St. Croix is the southern-most of the U.S. Virgin Islands and also the largest. Less mountainous than either its two sister islands, St. Thomas and St. John, the rolling land is dotted by numerous cone-shaped stone structures, remains of former plantation sugar mills. Frederiksted is the island's second largest town, located in the middle of its western coast. Both Frederiksted and Christiansted were planned by Danish settlers as shipping ports for the sugar industry. The distance between the two towns is just 17 miles, but they differ so greatly in appearance you may feel as if you're in two different countries. While Christiansted is the bustling main town boasting a look of Danish colonial architecture, Frederiksted is laid back and has a Victorian gingerbread appearance. Everything comes to life when a cruise ship arrives at its deepwater harbor. Historical sites, golf facilities and water sports are plentiful across the island, yet St. Croix is neither as commercial as St. Thomas nor as rural as St. John.
