Active holidays in the US Virgin islands

The US Virgin Islands offer a combination of white sandy beaches, hilly volcanic terrain, and warm Caribbean seas ideal for an active holiday.

Located around a thousand miles south of Florida, the 50 tropical islands that make up the Virgin Islands archipelago are great for exploring, whether you are looking for a diving holiday, camping, hiking, beach lounging or water sports.

Saint Croix is the largest of the three main islands, and is known for its pretty historic towns such as Christiansted and Frederiksted, its fine sandy beaches, and as a place visited by Christopher Columbus in 1493.

For duty-free shopping, eating out and a lively nightlife among beautiful bays and harbours, Saint Thomas is the place to go.

However, for the all-out active holiday experience Saint John, the smallest of the three islands, has the most to offer.

Two-thirds of the island makes up the Virgin Islands national park, with hills, valleys, and beaches spanning over ten square miles, with a further nine square miles making up the off-shore marine reserve of the US national park.

There are 22 self-guided nature trails to explore, ideal for a walking holiday, with the Reef Bay Hike offering the chance to see ancient rock carvings made by the island's Arawak Indians.

There are also plenty of opportunities for visitors who want to snorkel or scuba dive, with Cruz and Coral Bays popular for diving tours, and the paradise-like Trunk Bay boasting a snorkelling trail for visitors to follow.

One diving activity growing in popularity on the islands is snuba - a combination of snorkelling and scuba diving without the heavy equipment of the latter, and courses are available for holidaymakers keen to try something new.

There are also guided kayak tours available through the marine sanctuary and mangrove lagoon led by experts for holidaymakers who want to find out more about the island's wildlife.

Apart from diving, walking and kayaking other holiday activities available on Saint John include sailing, windsurfing and bird watching.

And if you want to stay on the island there are award-winning eco-tourism lodges to choose from.

For more information on visiting the Virgin Islands national park on Saint John see www.nps.gov/viis.

For more information on visiting the US Virgin Islands see the official website at www.usvitourism.vi

Opodo has return flights to Saint Thomas departing in September starting from £560 with Virgin Atlantic departing from London Heathrow, via Cheapflights.co.uk.