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The Virgin Islands

Beaches & Hikes

By Michael Flarup

March 7^th, 2012

We’ve spend the past two weeks island hopping this breezy archipelago in the lesser Antilles. Starting out at commercial St. Thomas we hiked our way through St. John and ended up on the british side of the trade winds over on mountainous Tortola.

We’ve packed our days with lots of activities and it already feels like we’ve been on the go for much longer than mere two weeks. We’ve hiked, explored beaches, swum with dolphins and seen a slew of colonial sugar mill ruins.

The Good & The Bad

☺ It’s gorgeous here. I’ve seen a lot of beaches on my travels and have visited several beaches claiming to be among the worlds best, but the abundance of good beaches here are astonishing. There’s so many scenic beaches here that in other countries would have merited an entire tourism industry by themselves. In the Virgin Islands they’re a dime a dozen and if you get tired of one place you can just make it over the point or to the next island for another slender white slice of sand. ☺ Immersive history. The former Danish West Indies (St. Thomas, St. John & St. Croix) has a very interesting history. Denmark isn’t usually counted among the major colonial powers of Europa’s 16th-18th century ‘claim-what-you-can’ period, but on these islands this small country had a part to play. The triangle trade, sugar cane production, slave rebellion and emancipation, these islands have a 250 year danish heritage with a colorful and bloody history that really triggers the history buff in me. If you’re planning a trip here and you’re the least bit interested in history i suggest you read ‘Slavernes Øer’ (only in danish) or ‘Night of the Silent Drums’. Especially the slave rebellion on St. John in 1733 makes for immersive reading and there’s a lot of great ruins to explore.

☹ It’s unjustifiably expensive here. I knew that this destination would be among the more costly of our travels but the prices are just ridiculous. It’s not just that it’s a pricy place to vacation, i don’t mind paying a premium, it’s that what you’re getting for your money simply doesn’t justify the price tag. The food and accommodations aren’t blowing me away. I can get almost everything i’ve had here and better for a tenth of the price on the other side of the globe. Don’t get me wrong, i’m enjoying the region, i understand that it’s a different economic climate and we’re having fun but somewhere there’s a sting to the fact that we could have gotten a 3 month long vacation staying in high-end resorts in Asia for the same price. I fear that it’s because of places like these that many Americans deem traveling an expensive activity reserved for the wealthy. ☹ It’s almost impossible to get around if you don’t have a car. Now this might be more of European complaint, and obviously small mountainous islands can be troublesome to traverse on foot, but even in the cities there’s very little emphasis on pedestrians. Being a photographer, i love to explore places on foot but the sheer challenge of getting anywhere kinda ruins that a bit. Despite of the above complaints we’re having a great time. The views are astonishing and especially the history of the place and the fact that i’m reading about it as we’re exploring makes for a really compelling adventure. Lots of fantastic hiking trails and the abundance of nice beaches drives home the experience and has made for a really memorable trip.

Despite of the above complaints we’re having a great time. The views are astonishing and especially the history of the place and the fact that i’m reading about it as we’re exploring makes for a really compelling adventure. Lots of fantastic hiking trails and the abundance of nice beaches drives home the experience and has made for a really memorable trip.