Charlotte Amalie · ~25 minutes
The town day, and the one thing that decides whether it is any good
Charlotte Amalie is the historic capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the duty-free shopping everyone has heard about. Whether you enjoy it depends almost entirely on how many cruise ships are in port.
📍 6720 Estate Smith Bay, Unit D101, St. Thomas, VI 00802, U.S. Virgin Islands
Charlotte Amalie is about twenty-five minutes west of Sapphire Beach by car. It is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands and one of the oldest towns in the Caribbean, founded by the Danes in the seventeenth century: Fort Christian dates from 1672 and is the oldest standing structure in the territory, and the warehouse alleys off Main Street — Royal Dane Mall, Palm Passage, A.H. Riise — are now the duty-free shopping district.
The town takes between zero and four cruise ships a day. On a multi-ship morning the historic core is shoulder to shoulder from about ten until two, and the traffic on the way in doubles the drive. On a day with no ships it is a quiet, walkable old town. Cruise schedules are published in advance, and checking one before you choose your town day is the difference between a good morning and a bad one.
What is there
An old Danish port with a shopping district grown through it
The historic core is small and flat enough to walk. Fort Christian, the red fort by the waterfront, dates from 1672. Emancipation Garden next to it marks the 1848 abolition of slavery in the Danish West Indies. Behind them, Main Street and the narrow warehouse alleys running down to the waterfront hold the jewellery, watch and liquor shops that the duty-free allowance exists for.
Above the town, the 99 Steps — one of several Danish step-streets built where the hill was too steep for a road — climb toward Blackbeard's Castle, a seventeenth-century watchtower with a view over the harbour. The step-streets are the most photographed thing in town and the least crowded, because they involve walking uphill.
The Skyride to Paradise Point, the cable car that used to be the standard view, does not run reliably any more: it closes for stretches and its hours follow the cruise schedule. Check its own site before building an afternoon around it.
Timing
Pick the day before you pick the plan
Cruise arrivals are published weeks ahead. A day with no ships, or one small ship, is a different town from a day with four. Sundays are often quiet. If you must go on a busy day, be there early — before the ships have emptied — or come after three when the passengers are heading back.
Staying on the East End helps here in a way that staying near the cruise dock does not: you can look at the schedule over breakfast and simply go tomorrow instead.
Practical
Driving in, parking, and the duty-free allowance
The road in from the East End is the island's busiest, and it is slow near town at rush hour and on ship days. Parking in the historic core is limited; the waterfront lots fill early. A taxi avoids the parking problem entirely and costs a fixed rate per person rather than a metered fare.
On the shopping: the U.S. Virgin Islands have a higher duty-free allowance for returning U.S. residents than most Caribbean destinations, which is the entire reason the district exists. Current allowance rules are published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and are worth reading before you buy rather than after.
Frequently asked
Questions about charlotte amalie
How far is Charlotte Amalie from Sapphire Beach?
About twenty-five minutes by car, heading west across the island. Longer at rush hour and on days with several cruise ships in port.
When should I avoid Charlotte Amalie?
Between roughly ten in the morning and two in the afternoon on days with multiple cruise ships. That is when the historic core and the shopping district are at their most crowded.
What is worth seeing besides the shops?
Fort Christian, which dates from 1672 and is the oldest standing structure in the territory; Emancipation Garden; and the Danish step-streets, including the 99 Steps up toward Blackbeard's Castle and the harbour view.
Is the Skyride to Paradise Point running?
Not dependably. It closes for periods and its operating hours follow the cruise-ship schedule, published only a short time ahead. Check the operator's own site before you count on it.
Should I drive or take a taxi into town?
A taxi removes the parking problem, which is the main friction of driving in. Taxi fares on St. Thomas are set per person by destination, so confirm the fare before you set off.
Is the duty-free shopping actually worth it?
The U.S. Virgin Islands carry a higher duty-free allowance for returning U.S. residents than most of the Caribbean, which is why the district is the size it is. Check the current allowance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection before buying.
Keep reading
The rest of the area, and the condo it starts from
Everything on this island is close. What changes is how long the road takes and how many cruise ships are in.
Photographs of the island on this page are by Karl Callwood, Joseph Corl, Andy Feliciotti, Roger Darnell, Matthew Valentino, Jamie Tudor and Island Guides, published on Unsplash. Every photograph of the condo itself is our own.
Sapphire Beach Resort & Marina · St. Thomas, USVI
Sapphire Beach Condo D101 — 9.8/10 from 259 stays
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