Protestant Cay


Protestant Cay is a four-acre triangular islet in the Christiansted Harbor, 200 yards north of Christiansted. It has the closest beach to Downtown Christiansted. The island is home to a resort, the Hotel on the Cay, which is home to a protected sand beach, small shop and beach bar. The ferries to Protestant Cay are free of charge and leave from King’s Wharf in Christiansted.

History

Local legend says the island is named because the Roman Catholic French rulers of the late 1600s wanted all of non-Catholic faith to be segergated and interred on the offshore islet. As only Catholics were allowed burials on Saint Croix, people of other faiths were buried on Protestant Cay.

Threatened species

The endemic Saint Croix ground lizard was once roaming Saint Croix and all nearby islands and islets, but is now only found on Protestant and Green Cays off Saint Croix’s northern coast.