot of new restaurants since I've been there. One of the best beaches I've ever been on is Turtle Beach - at one time voted in the top 3 in the Caribbean in several polls. Only problem is it's on Buck Island, so you had to do the catamaran/boat tour to get there - but what beautiful, soft, white sand. Just another way to spend a day when visiting St. Croix.

St. Croix has the worst roads of any island we've been on (and we've been to quite a few).

People who have been several times probably accept this to be the norm - we did. I was always afraid of a head on collision going around curves in the "rainforest." Too bad about the lighthouse as there are fantastic views, IMO, from atop the bluff. A parking lot by the trail head would be a newer addition I believe - we parked on the side of the road where it ended at the government facility (can't remember exactly what it was.)

Also, is the pier a repeat dive site where one goes there several times and still find something new/interesting to photograph (day and night)?

Definitely a repeat, day and night. Lots to see and photograph. Look up Jenny Keith Photos on Facebook for some of her photos diving the pier.

I'm told N2TheBlue came under new ownership and a name change;

It became Nep2une diving. Same people running it, just a name change. Very convenient dive op to pick up tanks for diving the pier. Jenny Keith is still an instructor there and is a great person to have lead a dive of the pier.

 

[mwall04]

Is the Island OK for a non-diving spouse and young children (4 & 6 year olds)? Are there activities for them to do while father diving all day?

Also, is the pier a repeat dive site where one goes there several times and still find something new/interesting to photograph (day and night)?

I think one of the strong attractions of St. Croix is that it has a little bit of everything for everyone of all ages. We traveled all over the Caribbean and the world looking for our next home before we decided to relocate to St. Croix. I'm an avid diver and underwater photographer so good diving was important to me. My wife, a non-diver, really enjoys the beaches, snorkeling, swimming, and topside attractions. St. Croix provides us with both.

The pier is definitely a repeat dive. Every time I dive it, I see new species of fish and other creatures. I dived it with friends this past week and we saw everything from a 100+ school of large tarpon to small sea horses and tiny eels to a really cool cleaning station with dozens of cleaner shrimp. After our one 90 minute dive, we collectively agreed it was the largest variety of fish and invertebrates that any of us have seen on a single dive anywhere in the world. I've decided to start photographing all the species seen at the pier and suspect it will take me years to get good photos of every species.

 

[devingordon]

@boboqa - With the understanding that everyone has their own "best of" list, our favorite dive locations in the Caribbean/Atlantic are all quite different. But here's our list, in no particular order. The caveats are that we haven't visited several of these islands since recent hurricanes (e.g., BVI) and there are several locations that many people list as favorites in the area where we haven't been (e.g., Belize, Roatan).

Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Providenciales, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, New Providence, Eleuthera, Bonaire

 

[Jake 10]

Great report, thanks for sharing. Cool turtle and shark video

 

[Alucard]

Hah. I was on St Croix in July of this year and stayed at the condo at the Palms at Pelican Cove and dove with SCUBA!

Agree on the dive op - highly recommended, although the lack of staff was causing them issues. I agree with the diving assessment, too... and about the roads.

You definitely must have had a different condo from me, though - our was wonderfully-appointed, spacious and spotlessly clean. I suppose as each one is privately owned your mileage may vary.

I found the food to be generally very good, but not exciting. Loved Ama at Cane Bay and Hamilton's in Christiensted for dinners. La Reine Chicken Shack and Ziggy's were my two lunch highlights.

The pier was definitely worth repeat dives - saw different things on each of the 4 dives we did there. Eagle Rays, sting rays, flying gurnards, lizardfish, toadfish (we think), snake eels, some of the largest trumpetfish I have ever seen, the schools of fish like the tarpon, lots of octopus (one even out in the open during the day!), arrowhead crabs, tilefish, jawfish, garden eels, puffers, porcupine fish, cow fish, flounders a-plenty (usually peacock), bearded fireworm, some nice angels, plus all the other usual suspects.

 

[TTPaws]

Nice write up.

I will totally agree that the roads have to be some of the worst I've seen.

However I will disagree with you on the beaches, Cane bay stretches for quite a bit with most of it empty. there is a restaurant and dive shop right there and just short walk is Off the Wall, one of my favorite little restaurants.

The pier is one of the reasons that we moved here. I could dive it every day or night and see something new.

Before we moved here we started out our visits by staying at the Hotel on the Cay, which is pretty cool, but then once we started renting a car moved out to airbnbs all around the islands. We even rented a room in a house a couple of times. I would say that physical upkeep was about average throughout the island. A few were 5 star and the rest 3 star. But we tended to stay in ones that with all said and done was less the 100 a night, so we didn't expect 5 star.

I love diving here so much that we bought a house on island so I can dive 3-4 times a week.

 

[BoltSnap]

I love diving here so much that we bought a house on island so I can dive 3-4 times a week.

Are there decent private schools there?

 

[TTPaws]

Are there decent private schools there?

Sorry, I don't have kids, but the two facebook pages that focus on the island have had discussions lately that seem to say they are pretty good, if you search for St. Croix, 00820 USVI or St.Croix, 00840 USVI you could ask there. But stand by to catch some crap over using private schools versus public

 

[freston4]

This is a very helpful report, thanks for posting it. We are going to STX the first week in Oct and this information will help with our planning.

 

[BrackaFish]

This is a very helpful report, thanks for posting it. We are going to STX the first week in Oct and this information will help with our planning.

Have a safe trip and give us a report about your experience. Be safe