Quick answer: pick St. Thomas if you want a busy cruise-port island with lots of shopping, nightlife and easy hops to St. John. Pick St. Croix if you want more space, a slower pace, two historic towns, great snorkeling and diving, and a local food and festival scene that isn’t built around cruise schedules.
Size and feel
St. Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands — roughly 84 square miles, more than twice the size of St. Thomas. That space shows: rolling hills, a rainforest on the West End, dry cactus country on the East End, and long stretches of coastline between towns. St. Thomas is smaller, steeper and more built up, with Charlotte Amalie as one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise harbors.
Towns
St. Croix has two: Christiansted, with its boardwalk, restaurants and the yellow walls of Fort Christiansvaern, and Frederiksted, a quieter West End town with a long pier, sunset beaches and the island’s cruise dock. Both keep much of their Danish colonial architecture.
Beaches and water
St. Thomas is famous for postcard beaches close to the resorts. St. Croix’s water highlights are a little more adventurous: the underwater snorkel trail at Buck Island Reef National Monument, the reef wall just off Cane Bay, and snorkeling under the Frederiksted Pier. See our Things to Do list for beaches by area.
Getting around
On both islands you drive on the left. St. Croix is spread out, so a rental car makes a big difference; taxis are available but distances add up. St. Thomas is more compact but hillier and busier on the roads.
Can you do both?
Yes. The islands are about 40 miles apart, and short flights and seaplane hops connect them. Schedules change, so check current options with the airlines and the VI Port Authority before you plan a day trip.
