Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the Virgin Islands are about 40 to 50 miles east of Puerto Rico. There are 4 larger islands and over 50 smaller ones covering over 133 square miles that make up the United States Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands consist of 4 main islands and about 32 smaller ones for a total of 59 square miles. The British Virgin Islands are to the north east of the US Virgin Islands and closest to St. John.
The islands are made up of rugged mountains, beautiful coral reefs, and thick rainforests. The islands were made almost 100 millions years ago as a result of volcanoes erupting. Each island is a mountain peak off the ocean’s floor creating amazing seaside cliffs, mountains with lush forests. The highest point is on Britain’s Tortola’s Mount Sage at 1,710 feet above sea level. There are also plenty of white sandy beaches.
The island is very careful to take care of the beauty of the island but still allowing travelers to fully take in the beauty. For example, the residents implemented Reef Ranger Project, a programmed aimed at educating the people, as well as restoring and protecting the islands’ coral reefs, coastal grasslands, and wildlife.
St. Thomas island, at 13 miles long and four miles wide, is just a little over 31 square miles. Crown Mountain is the island’s highest point at 1,556 feet although it should be noted that little of the St. Thomas island is flat. St. Thomas touts the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean, making it home to many exotic creatures of the water. Coral reefs are world-renowned, especially Buck Island off of St. Croix where the water is crystal clear.
St. Croix is 22 miles long and 6 miles wide at the broadest point on the island. The east end is composed of cactus plants among the short grassy hillsides. On the west end, the lush mountains are dotted with ferns and large fruit trees. The center of St. Croix is mostly beaches and rolling pastures. At 1,088 feet, Mount Eagle is St. Croix’s highest peak.
A bit smaller is the island of St. John-- only 7 miles long and 3 miles wide for a total of 20 square miles. Bordeaux Mountain is 1,277 feet tall although the whole island is known for being hilly. Well over two thirds of St. John is protected by the National Park Service.
Belize adventures
I've worked with Adventure Life before in planning trips and appreciate the quality of trips they put together. They use knowledgeable local guides, comfortable lodgings, and assist with transportation. I find trip planning stressful, so am happy to turn it over to them. They work within our parameters of time, budget, activity level, and types of activities to give us great experiences!
Kaesa Footracer
7 hours ago
I was reading and it was a good story I need to recommend it
Delilah DeLee
2 days ago
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
6 days ago
We went to the Patagonia on the Chile side and Perito Moreno in El Calafate, Argentina. Eric of San Diego handled our trip with expertise. The preparation went smoothly, despite some changes on our part with scheduling conflicts. He offered great advice which made us feel at ease with all decisions on the trip. It was truly a great experience.
Evelyn and Edwin
1 week ago
We had a great experience- they were very helpful in trip planning and making sure we got to do all the activities and see the places we wanted. There were some things we couldn't do/see due to the time of year being the rainy/low season and they steered us away from those. We had never been to Costa Rica before and it gave us a good overview of this lovely country.