The earliest human settlement in the territory of the Virgin Islands goes back to approximately 1500 B.C., although there is evidence of the presence of people here at least a thousand years earlier. The Chiboni Indians, the Arawaks and the Caribs successively replaced each other for nearly three thousand years. In 1493, the ships of Columbus came to the eastern part of the archipelago, known today as the British Virgin Islands, and caused a wave of European immigrants.

For nearly two centuries, some European countries had been trying to seize the islands that belonged to Denmark. After the First World War, there was a real threat to the occupation of the islands by German troops trying to establish control over the Panama Canal. Denmark sold its possessions in the Virgin Islands for $25 million in gold, the highest price that the U.S. has ever paid for Caribbean land.

Today, this small piece of land is a recognized center of free trade and tourism. Despite the fact that the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands has never sought to make tourism a dominant point in the economy, it employs more than a third of the total working population of the islands, and recreation infrastructure continues to develop at a rapid pace. The landscape of the Virgin Islands includes very dense subtropical forests of the hills of Saint John, barren and arid areas of succulent vegetation on the coastal hills, extensive mangrove swamps and beautiful beaches. The Virgin Islands have some of the best beach areas in the Caribbean. Posh resorts, an armada of cruise ships visiting the island regularly, excellent conditions for scuba diving, windsurfing and yachting attract more than half a million tourists a year.

The island of St. Thomas is a strategically important location in the Strait of Anegada, a key maritime route to the Panama Canal. Having one of the best deep-water harbors in the Caribbean, St. Thomas is a well-developed resort area, saturated with shops, hotels, and restaurants. The island itself is strikingly beautiful: forested slopes of the picturesque hills form numerous capes, separating the beautiful bays and coves filled with turquoise-blue water. There are over forty beautiful beaches and excellent dive sites are found at almost every step.

The island of St. John is the smallest of the major islands. It is a paradise for nature lovers. Once known as a thriving agricultural community, this rocky wild island with perfect white beaches is the best place for active recreation. Its main attraction is the National Park Virgin Islands, densely overgrown with lush tropical forests. The National Park also covers a large water area of adjacent reef areas, so one can find excellent dive sites with a lively marine life. Especially popular are the beautiful Trunk, Bay Reef Bay, and Salt Pond Bay.

Santa Cruz is less developed in terms of tourism, but this is an excellent place to forget the blessings of civilization and have a peaceful holiday on the isolated tropical coast. Santa Cruz is ​​surrounded by magnificent coral reefs. The landscape of the island is a mixture of low rocky hills, vast fertile coastal plains, the rainforest and, of course, beautiful beaches. The bigger part of the natural landscapes is protected by the local government as the territory of the National Park.

Travel agencies on the U.S. Virgin Islands can help organize and fulfil an excellent trip. Tour operators for USVI are there to provide such services as hotel booking, air tickets, excursions and more.