Hassel Island

In Charlotte Amalie's harbour, Hassel Island keeps its green counterpoint to the cruise-dock bustle: nearly all national park, the islet's trails link the ruins of its working past - the Creque Marine Railway (among the hemisphere's oldest steam-powered ship hauls), British garrison works from the Napoleonic-era occupations, and coaling-station relics from the port's steamship decades. Kayak-and-hike tours cross from the waterfront, the ridge path frames town, harbour and sea in one panorama, and the islet's quiet - minutes from the duty-free crowds - is its own exhibit.

Background

Covering roughly 136 acres, the island was formerly joined to Saint Thomas as a peninsula called Orkanhullet, or Hurricane Hole, until a channel dug in the 1860s cut it off; the channel was widened in 1919. It is named for the Hassel family, owners of much of the estate. Careening Cove shows up on maps as early as 1687. From about 1850 until the 1870s the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company ran its West Indies hub here, and the Hamburg America Line opened a coaling station in 1871. In 1978 the Virgin Islands National Park bought the bulk of the island from the Paiewonsky family, and the historic district first listed in 1976 was extended to the whole island.

Source: Wikipedia, "Hassel Island, U.S. Virgin Islands"

What you'll find

• The marine railway - the historic steam ship-haul's remains.
• The garrison ruins - Napoleonic-era works on the heights.
• The ridge panorama - town and harbour in one frame.
• The kayak crossing - the harbour's green commute.

When to go

December to May with the season; morning tours beat heat on the open ridge. Combine with the old town for the harbour's full story.

Practical notes

Access runs on tours and boat arrangements - no ferry schedule; trails are rough-and-ready, shade partial, water carried.

Nearby

Charlotte Amalie's waterfront, Water Island's beaches and the harbour mouth.

Key facts