St Thomas vs St Croix: Which is the best Virgin Island for You? (2024)

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The choice between staying on St. Thomas vs St. Croix for your next US Virgin Islands vacation can be tough. If you’ve narrowed down to these two Caribbean gems, you probably appreciate that they each have their own airport and plenty of nice resorts. Their smaller sister island, St. John, lacks both of these things.

What makes this choice even harder is that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. For example, when I compared St. Thomas vs St. John, I noted how these two islands are only a twenty-minute ferry ride apart. Therefore, you can stay on one and still day trip to the other, thus getting the best of both worlds.

Unfortunately, the ferry between St. Thomas and St. Croix takes about 90 minutes each way, so a day trip is not nearly as convenient. Plus, since you are here, I’m assuming you’re not looking to split your vacation between both islands.

In my opinion, picking only St. Thomas or St. Croix is wise, since both of these islands deserve a week to do them justice. To help you choose, below I am giving a complete rundown on the pros and cons of St. Thomas vs St. Croix.

St. Thomas vs St. Croix: Which Should You Visit?

While I have my own preference between the two islands, I want your choice to be completely unbiased. Don’t worry, I’ll spill – but not until the end.

In the meantime, let’s see how these two islands stack up against each another in various categories.

Similarities Between St Thomas and St Croix

First, here are key similarities between St. Thomas and St. Croix:

The above list might make these islands seem similar, but you’ll see that they have completely different vibes. Now let’s compare St. Thomas vs St. Croix so you can see the differences.

Island Size

We’ll start with the basics of these two islands: their overall size, elevation, and population density.

St. Thomas:

St. Thomas is 32 square miles with around 51,634 people (per census.gov), and is the most densely populated US Virgin Island. The land is very hilly, with the highest peak being 1,550 feet.

St. Thomas has many steep slopes and hairpins turns, which can make driving stressful at times. At the same time, these peaks bring absolutely stunning views.

As St. Thomas is more compact than St. Croix, nothing is too far apart distance-wise on the island. Therefore, you can be pretty flexible with your itinerary.

St. Croix:

St. Croix is 84 square miles with around 50,601 people, and is more rural than St. Thomas. Although some areas are hilly, the island is generally flatter than St Thomas (the highest peak is 1,096 feet).

St. Croix is much bigger than St. Thomas, and even has a short stretch of highway on it. Therefore, sites are spread a little further apart.

That said, St. Croix is not so big that it’s impossible to cross the entire island in one day. For example, it only takes 55 minutes to get between Point Udall (east) and Frederiksted (west).

As St. Croix is flatter and less congested, it’s a calmer environment for driving on the left side for the first time. However, having lower elevations does mean that the views are not as sweeping as on St. Thomas.

Winner: It’s a tie!

Attractions

There is a lot to see and do during a vacation on either St. Thomas or St. Croix. Both places offer unforgettable experiences; albeit in different ways.

St. Thomas:

St. Thomas is a very developed island with plenty of things to do. It retains its natural beauty, while offering a highly developed commercial infrastructure. Even simply driving around the peaks of St. Thomas delivers incredible scenery.

Here are some of the most popular attractions on St Thomas:

• Magens Bay Beach – considering beauty alone, in my opinion there is no beach on St. Croix that compares. It’s easy to spend an entire day here.
• Sweeping views from Drake’s Seat
• Shopping and exploring in historic Charlotte Amalie
• Watersports and snorkeling at various beaches like co*ki Beach and Sapphire Bay.

St. Croix:

There are also fascinating things to do on St. Croix, some of which relate to the island’s colonial history. After all, Christopher Columbus and Alexander Hamilton both spent time on St. Croix.

Here are some of the most popular attractions on St. Croix, two of which are protected by the National Park Service:

• Christiansted Historical Site and boardwalk
• Salt River Bay
• ATV tour through the rainforest
• Views from Point Udall
• Snorkel or dive the “Wall” at Cane Bay Beach, where the seafloor drops 13,200 feet along the Puerto Rico Trench.

Winner: St. Croix

Beaches

You can’t discuss St. Thomas vs St. Croix without mentioning the beach. The beaches on both of these islands are gorgeous and bucket-list worthy for different reasons.

Although some beaches are on resorts, all are technically open to the public. That said, some require fees for parking, chairs, or admission, and might even reserve some of these amenities for resort guests only.

St. Thomas:

Even though both St. Thomas and St. Croix have beaches that are connected to resort property, this seems to more often be the case on St. Thomas. There are also a few public beaches on St. Thomas that charge admission and parking fees.

Do also note that the heavy cruise ship traffic St. Thomas receives often brings crowds to popular beaches – especially Magens Bay. Check the USVI cruise ship schedule here. You’ll see that St. Thomas gets way more cruise ship traffic than St. Croix.

That said, there is plenty of gorgeousness to be found on St. Thomas. In fact, your mind will be blown at the countless shades of blue and turquoise in the water. Plus, all those little islands you see on the horizon – you simply won’t get that same view on St. Croix.

A few of St. Thomas’s most popular beaches include the following:

• Magens Bay Beach (best overall beach on both islands, but charges fees for parking and admission)
• co*ki Point Beach
• Sapphire Bay Beach
• Lindquist Beach (fee for parking and admission)

St. Croix:

St. Croix has stunning beaches spread throughout its entire expanse. As St. Croix is not as densely developed as St. Thomas, the beaches often have a more remote feel.

Additionally, you don’t need to pay to visit any of the below St. Croix beaches, except Turtle Beach. That’s only because it’s on nearby Buck Island and requires a charter, but it’s worth it!

Here are some of the top beaches to visit on (and near) St. Croix:

• Mermaid Beach
• Rainbow Beach
• Cane Bay Beach (home of the “Wall”)
• Turtle Beach (day trip to Buck Island)

Winner: It’s a tie!

Related: The Ultimate Caribbean Vacation Packing List

Day Trips

I did not include a day trips section for my St. Thomas vs St. John post because the options are so similar. However, for St. Thomas vs St. Croix, there is quite the disparity based on where these two islands are located.

St. Thomas:

If you want to get off St. Thomas for the day, you have many options. With islands like St. John and the British Virgin Islands being easily reachable in a day by boat, island hopping is a very popular activity.

St. Croix is technically possible as a day trip, but requires a somewhat long ferry ride. Therefore, explorations around the island would be quite limited.

• British Virgin Islands
• Water Island
• Lovango Cay
• St. John (Virgin Islands National Park)
• St. Croix

St. Croix:

St. Croix sits a bit more isolated 40 miles south. The main day trip that allows you to get off St. Croix for the day is Buck Island. Don’t get me wrong – the beaches and snorkeling at this National Historic Site are magnificent.

Additionally, if the ferry is running, you could take an ambitious day trip to St. Thomas. That said, there are so many things to do on St Croix, that you might not even mind the lack of day trip opportunities.

• Buck Island
• St. Thomas

Winner: St. Thomas

Food

For being small islands in the Caribbean, both St. Thomas and St. Croix have great dining options. Let’s see how their respective food scenes stack up (although in my opinion, you can’t really lose).

St. Thomas:

When comparing St. Thomas vs St. Croix for food, St. Thomas has a bigger tourism infrastructure. With the frequent arrival of hungry cruise ship passengers, more restaurants are needed to accommodate the constant crowds.

Although you’ll find more food and drink options, more does not always mean better. There are plenty of hits, but just as many misses and tourist traps.

Notable Restaurants:

• Duffy’s Love Shack
• The Easterly
• Pizza Pi
• Sunset Grill (especially during sunset)

St. Croix:

St. Croix has an excellent culinary scene. Although you’ll find luxury dining in towns like Christiansted, my favorite places were the beach bars right off the sand. I noticed more of these here than on any of the other US Virgin Islands.

St. Croix’s food scene was reminiscent of my beloved St. John in that there is an abundance of laid-back, islandy eateries that deliver on good grub. On St. Thomas, I have a harder time finding casual, lower-price point restaurants that I enjoy, other than Duffy’s.

While you won’t find a floating restaurant on St. Croix, the Christiansted boardwalk makes up for it.

Notable Restaurants:

• Hamilton’s
• Shupe’s
• Rhythms at Rainbow Beach (especially for sunset)
• Flyer’s

Winner: It’s a tie

Nightlife

Though many people come to the U.S. Virgin Islands to slow down and relax, there may be a few nights where you want to get out on the town. Both St. Thomas and St. Croix offer varied opportunities for nighttime fun.

St. Thomas:

If nightlife is important to you, then make St. Thomas your number one choice. There are plenty of things to do, including live music, concerts, and even gambling. You may also notice that bars tend to stay open later on St. Thomas than on St. Croix.

The neighborhoods best known for nightlife include Charlotte Amalie (stick to the main tourist drag), the Havensight cruise port, and Red Hook.

It’s also easy to ferry from St. Thomas to spend the evening on another neighboring island, like St. John or Water Island.

Notable Nightlife Spots:

• Duffy’s Love Shack
• Dog House Pub
• Dinghy’s Beach Bar (Water Island) – live music several days a week
• DRINK (St. John) – craft co*cktails and live music some nights
• Buschwackers Gaming Center

St. Croix:

St. Croix offers many different vibes for nightlife, whether you seek casinos, sunset views, or live music. Festivals also pop up throughout the year, such as the quarterly “Jump Up” celebration. Keep an eye on the events calendar for special happenings around the island.

Otherwise, the nightlife on St. Croix tends to be low-key, with most places closing around 9 or 10pm. There are plenty of waterfront bars where you can watch the sunset while sipping a drink or two.

I’ve also listed a few spots below that feature live music. Keep in mind that when searching for events at these places, you are usually better off checking their social media than official website.

Notable Nightlife Spots:

• Christiansted boardwalk for sunset
• Divi Carina Bay Casino
• LEVELS – live music every Friday
• The Deep End Bar & Grill – features events several nights of the week
• Castaways of St. Croix – Monday open mic nights and live music several nights a week

Winner: St. Thomas

Convenience

Sometimes it’s easiest to pick a destination based on which one requires the least hassle for you. These factors could very well be the tipping point of your decision between St. Thomas vs St. Croix:

St. Thomas:

First off, St. Thomas has a bigger airport with more direct flight options than St. Croix. This means more flight options and potentially cheaper fares. A few more conveniences you’ll find in St. Thomas include:

• Resorts: Has many resort and hotel options, many of which are on beautiful beaches. While there are plenty of budget options, St. Thomas caters to the luxury crowd, culminating in the elegant Ritz-Carlton that faces St. John on Great Bay.
• Transportation: Taxis can connect you to major towns and tourist spots. If you want to rent a car, you likely won’t need four wheel drive. Car rentals are available right at the airport.
• Groceries: St. Thomas has small grocery stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies, including a Walgreens.
• Shopping: Local boutiques and large shopping centers, including malls, a cinema, Kmart, Office Max, and Home Depot
• Ferries: Numerous direct ferry routes, including to St. John and the British Virgin Islands
• Cruise Ships: If traveling by cruise ship, you will dock in either Crown Bay or Havensight. They are both over a mile walk to nearby Charlotte Amalie, but it’s generally easy to find a taxi from the cruise docks.
• Crowdedness: St. Thomas tends to draw crowds due to its especially heavy cruise ship traffic. You can expect to have plenty of company at the beaches. Additionally, make any restaurant reservations in advance, when possible.

St. Croix:

St. Croix has a smaller airport than St. Thomas, and therefore has less flight options from the US mainland. For that reason, you might find that it is slightly more expensive, as well as less convenient, to fly into St. Croix.

• Resorts: St. Croix has budget and luxury resorts alike, many of which are on gorgeous beaches. However, there is nothing quite as plush as The Ritz-Carlton on St. Thomas.
• Transportation: Like on St. Thomas, taxis can connect you to major towns and tourist spots. However, it’s easiest to get around with a rental car, which are available right at the airport. You likely will not need four wheel drive.
• Groceries: St. Croix has small grocery stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies throughout the island.
• Shopping: Local boutiques and large shopping centers, including a cinema, Kmart, Office Max, and Home Depot
• Ferries: The only ferry route on St. Croix is to St. Thomas.
• Cruise Ships: If traveling by cruise ship, you will dock in Frederiksted. From there, you can walk into Frederiksted, taxi elsewhere, or join a tour.
• Crowdedness: Cruise ships are much less frequent on St. Croix, which means fewer and more manageable crowds.

Winner: St. Thomas

Infrastructure

The infrastructure on St. Thomas and St. Croix will not be as great as you’re used to in, say, the mainland United States. While the below factors are very similar on both islands, there are some small differences.

St. Thomas:

• Public Transportation: If not renting a car, the most common way to get to major tourist spots is via taxi. There are also luxury private car companies available. Another alternative is the Vitran Public Bus System, though island coverage and reliability aren’t ideal.
• High Speed Internet: Internet connectivity is generally good (not great), and most resorts and vacation rentals have WiFi. For cell service, if you have either Sprint PCS or AT&T Wireless from the U.S. mainland, your phone should work just fine. I personally have Verizon, so I try to stay on airplane mode and utilize WiFi. I do have an international plan as well, which charges me $10/day if I use data.
• Health Care: One of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ main hospitals, Schneider Regional Medical Center, is located on St. Thomas. Some smaller clinics can also be found throughout the island.
• Running Water: There is a desalination plant on St. Thomas, and availability of water is not a concern at most resorts. However, many vacation rentals rely on cisterns for their water source, so it’s important to be mindful of water usage. While water at resorts and restaurants is generally safe to drink, check with the villa property manager before drinking cistern water.
• Waste Disposal: As there are many more resorts on St. Thomas, chances are you won’t need to worry about waste disposal if that is your lodging choice. However, vacation rentals may require you to take out your own trash. There could be a dumpster onsite, or you may need to drive to one nearby.

St. Croix:

• Public Transportation: If not renting a car, the most common way to get to major tourist spots is via taxi. There is the Vitran Public Bus System as well, though it’s not known to be super reliable. The bus runs between Christiansted, Frederiksted, and the airport.
• High Speed Internet: Internet connectivity is generally good (not great), and most resorts and vacation rentals have WiFi. For cell service, if you have either Sprint PCS or AT&T Wireless from the U.S. mainland, your phone should work just fine. I personally have Verizon, so I try to stay on airplane mode and utilize WiFi. I do have an international plan as well, which charges me $10/day if I use data.
• Health Care: St. Croix is home The Governor Juan F. Luis Medical Center, which houses an emergency room and a top Caribbean cardiac care unit. Clinics and urgent cares for non-emergencies are also available throughout the island.
• Running Water: There is a desalination plant on St. Croix, and availability of water is not a concern at most resorts. However, most vacation rentals rely on cisterns for their water source, so it’s important to be mindful of water usage. While water at resorts and restaurants is generally safe to drink, check with the villa property manager before drinking cistern water.
• Waste Disposal: As there are many more resorts on St. Croix, chances are you won’t need to worry about waste disposal if that is your lodging choice. However, vacation rentals may require you to take out your own trash. There could be a dumpster onsite, or you may need to drive to one nearby.

Winner: It’s a tie!

St. Thomas vs St. Croix: Who’s the Overall Winner?

After tallying up the categories, St. Thomas has a slight edge over St. Croix. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s the best choice for you! You cannot lose by staying on either of these islands, as they both have so much to offer.

Honoring my promise from earlier, I’ll admit that St. Croix is my favorite of the two. I love all the historical sites, beach bars, and overall easygoing vibe of the island. Although I must admit I’m partial to the stunning hilly landscape of St. Thomas, it’s otherwise a bit too congested and crowded for me.

Suggested Stays

Now that you’ve chosen your island, here are some amazing places to stay:

St. Thomas:

• Top Luxury Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton
• Top All-Inclusive: Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
• Best Mid-Range: Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham
• Condo Rental: I adored waking up in this condo with Sapphire Beach Marina views

St. Croix:

• Top Luxury Hotel: The Buccaneer Beach & Golf Resort
• Top All-Inclusive: Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort & Casino
• Best Mid-Range: Tamarind Reef Resort
• Condo Rental: I loved this condo for the ability to watch the sea right from our couch

• • •

Bottom line: St. Thomas is best if you want to spend time on Magens Bay and take day trips to St. John and the BVI. Conversely, St. Croix is best for those seeking a more low key vibe with lots of good snorkeling and history.

Comparing St. Thomas vs St. Croix is no easy task, but I hope this article helped you make your choice. No matter which island you choose, you are bound to end up somewhere dreamy.

Now tell me – are you leaning towards St. Thomas or St. Croix for your next vacation? Let me know below!