Charlotte Amalie Things to Do

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I found this little side street to be one of the most adorable places I've ever been. We stopped, took photos, had a drink, and did some shopping here. Hell, if I could've moved onto this street - on the spot - I would've!

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In 1796 the Jews of St. John founded the congregation in Charlotte Armalie. Only nine Jewish families belonged to the congregation in 1801, but by 1803 it had increased to 22, with arrivals from England, France and the Caribbean islands of St. Eustatius and Curacao.
In 1804 the small synagogue was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1812. The congregation grew so large that in 1823 it was dismantled and a larger building was erected in the same location on Synagogue Hill. When a citywide fire destroyed the sanctuary in 1831 the congregation numbered 64 families.
The present building was constructed in 1833. Today one can visit the oldest synagogue in continuous use under American flag. With only two exceptions Hurricane Marilyn in 1995 and a major restoration in 1999 - 2000 this has been a dedicated synagogue holding service since 1833.

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Magen's Bay is acclaimed as being one the worlds top 10 beaches by the National Geographic Magazine. It's a wonderful spot to spend the day or part of your day. Its one of those places that takes everybody's breathe away. The water is very clean, calm and warm, which makes it excellent for kids. Its very romantic and the surrounding scenery is of course very green with palm trees and soft sand. There are lifeguards, a snack counter, bar, souvenir shop, chair and beach toy rentals, windsurf and boat rentals, and showers and bathrooms.

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This is a walking tour of Blackbeard's Castle, which is actually a watchtower, and historic homes of Charlotte Amalie. Not too well organized but still interesting. After a quick intro you are given a tour map and left to wander around on your own at your own pace. Skytsborg Tower is the real name of the "castle". It was built by the Danish in 1679 and served as a watchtower overlooking the harbor at Charlotte Amalie. At one point Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard the Pirate, took it over when he controlled St. Thomas and pirated the Caribbean waters.
On the property there is a swimming pool for your pleasure, a bar also serving hot dogs and burgers, as well as many bronze pirate statues each with a plaque of their own brief history. Don't remember much of the historic homes because we didn't have a guide although there are guides. The former manor houses include Villa Notman, Britannia House, Crown House (once used by visiting Danish Royalty), Haagensen House, the Rum Museum, Hotel 1829 and the archaeological dig at the ruins of the 17th century Pedersen Estate, all listed in the National Register of Historic Places. To my knowledge the historic homes, essentially museums, are actually still owned and ran by the initial families, dating back some 200+ years. Its a nice way to spend part of your day. There are excellent views and ending the tour at the Rum Musuem is very satisfying. Ice cold AC is blasting from the vents and you can help yourself to unlimited rum punch or just punch.....or just rum!!!

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Most of the rental companies are based out of Tortola (Road Town). There are several to choose from including Sunsail, Moorings, and Footloose. I believe all offer bareboat charters. The only requirement is a bareboat sailing license. Footloose is generally the cheaper of the 3, because as it was explained, the fleet consists of older boats once used by Moorings.

The boat we rented was a 49ft Beneteau, which appeared to be in perfect condition. Once on the water however, things went south. The first thing to break was the discharge in one of the bathrooms. So after taking a shower the water could not be drained from the bathroom floor. Next was the discharge in the refrigerator. Most of the provisions purchased were ruined by the standing water in the refrigerator. Also it never really cooled anything that was purchased. If that wasnt bad enough we ran out of fresh water after a day and a half, so we purchased more. Well, even after purchasing 250 gallons of water, we still ran out in less than a day. So something was obviously wrong with the pumps or water tanks.

When all this was explained to Footloose, they explained nothing could be done in way of compensation because we did not lose any sailing days. That is just bad business. Sure we did not lose any days sailing, but not having any water or cold food, sure as hell made it pretty miserable. I do not recommend Footloose to anyone. Spend the little extra money to rent from Moorings.

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If you come to St Thomas, you definitely have to take a power boat excursion. There are many islands to explore and with an experienced guide, it will be the best thing you do while visiting the islands.

If interested in renting a power boat with a captain i recommend Russ White with Blue Mango Charters. Rates vary depending on how long the boat is rented. Full day usually runs around 400 dollars depending on the season. To contact Russ call 770-356-2442.

All pictures below were taken during a Blue Mango chartered trip.

For the more adventurous, further up the hill brings you to the 99 Steps - a staircase street built by the Danes which leads to Blackbeard's Castle. The castle was indeed used by the notorious pirate, Edmund Teach and now houses a small hotel.
A cruel irony is, however, that if you count them there are actually more
than 99 steps and every one counts in the hot weather.
We only spent a morning on St Thomas, so we never got around to exploring the marvelous beaches, opting instead to seeing the town.

We docked in the island's capital Charlotte Amalie. Although small St Thomas is very hilly, so good shoes are recommended for getting around away from the waterfront. Charlotte Amalie is a pretty waterfront town set back in the hillside away from the mayhem of Main Street and the cruise ship terminal
A short stroll up the hill brings you to the colonial style buildings, such as hotel 1829 and Government House