**DAY 8 – Cruzan Rum Distillery, d/o rental car, fly home 🙁
Getting Oriented & Organized
We didn’t initially plan much for our first full day on the island and for good reason! It’s always a good idea to give yourself some time to get oriented and organized. Be it giving yourself some time to adjust to a new time zone, or to get your local bearings. After a night in our AirBnB, we were able to take an inventory of what was available to us, as it varies. Things like kitchen utensils, toiletries and daily essentials may or may not be part of your rental. Luckily ours came with all the kitchen tool essentials as well as some breakfast items (coffee included) to get us through the first morning.
In conversation with our host the previous night, we came to discover there is a Kmart on island, so we set our sights for that this morning. As we mentioned in our Day 1 post, the lack of street signs on the island makes it quite easy to get turned around. After a couple wrong turns, we found one of the island hubs (Kmart, food court, movie theater, Wendy’s and more!). Here, we can pick up things like Kleenex, post cards, granola bars, pasta, sauce and sunscreen. We check out and head back to our AirBnB to unpack and tackle the day we planned for Day 2 of our visit to St Croix.
ST. CROIX FUN FACT: There’s no tax here! So, the price you see is the price you pay!
Cane Bay & the Wall
As we head North for the first time on our visit to St Croix USVI, we realize how INCREDIBLE the visibility is today. We can see St. John and St. Thomas islands silhouetted on the horizon. These are the other USVI islands 40 miles North of St. Croix. Travelling along the scenic route in a Northern direction, we soon find ourselves winding along the road with the Caribbean Sea peaking in and out of our sight. Before long, we are cruising ocean front, taking in the beautiful waterfront views and tropical atmosphere. There is a lot of Jurassic Park type foliage on St. Croix and any photos we tried to take to capture it just wouldn’t do it justice! Within about a 15-minute drive, we arrive at Cane Bay, a small but stunning, street side beach. As we slow down, we noticed maybe a dozen people sitting on the beach (another win for the off season!) We decide to pull into the plaza directly across the street where Sweet Bottom Dive Shop is located. Being we were planning on doing some snorkeling here, we figure, who better to ask for advice than local divers!
As we roll up, we are warmly greeted by the owner of an obviously new building. The folks at Sweet Bottom are very helpful in offering up advice for both local and island wide snorkel recommendations. It’s clear we aren’t the first to ask, as we are provided a photocopy of a hand drawn map detailing the best snorkeling spots on St. Croix. We thanked them and moved the car across the road to park in preparation for our first St. Croix snorkel adventure!
This particular location is also popular for ‘The Wall’. Located about 200 yards offshore, there is a steep drop off to 1000-2000 feet. Needless to say, the dive shop is quite perfectly located. We didn’t make the dive this time around but definitely hope to in future! If you are new to diving or debating whether you should put forth the effort (and cash) to get certified, Sweet Bottom offers a ‘Discover SCUBA Diving Course‘ option. This way, you can ‘test the water’, if you will, and decide if SCUBA diving is for you! What a great way to add to a visit to St Croix USVI.
Can you spot the octopus in the photo? It’s mostly tucked away under a rock on the left…
Marine Biology Geek Moment!
There is a staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) farm in Cane Bay. This is one of several coral nurseries in the waters that surround Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Funded and maintained by various environmental programs (including NOAA and The Nature Conservancy) these plots are an attempt to bring back species of coral deemed “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Here in Cane Bay, they are using the ‘tree’ nursery method (pictured below). These are super neat to see! And it isn’t far from the buoys where you begin your descent to The Wall, so be sure to check them out!
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What an excellent first snorkel! The visibility was around 30 feet or so but we were still able to see quite a bit. We saw many tropical fish (parrot, angel, tangs, triggers and more!) stingrays, various species of coral and AN OCTOPUS! This is where those waterproof ID placards we packed came in handy.
Sting rays aren’t an uncommon sight in the waters here. As long as you keep your distance, you’re safe 🙂
View of an old sugar mill from the waters of Cane Bay, St Croix
Everyone Here is SO FRIENDLY!!
Upon exiting the water just down the beach from where we entered, we are greeted by a friendly couple who is visiting from New Jersey. They are actually here on a mission to buy some property on which they are planning to retire in the next year. We chat with them a bit, listening to their adventures in Caribbean home hunting before heading back into the water.
After a collective two hours in the water, we realize we are very thirsty! Conveniently enough, there are a couple food and beverage options within meters of the beach. We decide on the very brightly coloured, open air Spratnet Beach Bar. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, they are open 7 days a week and offer snorkel gear and beach chair rentals as well. They even host crab races on Sunday Funday (a legit thing here on the island, more here) which we have added to our list of things to do on our next visit (here). This little shack is overlooking a sunset ocean view in one direction, and by an old sugar mill tower in the other. There is nothing boring about this place. And that includes Chef Calvin! This lively character and owner of the bar provides pleasant conversation and hospitality. We were told by the other visiting patron that his food is delicious and had an opportunity to sample some ourselves. Those patrons were telling the truth! Chef Calvin even makes his own (SPICY!!!) yellow pepper sauce and PapaJuana.
What’s PapaJuana you ask?…
Getting Our Learn On
MAMAJUANA is an (alcoholic) island beverage consisting of bark and herbs soaked in various combinations of rum, wine and honey. Said to have originated in the Dominican Republic, every recipe differs in its own way, from the types of herbs, rum, wine and honey used, to the length of soak. One consistent feature is that it is a DELICIOUS concoction! We tried several versions on St. Croix, each claiming to be the best, and having its own list of ailments to remedy. If you are one to partake in adult beverages on vacation, Mamajuana (or Papajuana, or Nautijuana etc.) is a must try!
While there, we chat with Calvin, his friend and a patron lady visiting from Texas. We learn a lot about the island in the hour that we sat there in bathing suits, beers in hand. The lady from Texas is on island visiting her mother who is there working for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). She is one of many here responding to the devastation caused by Maria. In the wake of the storm and the political drama that ensued in Puerto Rico in 2018, few people realize how hard hit the Virgin Islands also were. We quickly learn about the many FEMA workers living and working on island, how they came to be, how they are getting on and how the locals feel about it.
In discussing local culture, we ask if there are any tropical fruit in season as we’ve been a bit taken aback by the lack of street side fruit vendors. Apparently, only carambola fruit (aka starfruit) are ripe for the picking. Papaya are on their way (as we had seen on many roadside trees) but may not ripen enough during our visit to St Croix USVI.
It Is Halloween After All
After a couple beverages (and shots of Papajuana) we head back to our pad to prep for an evening of Halloween festivities! Knowing full and well we were going to be on vacation for Halloween, we packed costumes to suit our island escape. We are dressing up as Gilligan and Mary Ann from Gilligan’s islands!
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We learned from conversations with local folks that The Deep End is the place to be for Halloween. They’ll be hosting a buffet and costume contest. The Deep End is actually located on a resort ground but completely accessible to the public. ST. CROIX FUN FACT: By law, all of the beaches on the island are Public Access Beaches. That’s right, even the beach on someone’s swanky waterfront property is accessible to anyone.
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We split a dish from the buffet, a mess of southern BBQ and all the fixin’s, as we sit pool side and take in all of the fantastic costumes. There are three categories for the costume contest: Best Individual, Best Couple and Best Group. Most of the costumes are pretty creative and some of them, BRILLIANT! Among them, Bob Ross, the Kardashians, Clifford (the Big Red Dog-a real dog painted red) and Emily. Unfortunately, we don’t win but those who do are well deserving.
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Stay tuned for Day 3 of our visit to St Croix USVI! Planning a trip to the island? Start here. Looking for accommodations – check these out!
This was so much fun to read through! I loved following along with your adventure. The pictures are amazing, too. I wonder, how do the beaches stay nice if everything is public access? Respecting the environment must be a big deal over there!
Hi Sharon! Thanks for checking us out! The island definitely has an environmentally friendly vibe, with it’s eco-tourism theme. You do occasionally see bits of trash around (hard to say if it was put there by a human or the tide). We did say that next time we go back, we’d plan to carry a trash bag around with us to clean some of it up! Overall though, they were pretty clean.
Hi Di! Thanks for checking us out! Sounds like you’ve got your priorities in order 😉 There are so many spots where you can do both so be sure to check out our other posts describing those as well.
I had no idea that St. Croix had so much to do and enjoy. I look forward to seeing what else you get to enjoy while there. I love the clear, beautiful water.
I’m from a Caribbean island close to St Croix, so I know its’s a nice place. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I too am an avid fan of Caribbean cuisine. Great post 👍🏼
I’m from a Caribbean island close to St Croix, so I know its’s a nice place. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I too am an avid fan of Caribbean cuisine. Great post 👍🏼
The undersea photos are awesome! It’s encouraging to hear that they are trying to repopulate the endangered coral species in the oceans around the island.
The snorkeling pictures were very interesting. I haven’t taken a trip to St. Croix yet, but I’d love to go there and visit the beautiful tropical island.
Hi Elle! We can’t say enough about how much we recommend visiting St. Croix. Check out Day 1 for a link to the Airbnb we stayed at, for a low cost accommodation option. Do you snorkel?
Hi Chinedu! Can’t say enough about what a blast we had! Be sure to check out our other days as well. We have definitely realized that we never stop learning and that’s why we love to travel! Have you ever travelled to the Caribbean?
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It’s beautiful!!!
Every little bit! Have you ever sampled Crucian cuisine Swati?
Sounds like a wonderful day!
Good for the soul. And there are more to come 🙂
It is indeed a beautiful place to spend your holiday. Good to know that the beaches are accessible to the public.
It looks amazing, would love to visit one day x
Hi Samantha! We hope you get a chance to visit as well! Feel free to contact us with any questions if you find yourself planning a trip 🙂
This was so much fun to read through! I loved following along with your adventure. The pictures are amazing, too. I wonder, how do the beaches stay nice if everything is public access? Respecting the environment must be a big deal over there!
Hi Sharon! Thanks for checking us out! The island definitely has an environmentally friendly vibe, with it’s eco-tourism theme. You do occasionally see bits of trash around (hard to say if it was put there by a human or the tide). We did say that next time we go back, we’d plan to carry a trash bag around with us to clean some of it up! Overall though, they were pretty clean.
Sounds Amazing, would love to go!
Hi Melissa! We hope you get a chance to visit as well! Feel free to contact us with any questions if you find yourself planning a trip 🙂
Oh wow that beach though! Man I’d be on the sand and snorkeling all day if you let me! Sounds like heaven!
Hi Di! Thanks for checking us out! Sounds like you’ve got your priorities in order 😉 There are so many spots where you can do both so be sure to check out our other posts describing those as well.
I had no idea that St. Croix had so much to do and enjoy. I look forward to seeing what else you get to enjoy while there. I love the clear, beautiful water.
Hi Brandy! We even have a list of things we didn’t get to! We’ll be posting the rest of our trip over the coming week so stay tuned!
I have never been there. It looks absolutely beautiful!
Hi Melissa! We can’t say enough good things about it! Maybe you’ll get a chance to visit some day 🙂
I’m from a Caribbean island close to St Croix, so I know its’s a nice place. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I too am an avid fan of Caribbean cuisine. Great post 👍🏼
Awesome! Thanks Menesa. We can’t wait to visit more of the local islands 🙂
I’m from a Caribbean island close to St Croix, so I know its’s a nice place. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I too am an avid fan of Caribbean cuisine. Great post 👍🏼
Awesome! Thanks Menesa. We can’t wait to visit more of the local islands 🙂 Do you have a favourite dish?
Sounds wonderful. The way you’ve described it is brilliant and it seems like you’re having an incredible time there!
Thanks Adam, we had an absolute blast! Stay tuned for more details on our trip if you’re interested 🙂
The undersea photos are awesome! It’s encouraging to hear that they are trying to repopulate the endangered coral species in the oceans around the island.
Thanks Razena! We agree, it was pretty interesting to learn about the farming operation as well. Have you ever been to the Caribbean?
Wow, that sounds like a nice place to have a wonderful adventure and I hope to be there someday!
Hi Surekha, thanks for checking us out! Have you ever travelled to the Caribbean or other tropical paradise?
If I would have been there, I would have gone snorkeling for sure. This is a wonderful trip I must say
Hi there Binge! Have you done any other snorkeling? We are always looking for recommendations!
The snorkeling pictures were very interesting. I haven’t taken a trip to St. Croix yet, but I’d love to go there and visit the beautiful tropical island.
Hi Elle! We can’t say enough about how much we recommend visiting St. Croix. Check out Day 1 for a link to the Airbnb we stayed at, for a low cost accommodation option. Do you snorkel?
Wow what a fun trip! Your itinerary looks amazing and your learning new things, thanks for sharing!
Hi Chinedu! Can’t say enough about what a blast we had! Be sure to check out our other days as well. We have definitely realized that we never stop learning and that’s why we love to travel! Have you ever travelled to the Caribbean?
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