Why choose just one virgin island for your honeymoon, when you can experience all three? No passport is required to visit the American Caribbean, and once you arrive you’ll find that each of the U.S. Virgin Islands — St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix — offers something unique to couples seeking a sun-soaked getaway. St. Thomas is by far the most developed of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the capital city of Charlotte Amalie is one of the busiest duty-free ports in the Caribbean: it’s a great place to shop for additional bling to complement your new wedding bands or some tropical honeymoon togs. But there’s a quiet side to St. Thomas, too: Magens Bay is considered on the best beaches anywhere, and the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas sits in splendid isolation on Great Bay, close to the Red Hook ferries to St. John.
St. John was once largely the private domain of Laurance Rockefeller, but he donated most of the island to establish Virgin Islands National Park in 1956. With 60 percent of St. John protected, you’re free to explore the island’s forested hiking trails, ruins of old sugar plantations, and unspoiled beaches. The Caneel Bay resort, developed by Rockefeller, sits amid the park’s beauty, a honeymoon destination where equal attention is given to pampering and preservation. Located off the coast of St. Croix, Buck Island Reef National Monument is a delightful day trip where lovers can relax on a deserted beach and snorkel over one of the healthiest reef systems in the Caribbean. St. Croix itself is a delight with its small-town atmosphere and a historic Danish fort in Christiansted. Low-key accommodations include the historic Buccaneer Resort and the private hideaways like the aptly named Estate Coral Reef, a four-bedroom villa built of coral and decorated with seashells.
