by Laurie Fullerton

Located 18 degrees north of the equator, the island of St. Thomas is situated in one of the most beautiful geographical areas in the world where the soft trade winds blow directly from southern Europe.

The famed trade winds are so steady they helped Christopher Columbus discover the nearby island of St. Croix in 1493 during his voyage from Portugal. Drawn by the same trade winds and reputed beauty that for seven centuries have brought sailors to this unspoiled land, visitors to St. Thomas today consider it to be the “crown jewel” in the precious necklace known since the days of Columbus as the Virgin Islands.

While two-thirds of nearby of St. John, a short 30-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas, is preserved as a National Park and St. Croix maintains its reputation for the finest rum in the Caribbean, St. Thomas, the largest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, is uniquely situated to balance its natural beauty with its ancient reputation as a center for trade.

A Danish territory from 1671 until the islands were sold to the United States in 1917 for $25 million dollars, St. Thomas has been a fabled shopping mecca and renowned for its beauty since its earliest days as a Danish trading port. The historic capital of Charlotte Amalie is the premier duty-free shopping city in the Caribbean. Nearby, along the north shore is Magens Bay, consistently voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Charlotte Amalie’s colorful, former warehouses along Main Street offer some of the most exclusive shopping bargains anywhere. Historically, the warehouses were built of stones carried from Europe and America in the hulls of the clipper ships, as the stones were needed as ballast on the trip out to St. Thomas. On the return trip, the ships’ hulls were loaded with rum, spices and coveted items for trade.

The original families of this island are rooted in the history and tradition of trade and today are its historians, authors and advocates including the Paiewonsky-Casselini family who have lived on St. Thomas for six generations and currently own the A.H. Riise department store, the official Rolex retailer in the Caribbean. The Paeiwonsky-Casselini family has long been active and involved in the community and each year A.H. Riise is a proud supporter of the International Rolex Regatta, a highly popular international regatta in late March, organized by the St. Thomas Yacht Club.

Visitors shopping in Charlotte Amalie should combine it with lunch, and the restaurants on St. Thomas are diverse and delicious and offer a great way to take a respite before going to visit the historic sites. For lunch, both the “Friends of Little Bo Peep” and “Cuzzin’s” on Back Street are favorites for local cuisine.

The best historic sights in St. Thomas are nearby, too, including the ancient Jewish synagogue founded in 1796 nestled on a small hill, just above Back Street. This is the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag and offers a glimpse of how diverse and tolerant the society of St. Thomas was as it evolved over the centuries. Sights like Fort Christian and Government House offer an important historical perspective on the role the island played in trade and commerce but for history with a spectacular view, the ideal spot is Blackbeard’s Castle and Inn, built in 1679 and originally called Fort Skytsborg.

“We have such a varied culture here in St. Thomas with all kinds of customs and traditions and influences from the Dutch reformists and onward but pirates were also a part of Caribbean lore,” commented Doug Caswell, proprietor of Blackbeard's Castle and Inn which has the finest collection of bronze sculptures of pirates anywhere in the world. “Pirates, of course, were originally privateers and were encouraged to come in and trade here. As the pirates grew bolder, the fort was built to defend the island and it was the U.S. Navy that dubbed this fort Blackbeard's Castle and the name has stuck.”

After the bustle of Charlotte Amalie, a tour of the island must include a visit to the famed East End of St. Thomas where secluded areas like Cowpet Bay, Coki Beach and Great Bay are located.

The East End is also close to the St. John ferry terminal at Red Hook where visitors can take a late afternoon ferry to St. John and stay for dinner. With a starlit ferry ride back to Red Hook in St. Thomas, a visitor gets the full scope and beauty of the islands at night. On St. John, try the highly regarded restaurant “The Lime Inn” in Cruz Bay or after returning from St. John, have an island seafood experience at “Off the Hook” next to the ferry dock in Red Hook on St. Thomas.

For those looking to enjoy a perfect Caribbean family experience in secluded luxury, the Ritz-Carlton hotel located at Cowpet Bay offers exactly that. Set on 30 park-like acres that encircles two bays along the marine preserve between St. Thomas and St. John, the centerpiece of the Ritz-Carlton hotel experience is the pool, spa and restaurant area surrounded by intimate hotel buildings.

Activities abound for families staying at the Ritz-Carlton - from scuba diving lessons and teen activities to and the 53-foot private catamaran, Lady Lynsey, which sails every afternoon.

“Our guests come here from high-pressure environments and they are able to recharge their batteries and leave everything for a while,” said Ritz General Manager Brad Jencks. “Our guests are multi-generational and we have very loyal customers who see this as their home away from home.”

Just west of the Ritz-Carlton, is a unique, privately owned aquatic museum called Coral World with both an underwater and above water aquarium offering hands-on interaction with sea life. At nearby Coki Beach, there are perfect opportunities for snorkeling and scuba diving in the maritime preserve.

A vital part of island life on St. Thomas is the annual International Rolex Regatta. The ‘Rolex’ as it is called, is an event that is greatly anticipated by sailors from the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, mainland U.S.A. and Europe and is a cherished local tradition as well. It was created over 30 years ago by members of the St. Thomas Yacht Club and the winners have always received a coveted Rolex watch, a company tradition that had its beginnings here in St. Thomas.

“Many of our families grew up sailing and racing here and we look forward each year to the Rolex regatta,” said John Holmberg, whose brother Peter Holmberg are an Olympic medallist and currently an America’s Cup helmsman for the Swiss Team Alinghi. “By nature of its size and scope, it is an island regatta that has gained international appeal because of the caliber of racing and the many friendships that have formed over the years.”

For many, the island lifestyle, the food, the shopping and the people and are all an integral part of being rooted in St. Thomas, but as the islands were first settled by sailors it is still the soft trade winds that keep people coming back or staying on year after year.

“You can visit here and enjoy that but if you can get out on the water then it is a tonic,” said five-time Olympian sailor and Englishman John Foster, who sailed to St. Thomas as a young man in 1960 and never left. “The color of the water is so beautiful here and it is wonderful and mesmerizing to sail here. We have the trade winds and this wonderful venue and you just don’t need a good excuse to go sailing.”

St. Thomas’ stellar beauty, trade winds, sailing, shopping, snorkeling, and dining make it a very difficult place to leave. And, just like the ancient days of discovery, every sailor who sees the shores of St. Thomas vows to return and every visitor who departs the island leaves with that same hope.

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