The fungi. The Boardwalk. The Moko Jumbies. The Cruzan. The vibe. If you haven’t been to the USVI’s biggest island, you’re missing out on one of the Caribbean’s truly unique places, from St Croix’s buzzing food scene to an increasingly impressive stock of personality-filled hotels. 

The good news? It’s getting even easier to visit St Croix this winter, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

More Seats to STX

The island is on track for what local tourism officials call “significant growth,” to the tune of a nearly 16 percent jump in seats from the continental US — an additional 10,800 seats on flights from all over. 

That includes a 29 percent jump on American and a 52 percent increase in seats on JetBlue. 

This winter, American is actually launching a brand-new route from Chicago to St Croix, with weekly flights on Saturdays — along with expanded daily service to St Thomas that kicks off on Dec. 18. 

It’s all a big boost for a diverse destination; it’s one of those islands that reveals another layer every time you visit. I’ve been traveling to St Croix for more than a decade, and the transformation has been impressive. 

That’s nowhere more true than in St Croix’s collection of hotels. Sure, there are signatures like the lovely Buccaneer (which has one of the best Caribbean golf courses you’ve never heard of), but that’s just the beginning of the story.

A Multi-Layered Destination

They like to say St Croix is a “vibe like no other,” and when you get here, you completely understand. There’s a bit of everything: world-class beaches (I love Sandy Point and Protestant Cay, personally), amazing food (Savant and Too Chez are musts, for starters), great, authentic shopping; and even great snorkeling and diving. 

If you’re staying for a while, it’s also worth taking a tour to nearby Buck Island, the pristine,  uninhabited beachy paradise that has hiking, snorkeling and some of the best sand in the USVI. 

Where to Stay in St Croix

There’s everything from the hip, fun The Fred (a property that helped kick off the renaissance of the west-coast town of Frederikested to the great-value, high-cool Company House in Frederiksted and a property that has seen one of the more dramatic reinvigorations in the Caribbean: the King Christian, set right on the boardwalk with stylish rooms and one of the region’s top tiki bars, too (rooms for $216 per night right now).

Even the venerable Carambola is back, a property that is as naturally stunning as any you’ll find in the Caribbean, one you can also book with your Marriott points. Rooms from $232.

Of course, if you really want an adventure, you can stay at NBA Hall of Famer Walt Clyde Frazier’s compound, which is available on home sharing portals like Vrbo.

Flights are Cheap 

If you can’t wait for the winter, you can fly from Miami to St Croix for as low as $179 roundtrip on Spirit and $263 roundtrip on American Airlines, according a search of Google Flights.