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One look and you'll find out why St. Thomas is known as the Shopping Capital of the Caribbean. It's the trendy combination of chic shopping, fine dining and water sports galore that gives St. Thomas its cosmopolitan allure. Shop for diamonds by day and feast on fresh lobster by night. Go swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, sailing or sportfishing, or just sun on the beach. Families, couples and singles will all find their place here under the sun.

St. John is an island of contrasts. Virgin Islands National Park is its heart, both geographically and logistically, and occupies more than half the island's 20 square miles. Anchored by Cruz Bay to the west and Coral Bay to the east, the park occupies about two-thirds of the island and provides most of the island's sightseeing. Cruz Bay is the island's major shopping area, but savvy shoppers find small shopping centers and stores all the way to the eastern end of the island at Coral Bay. With numerous chefs trained at prestigious culinary schools, visitors will have no trouble finding delicious cuisine across the island.

Seven flags have flown over St. Croix, where wide open spaces have turned visitors into adventurers for more than five centuries. Forts built by early Danish settlers and ruins of 18th-century plantations compete for your days with dazzling white beaches, ecological parks and some of the best water sports in the Caribbean. Christiansted and Frederiksted are scenic towns where you can uncover shops tucked in quiet streets and small galleries offering spectacular artwork. Steeped in the cultural heritage of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix quietly charms you into returning often.

Vacation St. Croix & Island Villas Why have just a hotel room when you can have the privacy, comfort and luxury of your own vacation villa? Let Vacation St. Croix find the ultimate setting for your next great vacation. From a quaint more...

Sun Country Airlines Seasonal flights from the Twin Cities to San Juan and St. Thomas operate from January 31 - April, 2010. Introductory fare starts as $240 one way. Please visit www.suncountry.com for full more...

Find it fast! In most sections of DiscoverUSVImagazine.com you can view travel information for the entire USVI, or choose only St. Thomas, St. Croix or St. John.

Been to the USVI? Upload your comments, experiences, suggestions and photos here!

Start planning your next vacation now! Each of the USVI are unique and offer dozens of hotels, inns, villas and even camp grounds if you prefer truly green accommodations. Use the printer friendly hotel directory to compare prices and amenities of all hotels located in the USVI. You're certain to find the perfect affordable family vacation, romantic honeymoon retreat, extravagant weekend getaway, or luxurious beachfront resort here in America's Caribbean.

St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John are busy year-round with festivals, entertainment and sporting events. Carnival and other major events like the International and Rolex Regattas, Taste of St. Croix, Paradise Jam and triathlons which draw visitors from around the world.

Rent a car to explore at your own pace. Find interesting photo opportunities at the butterfly farm, world-class marinas, Coral World where you'll get a front-row-seat to sea life, shark encounters, giant aquariums, or helmet diving. Nature lovers will appreciate bird watching, biking and hiking. Use our map section to print detailed street and road USVI maps including locations of some of the Caribbean's best beaches.

Adventure seekers can experience exhilarating activities on land and sea; yachting, snorkeling, submarines, helmet diving, boat rentals or jet boat rides, fishing, windsurfing, parasailing, golf, diving, sailing.

If bling is your thing, you'll find it here. Use our shopping directory to find the duty free bargains and the most popular stores in the Caribbean. Bring it home! Jewelry, rum, diamonds and loose stones, watches, fashion accessories, arts and crafts, china, whimsical custom silver and gold jewelry, nautical charms, collectibles, coins, perfumes, fine linens, pet gifts and supplies, home furnishings and one of a kind wood carvings.

Get the scoop on restaurants and bars in our Dining and Nightlife directory. Find out where to eat for gourmet cuisine, sports bars with fancy frozen tropical drinks, intimate local favorites off the beaten path, award-winners, restaurants with sunset views, ocean views, authentic traditional island food, organic local greens, wine bars, beach bars or live music. Also get menu samplers and find local catering for private yachts and aircraft.

Inter-island and island hopping transportation options abound whether for groups or individuals. Find out what airlines fly to USVI, the most affordable cars, ferries, buses, bikes and tours. Get a handy cruise ship schedule to learn what days ships will be in port.

Explore the vacation home market. With paradise this close to the mainland USA, spectacular scenery and beaches, what's not to like? Before you arrive, read about buying real estate in the USVI and be prepared with a list of helpful real estate agents who can answer your questions about neighborhoods, condos and vacation home prices.

It is impossible to feature all of the artists in the USVI, but we can give you an idea of just how much variety and talent there is in the islands. Art galleries, handicrafts and talent thrive here and takes on every form; oil paintings, watercolors, custom jewelry, artistic photography and sculpture.

The US Virgin Islands offer idyllic settings for romance, weddings and honeymoons. But there is still the paperwork to consider. While USVI keeps it to a minimum — and with no passport required, you'll breeze through the quick and painless process. Get your marriage license application in a printer friendly format, plus fees and other details to get married in St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John or even Water Island.

Fast Facts lists helpful and important numbers for physicians, medical centers, religious services, postal and communications information, customs and duty allowances.

U.S. Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Association

The Hotel & Tourism Association is the unifying voice of the hospitality industry. This trade association serves more than 250 members. A board of directors selected by the membership annually governs the association. We seek to promote, educate and inform our membership to enhance the business environment in the Virgin Islands. We encourage membership participation in order to stimulate and encourage tourism in the Virgin Islands. Our objective is to foster & advance the hotel & tourism industry in order to improve the economic growth of our membership and that of our destination.

No Passport Required for U.S. Citizens

U.S. citizens can enter the U.S. Virgin Islands with an original birth certificate, plus a government-issued photo ID. You do not need to have a passport. Citizens of other countries are required to have a passport.