St. Kitts Travel Tips

St. Kitts Travel Tips

The island of St. Kitts is also known as Saint Kitts and Saint Christopher. St. Kitts is part of the 2-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Nevis, however, is covered in its own separate section.

St. Kitts isn’t among the Caribbean’s best-known islands, yet it’s continually being ranked as one of the best by many prominent sources including US News & World Report, NBC News, USA Today, AOL Travel and British Airways.  Saint Kitts also is rapidly becoming one of the regions most popular cruise ports.

Pretty impressive accolades, especially since travel media traditionally gushed over its neighbor, Nevis. Finally, St. Kitts' genuine West Indian culture, historical architecture as well as its wide variety of activities have earned the appreciation they deserve. (See Things To Do)

The capital city of St. Kitts is Basseterre (pronounced "bass-terr"), a decidedly French name that reflects the long struggle between the English and French over ownership of the island. (See St. Kitts history)

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 due to the moderate hike required to reach it.

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

St. Kitts' toughest hike is a climb to the top of the volcano, Mount Liamuiga, (pronounced Lee-A-mwee-ga), which is a respectable 3,792 feet (1156 m) 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 stops for Eastern Caribbean cruises. And why not, considering the unusual variety of things to do.

Essential Information

Arrival Briefing
What You Need to Know If You Go

Things To Do
Major attractions and activities

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

St. Kitts History
First English settlement in the Eastern Caribbean

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