Top Things to do in Charlotte Amalie
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10 Things to do in Charlotte Amalie That You Shouldn't Miss
The largest city in the U.S. Virgin Islands is a popular shopping center, home to 20,000 people, upscale shops, ecotours and underwater safaris. This former haunt of pirate ships now hosts millions of cruise passengers every year. Look beyond the boutiques and discover historic sights such as the bright red, 17th-century Fort Christian, the graceful green Legislature Building, the 1793 brick Lutheran Church and the taxing 99 steps stairway. Charlotte Amalie is easy to explore on foot.
Restaurants in Charlotte Amalie
1. Frenchtown Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 90 reviews
The Virgin Islands only 3 barrel nano brewery, located in the quaint fishing village of Frenchtown on St. Thomas, invites you to tour and sample their island hopped craft beers. Visiting hop heads are welcome to stop by for a tour and taste of the seasonal brews and go with their favorites in a refillable stainless steel growler perfect for the beach. Our beers are on draft around the island.
Reviewed By Ryanbeerlover - Avon, United States
Called and they were more than happy to allow us to pick a time that suited us to come to the brewery for a tasting. This attic-of-a-brewery is a true small pearl in a sea of over-saturated breweries. Kevin has a bright future in the world of brewing and his future expansion project will, no doubt, be a great success. We so much appreciated that he opened his doors to us and shared his passion and story telling about beer making and drinking in St Thomas and Belgium. We even took him up on his local restaurant recommendation and, not surprisingly, it was the best meal of our trip. Thanks again from your newest fans and friends from Colorado. Cheers!
2. St. Thomas Synagogue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 357 reviews
Reviewed By gec345 - Houston, United States
What a lovely experience this was. Docent Agi Rampino shared so much of the history of this place. It felt like a giant step into another era, and yet this is still a working congregation. The sand floor was unique and the Torah from the Holocaust still with the numbers the Nazis wrote on it to catalog artifacts from a deceased race sent shivers down my spine. Agi Rampino spent a lot of time sharing her stories. We visited a lot of places on our cruise, but seeing this was the most meaningful.
3. Charlotte Amalie Overlook
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By 994linday - Frisco, United States
We first visited the Charlotte Amalie Overlook in 2014 when we arrived at St. Thomas via cruise ship. From this vantage point on the hillside, we could see our cruise ship and others docked at Havensight. I remembered how spectacular the view was and looked forward to returning this trip. The view is still spectacular but sadly due to Covid-19, there are no cruise ships in port. What you will see is downtown Charlotte Amalie, the harbor, Hassel Island, Water Island, and the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean spread out before you. Gorgeous! A friendly vendor was selling jewelry in the parking lot. When we visited in 2014, we posed for a picture with a cute donkey owned by a local. I read that he has since passed away. We had difficulty driving here from downtown due to construction on Mafolie Rd, but it was worth the effort.
4. Blackbeard’s Castle
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 741 reviews
This place is temporarily closed due to a natural disaster. One of St. Thomas's most famous historical sites. A Walking Tour rich in History and Beauty. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Spectacular views, sparkling pools, life size pirates and more.
Reviewed By georgevE5533BX - Fort Worth, United States
My 15 year old swashbuckling daughter and I went to the castle as a tour while on a Royal Caribbean cruise in 2016. We did not book a tour through the cruise ship company -- we just winged-it on our own. No worries, we always felt safe and was fairly obvious where we needed to go. We took a shuttle from the port to the downtown area (shuttles run every 20 or 30 min), walked the 99 steps and then hiked the rest of the way up to the Castle. It's a steep hike so if you're a little light winded its probably best to take a taxi. Went to the top of the observatory/look-out and could see our cruise ship. What a view! Probably the funnest part was the pirate museum. Actually was a fun experience hearing about the woman pirates of the day. When we finished we walked back to the cruise ship. Frankly, it was a long walk and we probably should've taken the shuttle back. We had such a great time that we went again this past summer. Unfortunately, the Castle and pirate museum were closed for repairs. I recommend going but be sure to check if its open before going.
5. 99 Steps
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 637 reviews
Step streets used by the residents of Charlotte Amalie, these historical 99 steps (the actual count is 103) were built from the ballast bricks of the tall ships coming from the old world, which would then return to Europe loaded with products from the islands.
Reviewed By reedmangreg - Chicago, United States
I would not call it a must but if you like walking and sightseeing this area of St Thomas has quite a few points of interest along the way; starting from Fort Christian, you can then go up using 99 Steps to arrive at to at Hotel 1829 and Blackbeard's Castle (unfortunately closed during our June 2020 post COVID trip) where you will also bump into Three Queens Statue. (the yellow steps in front of the Hotel 1829 aren't the 99 steps - so don't get disappointed at first, like we did hehe) It's a very safe area with many governmental buildings, some buildings are renovated in the area to still preserve that colonial vibe - probably the best well preserved "old Caribbean town" I have seen in our many trips to this amazing part of the world. TIP: there is a paid parking right by the Fort, in front of the police department where you can start the walk up or continue along to shore to check other stuff as well
6. Marina at Yacht Haven Grande
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 232 reviews
Yacht Haven Grande is your seaside destination location! Located between the Cruise Ship Dock and downtown Charlotte Amalie there is no better stop than our fabulous duty free shopping, excellent waterfront dining options and our amazing views of the Mega Yachts and Caribbean landscaping. No matter what your in the mood for Yacht Haven Grande is the one-stop that you can't pass up! We'll be waiting for you!
Reviewed By Nadav228 - Port of Spain, Caribbean
This area is well kept, clean and we were able to board the boat, Island Girl and go to St. John's. There are many shops around, in case you need to buy something that you forgot to bring along.
7. Lindbergh Bay Beach
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By diamondgirl16 - Scotland, United Kingdom
We visited this beach while on a cruise. Also known as Emerald beach the taxi dropped us off at Emerald Beach Resort. Taxi was $4 pp each way to cruise terminal. Its a beautifull beach, very secluded and was not crowded the day we were in port. Only 1 cruise ship in port. The water was calm and you could see the sand at the bottom, very clear water. A very relaxing and peacefull place. There was noticable damage from the hurricane as the hotel next door was completely demolished and cable lines were down and twisted around the hotel. Very sad to see. The loungers were $7 each and we were given the password for free wifi.
8. Fort Christian
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 187 reviews
This 17th-century Danish fort houses a museum featuring a collection of Amerindian relics.
Reviewed By midwaytoheaven - Midway, United States
We have been to St Thomas several times but have never seen this old fort. This time around we got dropped off at the end of our excursion from Magens Bay Beach, just out side of Fort Christian. Boy if walls could talk what tells would be told here! Located right next to the flea market across the street & on Veteran's Drive. (the main road on the waterfront). BOTTOM LINE: Loved seeing this fort. Time did not permit us to enter but we still got some great photos from the outside and through the iron gates just inside the main wood doors. Cost to enter inside & museum for non-residents adults is $10 and for children 5-12 yr old is $7 each. This fort was first started and first phase opened in 1671 and finally completed in 1880. Up on the upper roof corners are heavily fortified sniper turrets. You can also see a cannon looking over the roof edge. The fort was used from 1874 to 1983 as the island's only prison. Well worth seeing when visiting the downtown shops. It is in very good condition. MY RATING: 9/10.
9. Market Square
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 300 reviews
Formerly a slave-trading market, this open-air fruit and vegetable market is a great place to stop and sample the fresh produce, especially the local specialty - genips.
Reviewed By MKTravelingMed - Trenton, United States
several vendors with trinkets, clothing, bags, and what-not. negotiate for the best price. nice walking around there to see the Historical Fort, and several small shops along the bay area
10. Main Street
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 850 reviews
Dronningens Gade or Main Street is the major artery and famous street where many of the unique and glamorous shops, for which Charlotte Amalie is known, are found.
Reviewed By aliciamE3403FL - Christiansted, Caribbean
There are lots of shops along Main St. - jewelry, souvenirs, local art work, an open air market, restaurants, a park and post office. It’s a fun experience, the architecture is old-world, with a lot of stone, wood and arched, stable-like doors. I didn’t buy anything but enjoyed the atmosphere, view and meeting the shop owners and staff.
