St. Croix’s nickname is “Twin City” because of its two towns, Christiansted on the northeastern part of the island, and Frederiksted on the western end. Having spent some time in Christiansted, it was time to head to Frederiksted, 16 nautical miles away. We sailed with just the head sail for about an hour at a whopping 4.5 knots. It was nice and leisurely with light winds on a broad reach, but soon the wind was behind us and it was time to turn on the engines and motor the rest of the way. The coastline of St. Croix is magnificent with lush green mountains, rocky cliffs, and white sand beaches. It was a great 2-1/2 hour trip westward.
Upon our arrival in Frederiksted, after waiting for an hour to make sure our anchor was secure, we got in the dinghy and headed to shore. We read that the dinghy dock is very high and not easy to get on and off. Was that ever the case! The lower part of the dock is used for dive boats, while dinghies are assigned the upper part. This requires a five-foot scale up the wall to the dock. We used footholds carved out of the wood plank facing to climb our way up to the dock, while holding onto a cleat above. It was quite an undertaking, but we did it. After doing it several times during the course of our stay, we got the process down.
Frederiksted is a sleepy little town. We saw very few people out and about, and only a handful of businesses with open doors, but it was a relaxing place to stay for a week. We perused a few dive shops, since diving and snorkeling seem to be the main attraction in the area. The town comes to life a couple of times per week when the cruise ships are in port. The trinket shops open up, arts and crafts vendors display their wares, food stands unlatch their shutters, and locals perform traditional dances. The Mocko Jumbies (stilt walkers) even display their talents.
The town of Frederiksted was established in 1751. It was originally protected by Fort Frederik, dating back to the year 1700. At one time, the fort was home to a museum, but today it stands as a battered fortress with a lot of unspoken history in its walls. Frederiksted is called “Freedom City” by the locals because it, and Fort Frederik, is where then Governor General, Peter Van Scholten, read the proclamation abolishing slavery in 1848. The old customs house has a statute of a slave blowing a conch shell signaling a cry for freedom. It stands as a memorial to this day.
On one occasion, Kory and I took a long walk along Strand Street, through a park, and then on the sand to get to a small beach restaurant. There we enjoyed pates (empanadas) overlooking the water, with steel drum music playing in the background. It was a nice stroll and an opportunity to experience a local hangout.
On another occasion, we drove the dinghy around the cruise ship pier and found a dock to tie up and walk around a different part of town. There we found Turtles Deli where we enjoyed delicious sandwiches. I had a turkey, mayo, and cranberry sandwich on a freshly baked baguette. It was delicious! I can’t remember what Kory had to eat, but we highly recommend this place for good food, low prices, and huge portions.
When our supply of fresh fruits and vegetables was diminishing, and our stock of other perishable food was running low, we decided it was time to find a grocery store. We read about the local bus, Vitran, and decided to give it a try since we didn’t have a car. And at $1.00 per person each way, it was a bargain!
There was a bus stop right by the town plaza, close to the dock, and very convenient. We heard that the the bus is often late, and that was the case. We waited at the bus stop for about 25 minutes, but we were able to sit in a nice shady spot overlooking the gazebo, and have a friendly conversation with an elderly local lady. She gave us some good pointers on riding the bus and what to see and do in the area. The bus ride was only 10 minutes to the SuperSaver grocery store. They had most of the items we needed including milk, cheese, eggs, butter, bread, and produce. We put all the groceries in our insulated Trader Joe’s bags and headed back to the bus stop to make the return trip home. It was a fun adventure, and an opportunity to interact with the locals.
One of the highlights of being in Frederiksted was the snorkeling. Some people have likened it to Bonnaire, but I don’t think it’s quite that good. The coral surrounding each of the massive dock pillars was healthy, vibrant, and thriving. We saw several large sea turtles, rays, an octopus, trumpet fish, angel fish, clown fish, and loads of other brightly-colored tropical fish. The water in the harbor was clean, clear, and a brilliant aquamarine, which kept drawing us back in to cool off and admire the flourishing underwater life! Snorkeling here is a must!
