Cabrita Point Resort - St. Thomas, USVI

Watching sailboats and ferries wind their way in and out of Red Hook, St. Thomas will be the main event at Cabrita Point Resort. With only 17 of 40 condominium units rented to vacationers, you'll find yourself living like the locals do. They gather to play pool, shuffleboard, darts or just chat at the resort's Zone Restaurant, go for an after work swim in the pool, play a game or two of tennis at the two courts, and relax on their patio or balcony to watch those boats go by at this busy port.

There's no sandy beach here, but intrepid folks can swim off the rocky strand that runs in front of the waterfront buildings. Bluebeard's Beach is a five-minute walk away, which will be adequate for an afternoon under the palm trees.

The studio, one and two-bedroom units are housed in pale pink stucco buildings. They're modern on the outside and the inside. They come with your standard tropical decor - rattan furniture with colorful printed cushions, ceramic tile floors, and ceiling fans. Only some of the units have air-conditioning, so if that's important, ask before you book.

The units have cable television, but no telephones. There's a laundromat on the premises to keep up with those sandy and salty clothes that seem to accumulate on a tropical vacation. The full kitchens have most of the conveniences of home. In addition to the standard appliances, all have coffeemakers, but there are a few units without microwaves.

Cabrita Point's location puts you just a few minutes from busy Red Hook, where you can grocery shop in small stores, enjoy seafood dinners out at the Cafe Wahoo, and hop the ferry to nearby St. John for a day of hiking or swimming in its V.I. National Park.

Another 15 minutes puts you in the downtown Charlotte Amalie shopping district, where you can stroll for hours in and out of the duty-free shops.