St. Kitts Travel Tips

Where sugar plantation estates remain as private residences
or tourist hotels

St. Kitts Travel Tips


St. Kitts, officially known as St. Christopher until 1988, was instrumental in establishing British domination throughout the Caribbean. It is part of the 2-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Nevis, however, is covered in its own separate section.

Although discovered by Columbus, St. Kitts was the first English settlement in the Eastern Caribbean (1623), and it was from here settlers journeyed to Antigua, Tortola, Montserrat and Nevis.

However, the British didn't gain full control of St. Kitts until 1783, as a provision of the Treaty of Versailles. Basseterre (pronounced "bass-terr") is the capital city of St. Kitts and reflects the long struggle between the English and French over ownership of the island.

Still, the French and British managed at first to live in peace for about 60 years in the 1600s, agreeing by treaty not to battle each other even if their mother countries were at war.

One of their first cooperative projects was to wipe out the Carib Indians, who initially befriended the original 16 British colonists when they landed in 1623. But after the French also established a colony, the Caribs became upset with the growing number of foreigners.

They decided to rid the island of Europeans and called on Indians from adjacent islands to help.

The British and French learned of the plan and struck first, exterminating the St. Kitts Caribs and many of their allies. Although the Caribs were completely routed from St. Kitts, they did leave behind one of the most intriguing sites on the island: a ravine filled with petroglyphs at Bloody Point that few tourists ever see.

For hikers, St. Kitts is a walking paradise. About 36% of the island (roughly 16,000 acres) is protected rain forest. It's been safeguarded since colonial times to retain the vital watershed.   

The toughest walk of all is up the volcano, Mt. Liamuiga, (pronounced Lee-A-mwee-ga) which is 3,792 feet high.

St. Kitts claims one of the Caribbean's oldest and most respected music festivals, dating back to 1996, which features some of the world's top performers. Find out more about the St. Kitts Music Festival and who is appearing this year.

St. Kitts offers many different activities. Scuba divers here have the unusual chance to swim through warm steam vents, courtesy of the island's volcano.

For sunning and relaxing, the best beaches are on the Southern Peninsula with its popular area known as "The Strip."

St. Kitts is the only island with its own scenic railway tour. See the journey around the island on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway (The Sugar Train)

In a very short time, Port Zante in Basseterre has become one of the most popular stopping points for Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Essential Information

Detailed Background: Facts & Map
Courtesy of the CIA

Arrival Briefing
What You Need to Know If You Go

Where to Stay on St. Kitts
From small historic inns to a large casino hotel

Calendar of Events
What events happen when

St. Kitts Road Map
From our Skyviews links partner

Fall In Love With St. Kitts
American Express discount promo

Major Attractions

Basseterre Walking Tour
A "circus" is one of the highlights

Beaches
Most are at the southern end

St. Kitts Diving
Be kissed by the breath of a volcano

Black Rocks
More traces of the island's volcanic past

Brimstone Hill Fortress
Mighty but largely unknown

Carib Petroglyphs
The canyon at Bloody Point is awesome

Mt. Liamuiga Hike
Scale the sides of an old volcano

Monkey Hill Walk/Hike
See the critters that live here

Sea Turtle Nesting Ecotour
Offered April 15-June 15

St. Kitts Music Festival
Held the end of June

St. Kitts Scenic Railway Island Tour
It's also called The Sugar Train

Southern Peninsula Walk
In many ways, this is the most interesting part of the island