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Cluster · Charlotte Amalie

Government Hill & the 99 Steps

Hill cluster: the 99 Steps and the old houses above the harbour; a hot climb, so go before 09:00 or after 16:00 and wear real shoes.

Key facts

28″ bags
forbidden
Time budget
half
Rescue coverage
96% ≤7′
max p90 6.9′
Places
2
1 sleep area in reach
Government Hill
Government HillPhoto: Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rules in force · 8Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bah…
  • Caribbean ↗Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bahamas and Jamaica) jail visitors for a single stray bullet or cartridge in their luggage; empty every bag and pocket before you pack.
  • Caribbean ↗From August to October keep a free last day before your flight home and check the national hurricane centre daily; airports close when a named storm approaches.
  • Caribbean ↗Wearing camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians in several islands, including Barbados, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica; leave it at home, children's clothes included.
  • US Virgin Islands ↗Entry follows US rules: international visitors need a US visa or ESTA as for the mainland. US citizens need no passport from the mainland, but must clear customs when leaving for the mainland.
  • US Virgin Islands ↗The British Virgin Islands are a separate British territory: a ferry trip there is an international crossing and needs a passport.
  • US Virgin Islands ↗Protect the reefs: do not stand on coral, and follow national park rules on St John.
  • Charlotte Amalie ↗Cruise-ship days change everything: check the port schedule for the days you plan to be downtown and go before 09:00 or after 16:00.
  • Charlotte Amalie ↗After dark, take taxis between clusters and back to your bed rather than walking.
More
Map to the centre
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Directions
From where I am

Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.

Walking weather, next 5 days

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Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Plan

How the ground walks, and what is here

Bound and physics

Government House, the 99 Steps and Blackbeard's Hill above downtown.

Slope
steep
Stairs
Many — the 99 Steps are the main route
Shade
medium
Surface
old brick steps and lanes
Sleep here or visit
visit

On the ground

Where to rest, how to leave, where to sleep nearby

Rescue anchors

6 places to rest · checked on a 40 m (130 ft) grid

A rescue anchor is a spot where you can stop and recover if the walk goes wrong: a bench, a café, a toilet. Every letter on the map is one anchor, and each has a card below. We check that any point in the cluster is within about 7 minutes’ walk of one, so you are never far from somewhere to sit down.

ABCDEF
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Lettered circles: rescue anchors (green works in any conditions, amber only on hot days). Dashed outline: the cluster. Red dots: spots more than 7 min from any anchor (none if you see no red). North is up; not for navigation.

Government House garden benches

Place to sit · works in any conditions

99 Steps midway landing

Place to sit · Shelter from rain · works in any conditions

Blackbeard's Hill top terrace

Place to sit · works in any conditions

Hotel 1829 courtyard café

ac · Food & drink · Place to sit · works in any conditions

Corner shop or café

Place to sit · Food & drink · works in any conditions

Corner shop or café

Place to sit · Food & drink · works in any conditions

96% of the cluster is within 7 min of an anchor in any conditions (slowest walker, worst cell 7.7 min) · 96% on hot days

Nodes in this cluster

  1. The 99 Steps and Government Hill

    A stone stairway that climbs from downtown to the old houses on Government Hill; a hot 15-minute climb, so go early and carry water.

  2. Blackbeard's Castle

    A 1679 Danish watchtower on the highest point of Government Hill, with the best wide harbour view in town; local legend ties it to the pirate Blackbeard, though the historical evidence for that link is thin — go for the view and the tower, not the pirate story.

Edges out

directed
ToHowp50Climb
Main Street & the waterfrontWalk downhill~6 minflat

Sleep within reach

Red lines here

  • The steps are uneven and slippery when wet.

Deep dive

Around this cluster

Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.