Charlotte Amalie in the spotlight: beloved of cruise ships, neglected by US
by Phil Hoad from World news | The Guardian on (#2H6ZD)
The US Virgin Islands capital used to be a favourite stop for hard-drinking pirates. Today, it boasts grand architecture, a lively arts scene - and an identity that is very much non-American
The Caribbean's busiest cruise-ship destination, the city of Charlotte Amalie is celebrating a sea-change centenary. One hundred years ago on Friday, the US paid $25m in gold coins to Denmark, buying what became the US Virgin Islands archipelago. One of these islands was St Thomas, the 13-mile-long island that seats the 18,000-strong capital, whose deep-water harbour has made Charlotte Amalie the first port of call for turquoise waters, artisanal jewellery and copious rum cocktails.