Caribbean vacations spent at St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) often become extended stays. Some tourists who keep coming back year after year even become permanent residents, eventually graduating from living in St. Croix rentals to owning a villa or a unit in any of the Caribbean condominiums in the islands.

Indeed, there’s nothing like enjoying the tropical climate and pristine beaches of this unincorporated territory of the United States. Its people are as warm and hospitable as the St. Croix weather, English is the dominant language, and the currency used is the U.S. dollar.

The USVI is actually an archipelago consisting of three islands with St. Croix as the largest, measuring 28 × 7 miles (45 × 11 km). These three islands were formerly known as the Danish West Indies which with Denmark possessing the jurisdictional rights. The United States acquired USVI via the 1916 Treaty of the Danish West Indies wherein the U.S. paid Denmark $25 million in gold for the territory. The three-island USVI archipelago likewise includes the islands of St. John and St. Thomas where the capital of the territory, Charlotte Amalie, is situated.

One inexpensive and gainful way of getting a longer stay in St. Croix is to seek seasonal residents on the island who need caretakers. House-sitting for some well-to-do island residents would certainly be much cheaper than a long-term stay in any of the St. Croix villa rentals. While many of these residences are affordable for the short haul, renting can burn a hole in the pocket if one wants an extended stay to fully experience the many things that the island has to offer.

There’s more to this island than sunbathing in its pristine beaches and swimming in its blue, crystal-clear waters. For one, St. Croix rentals have become popular among nature-loving tourists because of their proximity to several quaint national protected areas.  Among these are the Christiansted National Historic Site, the Buck Island Reef National Monument, and the Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge.

There are also several festivals in the island that egg many visitors to prolong their stay at some St. Croix villa rentals.  One is the “Crucian Christmas Festival” which starts from late December and lasts up to early January. In mid-February, there’s an Agricultural and Food Fair, and prior to the Llent season, a Mardis Gras parade is yet another reason to prolong a vacation at St. Croix.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2012 at 8:43 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.