Monday, August 04, 2008

US VIRGIN ISLANDS

St. Thomas is no longer the gay paradise it was in the 1960's and 70's, though it still offers visitors "alternatives" to the wild and crazy resort vacation.

Magens Bay is ranked one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Morning Star Beach, maybe because of difficult access, is known as a more liberal beach. It has young crowds, with many gays.

Activities include Coral World Marine Park with an 80,000 gallon coral reef tank. More recent island history includes Mountain Top for a famous banana daiquiri. This site has offered their legendary concoction of local rum, cane sugar and bananas since the 1960's.

St. Peter Greathouse and Botanical Gardens contains local art and over 200 kinds of West Indian trees and plants. Paradise Point Tramway takes you up a 700 foot peak over Charlotte Amalie (capitol of the USVI), offering views of the town, the island and the caribbean.

There are many gays and lesbians still drawn to St. Thomas, but attend mostly straight establishments, such as The Greenhouse. Much of the focus has shifted away from the capitol and onto Frenchtown, which has great restaurants and bars. St. Thomas has no real gay bars or clubs. Attitudes are tolerant and it is a great place to relax and enjoy a great caribbean experience.

Accomodations include: Treetops, a gay owned rental villa with awesome panoramas. Danish Chalet Inn, an intimate and gay-friendly guesthouse with a fantastic view of the harbor. Bolongo Bay Beach Resort is quite gay-friendly and has an all-inclusive option.

















St. Croix seems to be the new gay destination. There is quite a selection of accomodations for the gay traveler. Villa Greenleaf is a gay owned bed & breakfast. All of its rooms have incredible caribbean views.

Sand Castle On The Beach is a lesbian owned resort hotel on the beach. It has 2 pools, one is clothing optional. The phone number is 1-800-524-2018.

Birds Of Paradise, a gay-friendly vacation rental villa in Christiansted, has secluded lodging with stunning seaviews.

Five miles west of Christiansted is the renown Cormorant Beach Club Hotel (now the Palms At Pelican Cove), where some 1,200 feet of white sand shaded by palm trees attracts a large gay crowd. Because a reef lies just off shore, snorkeling conditions are ideal. The hotel is more diverse since a straight person bought it, but continues to have many gay tourists. They even offer committment ceremonies.

For more adventuresome beaches try Cramers Park. This is where the locals spend time, especially on Sundays. Also visit Jacks Beach, there is a nude section at this scenic spot.

For nightlife you may venture into any number of clubs and bars. Remember, attitudes are relaxed and tolerant. If you want gay-specific then Club Reflection is for you. There is live entertainment three nights a week and there is a beachfront restaurant. It is located in Frederiksted in a pink gingerbread house. Just look for the rainbow flag!

For more info on gay St.Croix click here: http://www.gay.com/travel/premium/?coll=adult_articles&sernum=476&page=7

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am single and I wish you would include how easy or hard it is to find a "date". I dont mind even a reasonably priced hustler. Nothing is worse than to go to a gay resort and find that is is filled with couples.