CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands -- As it headed to the U.S. Virgin Islands, the 10-seater plane cruised over islets and light-blue waters that revealed luminous coral reefs.

But I knew I was really on that idyllic Caribbean getaway when a friend and I later found ourselves lounging on an almost-empty St. Thomas beach ringed by emerald-green mountains. We sipped strawberry daiquiris and gazed out at a placid, clear-blue bay.

Yep, the life. I had chosen the three-island U.S. territory to celebrate my 32nd birthday, and wanted a peaceful escape without the fuss of maps, organized tours and visas -- which is exactly what I got. A trip here is hassle-free for those visiting from the continental U.S., as no passport is needed.

(Currently, Americans need a passport to re-enter the U.S. from Caribbean islands other than Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.)

One day we trotted down to Charlotte Amalie's port to catch a ferry to St. John, an island that is part of the U.S. territory. It is home to a national park of more than 7,000 acres that encompasses coral reefs and mangrove forests.

Once there, we walked through the forest on a well-marked path, passing several beaches (Honeymoon, Solomon, Caneel). The hike was great -- the foliage was abundant and little critters slithered by -- but day-trippers should be sure to bring drinking water and wear sturdy hiking shoes. Though it was only 30 minutes to the first beach, we found it hot under the canopy, while the ground can be slick from recent rainfall.

We settled on a beach that was less crowded than the others (that said, "crowded" was about 15 people). There were no food stands or rental places here, so you had to bring whatever you needed -- but that made it even more peaceful.

A stroll through downtown St. John showed us another slice of small-town Caribbean life: Posters for political races read "The Future Is Now" and "Together We Can," with the politicians sporting big

grins. A stop sign read, "Thou Shalt Stop," and another sign read, "Thou Shalt Not Park Here." There were also a few open-air food stands where locals gathered to hang out and play music.

Back on St. Thomas, one of our beach exursions involved a taxi ride (on a truck mounted with benches) across the hilly island. It passed homes perching on the edge of cliffs and wove through mangroves trees to Magens Bay.

We rented chairs from a shop that also offered snorkeling gear, and set them up near some palm trees, then lazed away the afternoon watching clouds breeze overhead -- and drinking the aforementioned daiquiris.

I dipped my head in the cool waters and paddled around. The only incident that broke the bliss was when a baby

nurse shark was spotted just a few feet off shore. People came running from both ends of the beach. Rather than fear the shark, I worried for the small creature, who seemed dazed and confused before it eventually glided off.

Another day took us to Frenchtown, which can be reached on foot from downtown (though it is a pretty long walk).

The "Frenchies," as they are called, are descendants of Huguenots who came here from St. Barts in the 1800s. I thought it would be great if we could speak French here, but it turned out no one we met did.

Frenchtown was lined with houses that appeared to have the same design but were painted in bright, tropical colors, including pink and sea green.

We went to Betsy's Bar where one

of the entertainments appeared to be a Frenchie nabbing a land crab and giving it a beer can, which the poor creature crushed. The atmosphere was certainly one of a small town.

Sampling the local cuisine was another memorable aspect of the Virgin Islands visit.

Herve, which specializes in French and American fare, has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the hills of St. Thomas -- and the food is equal to the ambience. We enjoyed kir royals, stuffed mushrooms, vine-ripened tomato salad, seafood bouillabaise cooked with saffron, and the aptly named berries and chocolate nirvana -- chocolate cups filled with berries and a touch of Chambord (raspberry liqueur).

Another favorite was Cuzzin's, with its tasty curried conch. But the restaurant's real show-stopper was its yummy rum cake, which was fairly high octane; if we had put a match to it, it would have caught on fire!

We lodged at the Galleon House, a guest house in Charlotte Amalie, enjoying a room that had a balcony overlooking the tiny streets of the former Danish colony, which are lined with many European colonial-era brick and wood buildings. On the hillside, we could see the governor's residence, a white house that was brightly lit at night.

Accommodations at the Galleon House house were basic but charming. It has a lovely, turquoise-colored deck overlooking the hillside, and lush grounds maintained by the friendly groundskeeper, Cornelius Douglas. A bountiful breakfast was served daily.

From here, downtown was just a short walk away. Charlotte Amalie has a lot of duty-free shops that sell jewelry to cruise passengers. Other hawkers try to lure you into their shops, which can be annoying. Our strategy was to simply ignore them.

But the real treasures were small establishments catering to locals, including Beans, Bytes & Websites, which offers coffee from around the Caribbean, plus snacks. It had about a dozen computers with Internet access, as well as a selection of local newspapers. What's more, its brick building provided a nice escape from the island sun.

A walk through the residential areas brought us to a monument to the "Fire Burn Queens," three women who fought for better rights for African workers in the late 1800s. The stroll also took in the 17th-century Fort Christian and many tropical homes snuggled amid the trees. Another highlight was Blackbeard's Castle, a National Historic Landmark. Its watchtower dates to 1679, and local lore holds that notorious pirate Edward Teach -- a k a Blackbeard -- used it as a lookout.

On our last day, we headed for the stunning Sapphire Beach on St. Thomas' east end. Set in a resort that is open to the public, it provided our best beach experience of the trip. It wasn't crowded, there were lounge chairs for lazy sunbathing, and snorkel gear was available for rent.

I went snorkeling and was treated to the sight of two stingrays cruising through the coral. Sadly, much of the coral was dying -- its beautiful colors gone -- as it suffers from a mysterious disease.

The view from the beach was enchanting. In the distance, we could see the British Virgin Islands and other U.S. islets -- majestic green dots reaching to the horizon.

IF YOU GO

BLACKBEARD'S CASTLE: A National Historic landmark in Charlotte Amalie, also known as Skytsborg. tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2111&ResourceType=Structure

LODGING: Galleon House Bed and Breakfast Inn, Charlotte Amalie. High-season rates from $83. www.galleonhouse.com; (800) 524-2052.

DINING: Cuzzin's Caribbean Restaurant & Bar, Back Street, Charlotte Amalie, (340) 777-4711. Herve Restaurant & Wine Bar, Government Hill, Charlotte Amalie, www.herverestaurant.com (340) 777-9703.

INFORMATION: U.S. Virgin Islands tourism, www.usvitourism.vi, (800) 372-8784. U.S. Virgin Islands National Park (on St. John), www.nps.gov/viis.