Outdoor Adventures

Cowboy Steve O’Dea offers one of the most memorable ways to experience St. Croix: on horseback along the North Shore and right into the Caribbean Sea.

His rides combine beautiful coastal scenery with some of the island’s history, including the ruins of Estate Rust Op Twist, before heading toward the water for the part everyone remembers — taking the horses into the sea.

For guests at Oceans, we especially love that this adventure takes place right here on our side of the island.

Best For: A uniquely St. Croix experience close to Oceans

What to Know: This isn’t a stay-dry trail ride. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes you won’t mind getting wet.

Oceans Tip: If you want to experience the North Shore beyond Cane Bay, this is one of our favorite ways to do it.

After dark, one of St. Croix’s most unusual natural experiences comes to life in Salt River Bay.

Microscopic organisms in the water produce flashes of blue-green light when disturbed, so every paddle stroke can leave a trail of tiny sparks across the water. It’s an experience that’s difficult to capture in photographs — and much better seen in person.

Sea Thru Kayaks VI offers nighttime excursions into the bay.

Best For: A completely different kind of after-dark adventure

What to Know: Bioluminescence is generally easiest to see on darker nights, so moonlight can make a difference.

Oceans Tip: Salt River is just a short drive from Oceans, making this one of the easiest adventures to add to your stay. Somehow, after living nearby for two years, we still haven’t done it ourselves — but it’s firmly on our list.

For a break from beaches and boats, Gecko’s Island Adventures takes you off-road into St. Croix’s interior.

Expect dirt trails, tropical vegetation, hills and island views you won’t encounter from the main roads. Depending on conditions, the ride can range from dusty to decidedly muddy — which is part of the fun.

Best For: A little adrenaline and a completely different view of the island

What to Know: Wear clothes and closed-toe shoes you genuinely don’t mind getting dirty.

Oceans Tip: Don’t plan this immediately before a nice dinner. Give yourself time to get back, shower and return to vacation mode.

Watching the sunset from the West End is beautiful. Watching it from the water with a rum punch and live music is even better.

Lyric Sails departs from Frederiksted aboard Jolly Mon, its 63-foot sailing catamaran. The evening sail combines views of St. Croix’s West End coastline with live music and a wonderfully relaxed island atmosphere as the sun drops over the Caribbean.

Best For: Sunset, live music and an easygoing evening on the water

What to Know: The sail departs from Frederiksted, so plan on spending some time on the West End before you board.

Oceans Tip: Turn it into an afternoon and evening out: spend a few hours at a West End beach, wander through Frederiksted, then finish the day under sail.

St. Croix gives golfers two very different reasons to pack their clubs.

The Buccaneer Golf Course is the choice for scenery, with spectacular Caribbean views and holes that play along the coastline. If playing golf beside the sea is part of the vacation fantasy, this is the course to choose.

Carambola Golf Club, designed by legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., offers the more challenging round. Set among the lush hills of the island’s northwest, it’s also the closer option from Oceans.

Best For: The Buccaneer for spectacular ocean views; Carambola for a more challenging round

What to Know: The courses offer very different experiences, so serious golfers may want to play both.

Oceans Tip: If you’re only playing once, choose based on what matters most to you: The Buccaneer for the setting, Carambola for the golf.