St Croix's East End

Point Udall on the east end of St Croix is counted the easternmost point of the United States by travel, if not by longitude, and the sundial Millennium Monument above it was built to mark the first American sunrise of the year 2000. The peninsula behind it is dry and scrubby, covered in cactus and thorn rather than palms, with rolling hills that look more like Baja than the tropics, and the waters off it are protected as the East End Marine Park, set up in 2003 as St Croix's first territorial marine protected area. Below the headland lie Isaac Bay and Jack Bay, reached only on foot down a rough track, empty beaches where turtles nest and where you will very likely be alone.

What's there

• Point Udall - the sundial monument at the easternmost point of the country.
• Isaac and Jack Bays - empty beaches reached on foot down a rough track.
• The dry peninsula - cactus and thorn scrub, unlike the rest of the island.
• The marine park - protected reef offshore, snorkelled from the bays.

When to go

December to April is the dry season; the east end is the driest part of the island year-round and offers almost no shade at any time. Dawn at Point Udall is the point of coming, and turtles nest on the bays in the warmer months.

Good to know

There is no shade, no facilities and no water anywhere out here, and the walk down to the bays is steep, rough and hot. A hire car is essential, and the track to the trailhead is rutted. Turtle nesting means the beaches are sensitive, so stay off marked nests and take everything out with you.

Nearby

Christiansted and Buck Island are half an hour west; the rainforest end of the island is beyond.

Key facts