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ST THOMAS SHOPPING
Beautiful beaches and lavish accommodations aside, St. Thomas is
widely regarded as the Caribbean’s premier shopping destination.
With over one million cruise ship passengers and overnight
Caribbean resort guests visiting St. Thomas each year, the island’s
ports have long been bustling centers of commerce and trade. Much
of the finest duty-free shopping is concentrated near the waterfront of
the island’s historic capital, Charlotte Amalie. At discounts of 40-60%
off American mainland prices on goods such as jewelry, fine china,
crystal, electronics, perfume, clothing and liquor, the bargains are
seemingly endless. Adding to the allure is the fact that U.S. citizens
are allowed a duty-free shopping allowance of $1,600, twice the
amount of any other island in the Caribbean and three times that of
European nations.
Visitors to St. Thomas should begin their shopping tour in Charlotte
Amalie’s downtown and waterfront areas. The historic Dutch provincial
warehouses along Main, Back and Waterfront Streets, beautifully
restored to host a plethora of unique shops, allow visitors to shop and
sightsee simultaneously. In the alleys surrounding the Main Street
area (Royal Dane Mall, Palm Passage, Riise Alley and many others),
shoppers will find smaller boutiques specializing in unique local
products and Caribbean oddities. Inviting restaurants and entertaining
bars are located amongst these stores, ideal for lunch or an island
cocktail. Most shops in this exclusive shopping district are open
Monday through Saturday; including holidays from 9am to 5pm. Shops
in the downtown and waterfront areas are typically closed on Sundays,
unless a cruise ship is in port. The shops at larger St. Thomas hotels
usually remain open on Sundays, however.
The Havensight district is another concentrated collection of shops
catering to St. Thomas’ visitors. Located near the primary cruise ship
dock, this shopping area is comprised of The Havensight Shopping
Center, The Buccaneer Mall and The Port of Sale. Featuring over 60
distinctive stores within the waterfront warehouses, the Havensight
district is another great option for cruise ship passengers with limited
time and overnight tourists alike. Like the shops on and around Main
Street, tourists will find great prices on jewelry, clothing, perfume,
liquor, electronics, music, sunglasses and assorted souvenirs. Also,
Havensight is another great location for lunch, featuring a number of
friendly cafes. Shops in the Havensight district are generally open
from 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week when cruise ships are in port. Yet,
during high season some cruise ships stay in port later into the
evening. On such days, the shops in the Havensight will remain open
until 7pm.
Also in Charlotte Amalie, across from Emancipation Park and Fort
Christian, is the Vendors’ Plaza, an assortment of small booths,
tables and tents displaying a vast assortment of souvenirs. Here, in
addition to the luxury goods found in other shopping districts, you will
also find many locally produced products and unique regional food
items. Vendors’ Plaza is generally open Monday through Saturday
from about 7:30am, when the vendors start setting up, until 5:00pm.
On Sundays, fewer vendors set up, though the Vendors’ Plaza is still
worth a visit when one or more cruise ships are in port.
Directly across the street from the Vendors’ Plaza is The Native Arts
and Crafts Cooperative. Run by local artists, the Cooperative features
a plethora of Caribbean artwork not available in any mall or shopping
center.
For the more adventurous tourist, smaller shopping areas catering
principally to residents are located throughout the island. Such
shopping centers as American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook, Lockhart
Gardens, Tutu Park Mall and Nisky Center offer visitors distinctive
cultural opportunities in addition to essentials like grocery stores,
pharmacies and clothing stores. Tillett Gardens is a charming local
haven for pottery, silk-screened fabrics, candles, paintings and
handcrafted jewelry. The Mountain Top and Paradise Point centers are
also interesting options because shopping is accompanied by
captivating, hilltop views. In Frenchtown, travelers can find some of the
best cuisine the Caribbean has to offer.
As the heart of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas continues to
astonish travelers with its refined pleasures. Combining a relaxed
Caribbean atmosphere with the vibrancy of city streets, St. Thomas
may just be the best of both worlds.
About The Author
This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select pieces
about travel in St. Thomas and other Caribbean resort areas for
Marriott Resorts http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/STTFR
Beautiful beaches and lavish accommodations aside, St. Thomas is
widely regarded as the Caribbean’s premier shopping destination.
With over one million cruise ship passengers and overnight
Caribbean resort guests visiting St. Thomas each year, the island’s
ports have long been bustling centers of commerce and trade. Much
of the finest duty-free shopping is concentrated near the waterfront of
the island’s historic capital, Charlotte Amalie. At discounts of 40-60%
off American mainland prices on goods such as jewelry, fine china,
crystal, electronics, perfume, clothing and liquor, the bargains are
seemingly endless. Adding to the allure is the fact that U.S. citizens
are allowed a duty-free shopping allowance of $1,600, twice the
amount of any other island in the Caribbean and three times that of
European nations.
Visitors to St. Thomas should begin their shopping tour in Charlotte
Amalie’s downtown and waterfront areas. The historic Dutch provincial
warehouses along Main, Back and Waterfront Streets, beautifully
restored to host a plethora of unique shops, allow visitors to shop and
sightsee simultaneously. In the alleys surrounding the Main Street
area (Royal Dane Mall, Palm Passage, Riise Alley and many others),
shoppers will find smaller boutiques specializing in unique local
products and Caribbean oddities. Inviting restaurants and entertaining
bars are located amongst these stores, ideal for lunch or an island
cocktail. Most shops in this exclusive shopping district are open
Monday through Saturday; including holidays from 9am to 5pm. Shops
in the downtown and waterfront areas are typically closed on Sundays,
unless a cruise ship is in port. The shops at larger St. Thomas hotels
usually remain open on Sundays, however.
The Havensight district is another concentrated collection of shops
catering to St. Thomas’ visitors. Located near the primary cruise ship
dock, this shopping area is comprised of The Havensight Shopping
Center, The Buccaneer Mall and The Port of Sale. Featuring over 60
distinctive stores within the waterfront warehouses, the Havensight
district is another great option for cruise ship passengers with limited
time and overnight tourists alike. Like the shops on and around Main
Street, tourists will find great prices on jewelry, clothing, perfume,
liquor, electronics, music, sunglasses and assorted souvenirs. Also,
Havensight is another great location for lunch, featuring a number of
friendly cafes. Shops in the Havensight district are generally open
from 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week when cruise ships are in port. Yet,
during high season some cruise ships stay in port later into the
evening. On such days, the shops in the Havensight will remain open
until 7pm.
Also in Charlotte Amalie, across from Emancipation Park and Fort
Christian, is the Vendors’ Plaza, an assortment of small booths,
tables and tents displaying a vast assortment of souvenirs. Here, in
addition to the luxury goods found in other shopping districts, you will
also find many locally produced products and unique regional food
items. Vendors’ Plaza is generally open Monday through Saturday
from about 7:30am, when the vendors start setting up, until 5:00pm.
On Sundays, fewer vendors set up, though the Vendors’ Plaza is still
worth a visit when one or more cruise ships are in port.
Directly across the street from the Vendors’ Plaza is The Native Arts
and Crafts Cooperative. Run by local artists, the Cooperative features
a plethora of Caribbean artwork not available in any mall or shopping
center.
For the more adventurous tourist, smaller shopping areas catering
principally to residents are located throughout the island. Such
shopping centers as American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook, Lockhart
Gardens, Tutu Park Mall and Nisky Center offer visitors distinctive
cultural opportunities in addition to essentials like grocery stores,
pharmacies and clothing stores. Tillett Gardens is a charming local
haven for pottery, silk-screened fabrics, candles, paintings and
handcrafted jewelry. The Mountain Top and Paradise Point centers are
also interesting options because shopping is accompanied by
captivating, hilltop views. In Frenchtown, travelers can find some of the
best cuisine the Caribbean has to offer.
As the heart of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas continues to
astonish travelers with its refined pleasures. Combining a relaxed
Caribbean atmosphere with the vibrancy of city streets, St. Thomas
may just be the best of both worlds.
About The Author
This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select pieces
about travel in St. Thomas and other Caribbean resort areas for
Marriott Resorts http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/STTFR
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