Christiansted Off The Beaten Path

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There is a beautiful secret hike to Annaly Bay Pools. If you are a visitor to the island it is best to have a guide take you there. The hike can be a little hard in spots especially if you are not used to hiking.
You can get there by parking at the Carambola Beach resort and entering the hike path near the resorts generator buildings. The hike path is usually pretty well marked. If you prefer a guide contact
Ay-Ay Ecotours.340/772-4079

The island's western district contains a dense, 15-acre forest called the "Rain Forest. The area is thick with mahogany trees, kapok (silk-cotton) trees, turpentine (red-birch) trees, samaan (rain) trees, and all kinds of ferns and vines. Sweet limes, mangoes, hog plums, and breadfruit trees, all of which have grown in the wild since the days of the plantations, are also interspersed among the larger trees. Crested hummingbirds, pearly eyed thrashers, green-throated caribs, yellow warblers, and perky but drably camouflaged bananaquits nest in the trees. The 150-foot-high Creque Dam is the major man-made sight in the area.

The Rain Forest is private property, but the owner lets visitors go inside to explore. To experience its charm, some visitors opt to drive along Mahogany Road, stopping beside the footpaths that meander off on either side of the highway into dry riverbeds and glens. It's advisable to stick to the best-worn of the footpaths. You can also hike along some of the little-traveled four-wheel-drive roads in the area.