St. Croix is the biggest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands — 84 square miles, more than double the size of St. Thomas — yet it draws a fraction of the crowds. CNN put it on a 2025 list of America's most underrated islands, and with less cruise traffic than St. Thomas or St. John, it tends to be cheaper and calmer too. For travellers who want Caribbean beach time without elbowing through tour groups, this is the one to look at.

The headline beach is Sandy Point on the southwest corner: a three-mile ribbon of sand that's the longest in the USVI and was ranked the world's seventh best beach by Beach.com. There are no facilities and no crowds — just wide white sand and very clear water. Because it sits inside the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, it's also a nesting site for endangered leatherback turtles, so access can be limited at certain times. A few miles north, Rainbow Beach is the livelier counterpoint: volleyball, paddleboarding, snorkelling, jet skiing, and Rhythms, arguably the island's best-known beach bar, serving fish tacos on an oceanfront deck.

St. Croix's signature natural experience takes more effort. The Annaly Bay Tide Pools on the North Shore, within the Maroon Sanctuary Territorial Park, are natural pools carved into the coast, filled with tropical fish, crabs, and sea urchins. Reaching them means a five-mile hike along a rugged trail through rainforest and tall grasses, with sweeping coastal views — worth budgeting half a day.

The island rewards travellers who look beyond the sand. Its culture is a layered mix of Taino, Arawak, and Carib roots plus French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, African, and American influences, reflected in the local Crucian dialect, food, and architecture. History stops include the Estate Whim Plantation Museum, the Cruzan Rum Distillery, and Salt River Bay National Historic Park, where sailors from Columbus's 1493 expedition landed to look for water. St. Croix is nicknamed "Twin City" for its two towns: Frederiksted on the west coast, with Victorian "gingerbread" buildings, and Christiansted 15 miles east, with cobblestone streets and Danish-style architecture. Christiansted is the larger of the two and the main port.

Who's it for? Anyone who finds St. Thomas too busy or St. John too pricey. St. Croix suits couples, hikers, and history-minded travellers who are happy to drive between sights. Americans have it easy — no passport needed, and Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX), eight miles east of Christiansted, gets flights from several U.S. cities plus inter-island and charter services.

Full piece via Explore.com.