The U.S. Virgin Islands comprise a group of three main islands Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix and about 50 islets, most of which are uninhabited, east of Puerto Rico and lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Charlotte Amalie, on St. Thomas. Other principal communities in the group are Christiansted and Frederiksted, both on St. Croix. A mere 18 degrees above the equator, they're bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by the Caribbean Sea, except for St. Croix, which is surrounded by the Caribbean. Most of St. John's 2,500 residents live in the area surrounding Cruz Bay, a tiny ramshackle town, where ferries and cruise-ship tenders dock, tourists shop, and islanders go about their business.
Scenic overlooks provide a glimpse of broad expanses of white sand lapped by a turquoise sea.
Closer inspection reveals a sugary white sand and interesting snorkeling offshore. The island is easy to navigate by automobile, but there are the inevitable daily traffic jams that clog downtown Charlotte Amalie at rush hour. Rocky terrain fills the eastern sector, while the west end has higher elevation and more forests. Salt River on the north coast has been approved as a national park, including not only the site where Columbus first landed, but also the underwater Salt River drop-off and canyon. Among the many natural attractions are wildlife refuges for birds and leatherback turtles, a rain forest, botanic gardens, three nature preserves, and three parks one under the sea.