Kick back on palm-fringed, white-sand beaches

The US Virgin Islands are a group of more than 40 islands bobbing in the Caribbean about 50 miles east of Puerto Rico. Although the islands are part of the Virgin Islands, they are a US territory and traffic drives on the left - the only US territory where this happens!

The four main islands are St Thomas, St John, St Croix and Water Island, with many other smaller islands. The capital is Charlotte Amalie on St Thomas.

The islands are mainly volcanic in origin and the terrain is hilly with the highest point being Crown Mountain at 474m. The interior is covered with subtropical vegetation and the coastline boasts soft white-sand beaches such as Magens Bay and Trunk Bay.

You can enjoy swimming, sailing, water sports, hiking, diving and tennis on the islands.

The official language is English and the currency is the US dollar. The US Virgin Islands are in the path of tropical hurricanes and heavy rainfall between August and October, so the best time to visit is outside these months.