By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
Looking for a different way to cool off in the Caribbean? If you’re in St. Thomas, consider taking a stroll through Magic Ice.
Easy to find on Charlotte Amalie’s waterfront, it’s the world’s largest permanent ice gallery, housed in an 8,000-foot space chilled to a frigid 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brainchild of the Norwegian owner of an ice-carving school in Lithuania, the exhibit features around 20 sculptures, which are changed four times a year by a visiting team of Lithuanian carvers.
You’ll don a hooded cape, gloves and leg warmers (we also recommend wearing closed-toe shoes) before entering the artfully lit cold room, where sculptures depict everything from marine life to mythical creatures, and there’s an ice slide for playful visitors in search of an unusual photo opp.
It only takes about 20 minutes to see all the pieces but the included swig of Cruzan rum at the bar – also made entirely of ice ¬– may tempt you to linger longer.
And if one shot isn’t enough, there are plenty of other varieties of the St. Croix-made flavored rum you can pay to sample as you sit astride a fur-covered ice throne – a cool proposition indeed.
Magic Ice is open seven days a week. Admission is $22, and includes a shot of Cruzan rum and a souvenir glass. www.magicice.vi