Island Adventure Package Just $599

Caribbean Waters From Art.com

June 2004 - Three Night Island Adventure Package at Hotel Caravelle on St. Croix offers sea or shore excursion, breakfast daily and diploma.

Hotel Caravelle on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands is offering the Island Adventure summer package with a variety of ways to explore this Caribbean island from sea to shore. The Island Adventure package includes three nights accommodations, breakfast daily and a choice between two programs; the St. Croix Island Ecologist or a Seasoned Explorer of the Caribbean Sea. Upon completion of either tour, an Island Ecologist diploma from the University of St. Croix, a non-accredited entity registered with the St. Croix’s Lt. Governor’s office, will be issued to participants. The Island Adventure package is valid now through December 14, 2004 and is $599 for two guests (one room).

The St. Croix Island Ecologist program takes guests on a journey through St. Croix’s rich history and diverse ecology. On an open-air canopy bus, the expert guides of St. Croix Safari Tours take explorers through the islands tropical rainforest, identify tropical fruits and flowers (many of which are used in local bush medicine) at St. George Botanical Gardens, explore the grounds and home of a 16th century Danish plantation and set foot on the same the palm-fringed beach where Christopher Columbus and his fleet landed in 1493.

The Seasoned Explorer of the Caribbean Sea program sets sail from the Hotel Caravelle dock and takes guests on a journey to Buck Island Reef National Monument, the only U.S. monument located underwater. The friendly crew of Renegade, one of Big Beard’s Adventure Tours catamarans, will lead guests on a snorkeling excursion along the underwater trail which winds through the reefs surrounding this protected island.

Located on the waterfront in the historic town of Christiansted, Hotel Caravelle, known for its friendly staff, blends European elegance with Caribbean charm. The hotel’s 43 rooms, all with ocean views, offer with all the amenities including a/c, satellite TV, phone, iron and ironing board, hair dryer and radio. The Penthouse Suite features a full kitchen, living room, two bathrooms and an oversized master bedroom. The award-winning Rumrunner’s waterfront restaurant and bar, located in Hotel Caravelle, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hotel Caravelle is walking distance from cafes, shops, galleries and historic sites and buildings. For more information visit www.hotelcaravelle.com or call 800-524- 0410.

About St. Croix

St.Croix's rolling green hills, spectacular beaches and tropical climate have been the desire of many. Since the arrival of Christopher Columbus more than 500 years ago, seven different countries have claimed the 84-square mile island including Spain, Holland, England, France, Knights of Malta, Denmark and USA which purchased the Virgin Islands (three islands and 60 cays) from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million. In the eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century, sugar and rum were the main industries. Fifty-four sugar mills still remain on the island and Whim Greathouse and the Laweatz Home, two plantation museums, and the Cruzan Rum Distillery, offer educational tours of the island’s history. The two main towns of St. Croix, Christiansted and Frederiksted, are home to many historical buildings including imposing forts built by the Danes, which also offer tours. Today, oil refining and tourism are the islands main industry.

St. Croix’s marine scene is just as alluring as its history and culture. St. Croix is home to America's only underwater national monument, Buck Island Reef National Monument, an 880-acre nature preserve a mile off the northeast coast. Buck Islands Underwater Trail, which is restricted to snorkelers, is St. Croix's most popular tourist destination. Scuba divers from around the world explore the islands 25-dive sites and anglers fish the nutrient rich reefs surrounding the island.

St. Croix is 23 miles long, six miles wide and the temperature averages 75º to 85ºF year round with constant trade winds.