5 Best Sights in South Shore, St. Thomas

Giant bubble makers, a rainbow-color gear table, and a larger-than-life abacus are just a few of the interactive exhibits at this indoor, family-friendly, play-and-learn museum. Science was never so fun!

Watch jets land at the Cyril E. King Airport as you dip into the usually calm seas. Rocks at either end of the shoreline, patches of grass poking randomly through the sand, and shady tamarind trees 30 feet from the water give this beach a wild, natural feel. Civilization has arrived, in the form of one or two mobile food vans parked on the nearby road. Buy a fried-chicken leg and Johnny cake or burgers and chips to munch on at the picnic tables. This beach can get busy and loud on weekends. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

The museum houses fishing nets, accordions, tambourines, mahogany furniture, photographs, and other artifacts illustrating the lives of the island's French descendants during the 18th through 20th centuries. It's easy to find: look for the statue of the Eiffel Tower out front. Call ahead for tours.

Popular for its bars and restaurants, Frenchtown is also the home of descendants of immigrants from St. Barthélemy (St. Barth). You can watch them pull up their brightly painted boats and display their equally colorful catch of the day along the waterfront. If you chat with them, you can hear speech patterns slightly different from those of other St. Thomas residents. Get a feel for the residential district of Frenchtown by walking west to some of the town's winding streets, where tiny wooden houses have been passed down from generation to generation.

At this ¼-mile-long (½-km-long) beach, swimming is excellent; there are good-size rolling waves year-round, but do watch the undertow. Water sports rentals offer nonmotorized water sports. The beachfront  restaurant at the upscale Buoy Haus hotel serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At 7 am and again at 5 pm, you can catch the cruise ships gliding majestically to or from the Charlotte Amalie harbor. Amenities: parking. Best for: surfing; swimming.