Arriving at Henry E Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix means nearby cities such as Christiansted, Frederiksted, and Kingshill are all an easy drive away. St. Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands, yet it moves at an unhurried pace. Danish colonial streets, old sugar mill towers, and rolling green hills give it a lived-in, historic feel, and you drive on the left here.

Favorite ways to spend a day on St. Croix: - Walk the yellow fort and arcaded streets of Christiansted National Historic Site - Snorkel the underwater trail at Buck Island Reef National Monument - Dive or snorkel under the Frederiksted pier, known for seahorses - Watch the sunrise at Point Udall, the easternmost point of the United States - Tour the Cruzan Rum distillery and taste the island's signature spirit - Explore the restored great house at Estate Whim Plantation Museum - Kayak Salt River Bay at night when the water glows with bioluminescence - Look for nesting leatherback turtles near Sandy Point in season - Drive the rainforest road on the West End among mahogany trees

St. Croix is an island, so the farthest point is never more than about an hour by car. Christiansted and Frederiksted sit at opposite ends, linked by the Centerline Road and the scenic North Shore route. For a change of scene, a short seaplane hop or ferry reaches St. Thomas and its busy harbor town of Charlotte Amalie. Grab a johnnycake or a saltfish pate from a roadside stand, and if you can, visit during the Crucian Christmas Festival, when parades and calypso fill the streets from December into early January.