One of the most legendary points of interest in the Virgin Islands, The Buccaneer is a completely modern hotel with a history as fascinating as that of St. Croix itself. It was in 1653 that Charles Martel, a Knight of Malta, constructed the first building on Estate Shoys, where The Buccaneer is located.
This French Greathouse was placed out of sight of the sea to protect from roving foes. Later, after the Danes bought the island in 1733, Governor von Prock built his home on the estate, turning the French Greathouse into a sugar factory and erecting the sugar mill, which is as it was in the days when sugar was king.
Michael Shoy, from whom the area known as Estate Shoys received its name, bought the estate from von Prock and began growing cotton. Later, the Heyliger Company raised cattle here.
Finally in 1947, the Armstrong family, who had owned and operated the cattle estate since 1922, opened The Buccaneer for business with eleven guest rooms. It was the first hotel in St. Croix to be built and operated by an island family.
