We are constantly asked by potential guests why St. Thomas is preferable to St. John or St. Croix. The truth is, of course, that all three islands have their virtues and defects, but we chose to live on St. Thomas for some very good reasons. For those of you who do not know the islands, St. John and St. Thomas are part of the same geological process and are separated by a channel that is only about three miles across. These are both volcanic islands – mountainous, with lots of basalt outcroppings, magnificent views of the oceans and other islands and many sandy beaches. St. Croix is 43 miles to the South, visible on a clear day from the mountains of St. Thomas, and is an uplift island – limestone foundation, mostly not mountainous, fewer views, but many sandy beaches. As a result of its character, St. Croix has the best golf course in the Virgin Islands.

St. John is mostly a national park, donated by Lawrence Rockefeller, and it is only reachable by sea or helicopter. When you rent on St. John, you need to add an hour to your journey in each direction. If you want complete peace and quiet and to get away from it all, with little night life, St. John is for you. It is lovely, and very quiet, and food (and everything else) costs about 25 percent more on the Island, along with the rents for villas. St. Croix is also quieter than St. Thomas and it does have some direct plane flights, but the views are not as nice, there is less night life, crime is more of a problem, but the old towns are lovely and charming – the best in the Virgin Islands.

We selected St. Thomas for our villa development projects for many good reasons, and we do not regret it after more experience. St. Thomas has a much more active commercial and business community, with among the best and least expensive shopping in the Virgin Islands. It is not by accident that most of the cruise ships stop at St. Thomas. St. Thomas can be reached with direct flights from virtually every east coast city, including Chicago and Atlanta, so it is easier to reach. St. Thomas is less expensive to live than in St. John, perhaps 25 percent, and the people who go to St. John often make the long trek to St. Thomas to provision their vacation homes. St. Thomas has more good restaurants than St. John and St. Croix combined, and more activities generally all year long. Finally, our villas, Cote Sud and Eau Claire, are in locations every bit as quiet and private as property on St. John or St. Croix, but without the headaches. Both villas are located directly on beaches, which is quite rare on either island.

St. Thomas is an island for people who want a balance to their vacation; privacy and beauty on the one hand and good restaurants, shopping, and activities on the other. All three islands have wonderful beaches, but only St. Thomas and St. John have truly magnificent views to the water and other islands nearby. At Cote Sud and Eau Claire, our staff are ready and able to support you in your quest for a first class vacation, for everyone in your party.

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