CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons (Connie Ma)Beach· Protestant Cay· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Protestant Cay
17° 45.0′ N · 64° 42.2′ W
A four-acre islet in the middle of Christiansted Harbor, 200 yards off the town, with the Hotel on the Cay, a calm sandy beach and a beach bar. It is the only beach in downtown Christiansted, and the anchored fleet lies right off its west side.
Practical
Coordinate from GoToStCroix's beach listing. The cay carries an old stone building and the ruins of Fort Sofia Frederika on its north end (Coast Pilot). A small ferry runs from the end of the boardwalk near Fort Christiansvaern, about every 10 minutes, for a nominal round-trip fee (GoToStCroix); from the anchorage you can simply dinghy over. Shallow, sandy, usually calm water; the north end has the best snorkeling (starfish, juvenile fish, conch). Chairs and cabanas rent to non-guests; the hotel asks non-guests to stay on the beach. Note the Coast Pilot's current warning: 1 to 3 knots east or west can run in Schooner Channel on the north side of the cay.
Best for
A swim and a rum punch steps from the anchorage
Nearby
- Hurricane season (St Croix)Right here
- Christiansted Harbor Anchorage0.1 NM away
- St Croix Christmas Boat Parade0.1 NM away
- Art Thursday (Christiansted)0.2 NM away
- Big Beard's Adventure Tours (Buck Island)0.2 NM away
- Brew STX (Christiansted Boardwalk)0.2 NM away
- Christiansted Boardwalk & Dinghy Landing0.2 NM away
- Christiansted National Historic Site & Fort Christiansvaern0.2 NM away