25 Best Budget Friendly Things to Do on St Croix

Last fall we spent 8 days on St. Croix and had an absolute BLAST! If this is the first you are hearing of our adventure, start here. It was a busy trip packed full of adventure and exploration. There is SO MUCH TO DO on St. Croix! When planning our trip, we were completely optimistic that we would get everything on our ‘To Do List’ done. Alas it was not so. But here are 25 budget friendly things to do on St Croix that we did do!

When we began planning our vacation, we stumbled across GoToStCroix.com , a truly wonderful resource for all things St. Croix. They have generated a list of ‘100 Things to Do on St. Croix‘ which is a great launching point for the adventurous spirit looking to travel to the lesser known of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

While developing our custom St. Croix itinerary, we were ambitious in planning to put a solid dent in this list. And so, as a wrap up to our trip, we thought we’d summarize the items we got to and add our own experiences to the list as well. We’ll also be listing the items we didn’t get to this time around, but fully intend to – because there’s always next time!

Here we Go…

#1 Hike Jack and Isaac Bay – While we didn’t get a chance to make it to Jack Bay (due to a snorkeling incident involving Kat and a sea urchin), we did make it to Isaac Bay and it was oh so worth it! We made the trek early morning and had the entire beach to ourselves. We did it on Day 4 of our trip. Cost: Free!

#2 Hike to the Tide Pools – This was one awesome experience as we hiked through the rainforest and out onto a rocky beach, a drastic contrast to most other beaches on the island. The Annaly Bay tide pools are so unique in that you get to experience the ocean while sheltered behind a wall of rock. We did it on Day 5 of our trip. Cost: Free!

#10 Taste All 39 Flavours of Rum – St. Croix is home to the Captain Morgan and Cruzan Rum distilleries, so if you like rum, it’s crazy not to stop by and take the tours they offer. It’s a good idea to split them up over the course of your trip, as 39 samples can take it’s toll on a person. We visited the Captain Morgan distillery on first day on island, and the Cruzan Distillery on our last day. Cost: Captain Morgan tour $10, Cruzan Rum tour $8

#11 Eat Fresh Local Seafood – Wahoo bites at Rhythms at Rainbow Beach, pot fish at Kim’s Restaurant in downtown Christiansted and mahi burgers at Cheeseburgers in America’s Paradise. I’d say we did this one justice! (Note: there’s no such thing as too much of it either.) Cost: Vary but reasonable.

TRAVEL TIP: Want to experience local food with out spending too much? Split a meal with your travel partner! Most proportions at the restaurants we went to were plenty for the two of us to share.

#12 Sample Local Cuisine – Our best stop for this item was Uca’s Kitchen & Rastafarian Cultural Center in downtown Frederiksted. We had fungi, kallaloo and breadfruit juice here. Trust us, you will not be disappointed! There’s a lot we didn’t try either but look forward to doing so upon our return. Cost: Vary but reasonable.

#14 Sample Local Ales – For this one we made a stop at the recently opened Leatherback Brewing Company on Day 7. Cost: Flight $10.

#25 Find Inner Peace at the Labyrinth – Labyrinth’s symbolize many millennia of spiritual experience and meditation method. The island’s only labyrinth is located on the Estate Mount Washington property, so there’s a lot to take in once you there. We checked it out on Day 7 of our trip. Cost: Free!

#28 Walk Through (around) Historic Forts – We didn’t splurge on paying the entrance fee but we walked around each Christiansted and Frederiksted forts on Day 3 and Day 5. Cost: Free!

#30 Explore Sugar Plantation Ruins – There are 115 sugar mill ruins still standing on the island, all great opportunities to appreciated the island’s rich (and sweet!) history. We visited estate Mount Washington on Day 7. Cost: Free!

#31 Jump Off the Frederiksted Pier – Or at least make a slow entry in full snorkel gear. This spot is an incredible hub for local species! Each pile of the pier is it’s own ecosystem, attracting so many species of fish. you might even get to see a sea turtle (we did! a Hawksbill to be exact). We snorkeled the pier on Day 5 of our trip. Cost: Free!

#36 Enjoy a Tropical Cocktail Beachside – We’d be lying if we said this only happened once 😉 There are plenty of opportunities to do so, from Rhythms at Rainbow Beach to the boardwalk downtown Christiansted. This is an easy one and well deserved if you ask us! Cost: Vary but reasonable.

TRAVEL TIP: Want a budget friendly way to enjoy beachside cocktails? Buy your favourite cocktail ingredients at the store, make a batch and bring it to the beach! Don’t forget your reusable mug and straws.

#51 Enjoy Live Entertainment – The best entertainment we had the opportunity to experience was a giant, free concert at Sion Farm , in support of one of the local politicians running for office as we were on island just prior to mid-term elections. If there’s one thing this island can do, it’s put on a good live show, so be sure to take one in. Cost: Free!

#55 Search for Chaney Along the Beach – While snorkeling along the island’s coast, it’s easy to find all sorts of little treasures, including pieces of fine china aka chaney. We didn’t find any on our trip but we sure had fun looking for it! Cost: Free!

#73 Watch the Sunrise at Point Udall – Check and check! We did it (in style) on Day 4. It’s actually the morning we met GoToStCroix’s developer, Wendy. Cost: Free!

#82 Find the Perfect St. Croix Keepsake – For us, this was our bottle Mama Juana from The Domino Club located in the heart of the rainforest. We picked it up on Day 6. What will yours be?

#92 See Where Christopher Columbus Landed – And we bet it looks very much today like it did then! Pretty neat right? We stopped by the famous beach on Day 7.
Cost: Free!

#93 Visit Sandy Point National Wildlife Preserve – This was definitely one of our favourite spots. While the snorkeling wasn’t much to write home about, it’s floatability is fantastic. And the water!!! Some of the bluest we’ve ever seen <3 We arrived not long after the sea turtles had hatched and were able to see all the abandoned nests along the shore We were there early enough to find ourselves alone once again. We can’t recommend this spot enough! We visited on Day 6.
Cost: Free!

#94 Take a Drive to Point Udall – We did this to reach the sunrise on Day 4.
Cost: Free!

#99 Drive the North Shore Coast – The scenic North shore makes for a beautiful drive. We actually did it in chunks on different days of our trip when we found ourselves traveling to Cane Bay or Annaly Bay. If you’re planning to do it justice, be sure to rent a jeep with four wheel drive because it isn’t entirely paved. Cost: Free!

Alright, so we hit 19/100 of the ‘To Do’s’, a fifth of the activities suggested by GoToStCroix.com. We’d say that’s not too shabby! Keeping in mind, the goal was to plan a budget friendly trip so we aimed to hit most of the free activities the island has to offer . Other than the food, beverage, lodging and rental car to get around, all of the above activities were 100% free!

what Else is There?

There were a couple other budget friendly things to do on St. Croix that weren’t listed that we’d also recommend:
-Attend a MUTINY ISLAND VODKA tasting (we did on Day 3)
-Pay Homage to the Island’s Oldest Tree (Day 7)
-Snorkel Around Protestant Cay (Day 3)
-Take a Moment to Wonder at a Natural Blow Hole (Day 7)
-Sample a Local Elixir (aka Mamajuana) (Day 6)
-Visit on Halloween! (Day 2)

There’s Always Next Time!

So what budget friendly things to do on St Croix would we chose to do next time? (From GoToStCroix.com):
#3 Picnic at Ham’s Bluff Lighthouse (we made an effort to check this off our list but had issues finding the trail)
#34 Try your Luck at the Casino
#40 Taste Organic Honey from Bee Keepers
#44 Dive the Cane Bay Wall (Phil need to become dive certified first!)
#52 Dance with a Moko Jumbie
#65 Race a Hermit Crab to Victory
#71 Free Waterfront Jazz Concerts

#86 Go Deep Sea Fishing
#87 Try Inshore Fishing
#90 Reconnect with Nature at the Botanical Gardens
#91 Snorkel the Underwater Trail at Buck Island (another failed attempt as we tried booking with a company that required a minimum of 6 customers; curse of the off season)
#97 Have a Beer with some Pigs (we tried this but there is a weather caveat associated with it as wet weather mucks up the path to the pigs rendering them impossible to visit)

And a few more budget friendly things to do on St Croix we suggest:
-Snorkel the Salt River Mangroves
-Visit the Casino
-Spend some time at Susanna Santana Park
-Explore the Farmers Market (open on Saturday’s)
-Snorkel the East End Marine Park

Have we convinced you to start planning your trip? Start looking for accommodations here.

Have you ever been to St. Croix? What activity would you recommend?