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| Saint Croix | ||
| Outdoor area | American Virgin Islands | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 50.601 (2010) | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Saint Croix is an island in the group of American Virgin Islands.
places
Other goals
- Buck Island, 10 km from Christiansted, is easily accessible by boat. The marine flora and fauna are particularly impressive there and are looked after by the National Park Service as a protected underwater reef.
background
Saint Croix is of volcanic origin, 36 km long and up to 12 km wide. The island is about 60 km south of St. Thomas and St. John. The eastern end is dry, there you can find a lot of cacti. A chain of hills up to 340 m high keeps out the rain clouds. The west side is more densely forested with rainforest and mahogany. Larger plains in the center of the island were intensively cultivated with sugar cane in the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time there were up to 300 sugar plantations on the island. The political division of the country goes back to this today. The island is not divided into communities but into plantations.
In 1989, large parts of the island were destroyed by Hurricane Hugo.
Today you can find many beaches and hotels on the north and east coast, while in the south the HOVENSA (ex Hess Oil) Refinery, the largest oil refinery in the world, is the largest industrial company on the island. This is where the Arabian crude oil, which is temporarily stored on the island of Saint Lucia, is processed. In 1998 Petróleas de Venezuela (PDVSA) acquired 50% of the shares in Hess Oil. Both shareholders plan to invest $ 500 million to build a heavy oil processing plant. HOVENSA currently produces 450,000 barrels of gasoline. In addition to the oil refinery, there is a glass smelter on the island, Virgin Islands Environmental Recycling Systems (VIERS), which recycles glass. Beal Aerospace Technologies manufactures space rocket parts. There is also a significant watch industry on the island. Seven factories supply the world market.
history
Archaeological excavations from 1985 have shown that the island was already inhabited by people around 2,500 BC.
Christopher Columbus discovered her on November 14, 1493 on the second voyage. He called the island Santa Cruz, the Carib Indians called it "Ayay". Since there was fighting with the Indians when Columbus went ashore, King Charles V of Spain ordered the extermination of the Indians. By 1596 the island was depopulated, but the Spaniards preferred to live in San Juan on the island of Puerto Rico.
The island remained untouched by Europeans until 1625, when Dutch and British troops landed almost simultaneously on the opposite side of the island. One tried to live together in peaceful coexistence. In 1645 the Dutch governor was murdered by English soldiers. This led to unrest and fighting in the period that followed, in which the Spaniards also took part. The Dutch eventually withdrew from the island. In 1650 five Spanish ships with a crew of 1,200 landed on the island, the attacked English were murdered or fled. Later that year, the Marquis de Poincy, the French governor of Saint Kitts, occupied the island with the help of 200 men. It was farmed by French settlers until 1695 when they were forced to move to Saint Dominique, today's Haiti. Until 1695 the island had several owners. Around 1660, the Marquis de Poincy bought the island and made it his private plantation. The island was later donated to the Order of Malta, but the Compagnie des Iles d'Amerique bought the land as early as 1665. There was brief prosperity under the guidance of Governor DuBois. Tobacco, cotton and sugar cane were grown on 90 plantations. DuBois' sudden death was followed by drought and mismanagement until 1695.
In 1733 the Danish West India Guinea Company bought the island of Saint Croix from the French for the equivalent of $ 150,000. A year later, the first settlers arrived from Saint Thomas, Saint John and all other parts of the Caribbean. Fortifications were built in Christiansted and Fredericksted. Between 1740 and 1750, the island's population grew to 10,330. The greater part of the settlers were English and English became the language of trade. The capital of the colony was moved from Charlotte Amalie to Christiansted in 1755 and it was not until 1871 that this step was reversed.
After the English occupation between 1801 and 1815, the sugar price fell in the 1830s due to the cultivation of sugar beets in Europe. The end of slavery in 1848 was the next big blow to the plantation owners. In the years that followed, living conditions deteriorated. In 1878 there were riots and large parts of Frederiksted fell victim to a fire. In 1966 the last sugar harvest was brought in on the island.
In 1917 the US bought the archipelago from Denmark for 25 million gold dollars to prevent the archipelago from becoming a base for German submarines. Since then, the island has been US territory, with the special status of a duty-free zone. This fact led to the construction of the Hess oil refinery, today HOVENSA, and an aluminum smelter from VIALCO in the 1960s.
getting there
By plane
The island's international airport is in the southwest: Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport.
There is a seaplane connection between Charlotte Amalie on the island of Saint Thomas and Christiansted. Seaborne Airlines, 34 Strand Street, Tel. 773-6442, Fax 777-4491. http://seaborneairlines.com
By boat
A fast ferry operates between Charlotte Amalie on the island of Saint Thomas and Christiansted. There is one departure in the morning and one in the late afternoon. The fare is $ 80, children pay $ 70.
There are facilities for cruise ships in the ports of Christiansted and Frederiksted. The port of Frederiksted is rarely called.
mobility
One of the conspicuous features of this island in terms of traffic engineering are roads that are drawn as if with a ruler. One of the main thoroughfares between Christiansted and Frederiksted is the Centerline Road, over a length of 15 km it runs dead straight. There are also many other roads that do not have a single curve on a 5 km long stretch of road.
By bus
On the island there is a regular service on the route Tide Village, Christiansted to Fort Frederik in Frederiksted, as well as from the international airport to Christiansted and Frederiksted. The air-conditioned buses run between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. daily, fare on all routes is $ 1. USVI Division of Transportation (VITRAN), Tel. 774-5678.
Rental car
Danger: Left-hand traffic
The maximum speed on all roads is 35 mph or 35 mph. You are only allowed to drive 20 mph or 32 km / h in built-up areas.
In Christiansted, parking in the center is limited to 2 hours.
Petrol stations are generally open until 7 p.m. Regular gasoline costs about $ 1.60 for a 1 gallon, or 4 liters. Rental cars cost between $ 40 and $ 100 per day or from $ 250 for a week. A refundable security deposit of $ 500 is required. This does not apply when paying with credit cards.
Further hidden costs come or can come to tenants. Tenants under the age of 23 pay an additional $ 20 per day, tenants under the age of 24 pay an additional $ 10 per day. Registering a second driver costs $ 3 per day. In addition, there is an airport tax of 7%, a vehicle registration fee (VLF) of $ 0.75, and a government vehicle tax of $ 2 per day.
Additional costs may be charged on request. A baby seat is $ 6.50, occupant accident insurance is $ 6, Accidental Impairment Insurance (DDW) is $ 9.99, and hull insurance costs between $ 19.99 and $ 24.99, depending on the car class. Of course, these costs are incurred for each day of the car rental. As a result, the vehicle rental quickly doubles.
If you want to rent the vehicle over the Internet, you have to do this 24 hours in advance, or even 7 days in advance during the high season.
Tourist Attractions
- Estate La Grange. Today beer is brewed on this former sugar plantation and rum factory. It is sold under the brand names Santa Cruz and Don Santa Cruz.Open: Opening times: Tue - Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: Entry: $ 5.
- Estate Little La Grange, Frederiksted. Tel.: 772-1539, Fax: 772-9446. The plantation is located in a valley three kilometers northeast of Frederiksted. The Lawaetz Family Museum is located there. This sugar plantation was converted into a cattle ranch in the late 1890s. In addition to old ruins, the manor house from the 19th century has been preserved. The old facilities and the tropical garden can be visited. There are guided tours.Open: Opening times: Nov - Apr Wed - Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., otherwise on request.
- Estate Little Princess, Christiansted, Route 75. Tel.: 773-5575. 10 hectares of this plantation are still preserved. The ruins of the great mansion overlook Christiansted harbor. It was built around 1730 by the first Danish island governor, Fredrik Moth. The complex has been converted into a landscape park with hiking trails and is maintained and looked after by the non-profit organization "The Nature Conservancy". The old buildings of the workers' village and the factories are accessible.Open: Opening times: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: Entry: $ 5.
- Estate Whim, 52 Estate Whim, Centerline Road. Tel.: 772-0598, Fax: 772-9446. This is one of the typical agricultural plantations, several of which the Danish West Indian Company established in the 1730s. It is only 5 hectares in size. The first written records go back to the year 1743, when cotton was planted there. Sugar cane was the main crop until 1754 and it stayed that way until the 1920s. Then they switched to cattle breeding. In 1932 the entire property was bought by the US government. In the following 15 years, attempts were unsuccessful to divide the large plantation into small plots and lease it to farmers. In 1954 5 hectares with the manor house and the ruins of the other buildings were given to the St. Croix Landmarks Society. This organization restored the manor house. Antiques and porcelain are exhibited there today. The former kitchen building was put back into operation. There you can watch the old ways of cooking. Other buildings such as the guard house, wagon shed, workers' houses and sugar factory were restored and made accessible.Open: Opening times in winter: Mon - Sat 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; in summer: Mon - Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Price: Admission: $ 10, children 12 and under $ 4.
- Cruzan Rum Distillery, Highway 64, West Airport Road, Diamond Estate. Tel.: 692-2280, 772-0280. With the exception of the prohibition years from 1920-1933, the distillery was owned by the Nelthropp family. In 1994 the distillery was acquired by Todhunter International, but kept its old administrative structures and all of the staff. Since there is no longer a sugar mill on St. Croix, the raw material for making rum has been imported from South and Central America. For this purpose, storage tanks with a capacity of around 6 million liters have been built at the port. The rum is sold under the brand name Cruzan 151 White with 75.5% alcohol, as Cruzan Dry and Cruzan Premium Rum with 40% alcohol each. In addition, a rum mixture is sold as Cruzan Clipper Spiced Rum. There are guided tours on the plantation.Open: Opening times: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. 1 p.m. - 4.15 p.m.
- St. George Botanical Gardens, 127 Estate St. George, near Frederiksted, Centerline Road, Route 70. Tel.: 692-2874, Fax: 692-6154. This 7 hectare facility with 1,500 different native and tropical plant species is located on the site of a former sugar plantation. There is a souvenir shop, Garden Gate Gift Shop, opening hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and a flower shop, opening times: Tue Fri 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Botanical garden opening times: daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: Admission: Adults $ 8, Children 12 and under $ 1.
- Whim Plantation Museum, Whim, Route 70. Tel.: 772-0598. Manor house and sugar mill. The Whim Greathouse depicts life on the great plantations in the 17th century. From time to time there are big concerts there.Open: Opening times in winter: Mon - Sat 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; in summer: Mon - Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Price: Admission: $ 10, children 12 and under $ 4.
activities
Water sports, there are two stables with hired horses, some hiking trails lead through the forest, there is a racecourse south of the airfield.
language
English is also the official language on this island. However, around 45% of the population of Saint Croix speak Spanish as their first language.
shop
There are several large shopping centers on Centerline Road. Centerline Road begins 6 km southwest of Christiansted at Sunny Isle.
- Peter's Rest Shopping Center, Centerline Road.
- Sunny Isle Shopping Center, Centerline Road. This is by far the largest mall on the island.
- Sunshine Mall, Estate Cane, Centerline Road.
- United Shopping Center, Centerline Road, Sion Farm.
- Village Mall, Centerline Road.
- Ville La Reine Shopping Center, Centerline Road.
nightlife
Cinemas
- Diamond Twin Cinema, Sunny Isle Shopping Annex. Tel.: 778-5200.
- Sunny Isle Theater, Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Tel.: 778-5620.
theatre
accommodation
As a result of the severe hurricanes in recent years, several large hotel complexes, especially in the area around Christiansted, were not rebuilt. Also one of the golf courses on the island (Carlton Golf Course) has not been restored.
health
- Governor Juan Luis Hospital, Centerline Road, next to Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Tel.: 778-6311. 160 beds, 24-hour emergency service.
climate
Cyclones
In the past 20 years, a series of devastating cyclones has wreaked havoc on the island. In 1989 hurricane "Hugo" destroyed around 90% of all buildings on the island. He moved directly over the island, so that a national emergency had to be declared and troops of the National Guard were brought to the island to protect against looters. In 1995 hurricane "Marylin" caused severe damage, and in 1999 hurricane "Lenny" came. The building regulations were tightened after every storm, so that the damage is no longer quite as dramatic today.
trips
- Buck Island Natural Park, just under 2 km from the northeast coast.
- by ship or plane to the neighboring islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John or to the British Virgin Islands.
