The best things to do in St Kitts, from scenic train rides to catamaran voyages
St Kitts is a small, scenic island that quickly rewards the explorer. It is shaped like a paddle, with the best beaches at the end of the southeast peninsula (the grip). The main bulk of the island (the blade) is in the northwest and dominated by the green and forested volcano, Mt Liamiuga. Most hotels and the capital, Basseterre, lie in the centre (the throat). The result is a delightful variety of landscapes with plenty to enjoy whether you like history, active pursuits, or just watching Kittitian life roll by. It helps to have a car, but tours by taxi are easily arranged.
Basseterre
Stroll around the island's historic capital
Basseterre is a small port where it’s best to wander around enjoying the historic buildings and bustling street life rather than rushing to see a particular sight. Seek out The Circus, St George's Anglican Church (at the top of Church Street) and Independence Square (once Pall Mall Square). The St Kitts Tourism Authority has an office inside the Pelican Shopping Mall in Bay Road where you can pick up a map and visitor guide.
Insider tip: Port Zante, the cruise ship passenger terminal, is right by the city centre with duty-free shops, street entertainment and a crafts market. It's the best place to look for souvenirs, gifts and inexpensive rum but only comes alive when there's a vessel in port.
See St Kitts from the sea on a catamaran cruise
Want to get out sailing on that bright blue sea? Based in Basseterre, Leeward Islands Charters offers group catamaran voyages along the west coast of St Kitts with an open bar and stops for snorkelling. Sunset cruises are available, too – trips need a minimum of 15 passengers and rates exclude travel to the departure point in the marina at Port Zante. You can also book your own private charter.
Insider tip: For something adventurous, book the full-day sail across to Nevis and back. This includes some excellent snorkelling and a barbecue beach lunch on St Kitts's sister isle, and the crew are always fun.
Contact: 00 1 869 760 0000; leewardislandscharters.com
Price: ££-£££
Take a day trip to Nevis
You can ride over to Nevis on the public ferry from Basseterre (45 minutes) or go by speedboat from Cockleshell Bay Beach (five minutes). The first arrives in the capital, Charlestown, the second at Oualie Beach. Both are good starting points for a round island tour by taxi, which is best arranged in advance through your accommodation. Stop for a drink or lunch in a plantation-style hotel such as Golden Rock Inn or The Hermitage.
Insider tip: The ferry will suit independent-minded travellers – it's a leisurely crossing with an upper deck where you can enjoy the views. You'll disembark in the centre of Charlestown where Riviere House is a good place for a local lunch.
Contact: For ferry times see this Facebook page
Price: £-£££
St Thomas
Visit one of the first English settlements in the Caribbean
Back in the 1630s, pioneering English settlers grew tobacco, cotton and indigo beside the Wingfield River, then moved on to sugar using a water-powered mill. The extensive and partially restored remains of the Wingfield Estate near Old Road are well worth seeing, along with the neighbouring Romney Manor, which has splendid gardens and a magnificent 350 year-old saman tree.
Insider tip: Carabelle Batik, a studio and shop in Romney Manor that makes Caribbean-themed batiks, has some of the most appealing souvenirs from a trip to St Kitts. There's also a Rainforest Bar that's a good place to spot birds and monkeys in the late afternoon.
Contact: 00 1 869 465 6253; caribellebatikstkitts.com
Price: Free-£
Get some thrills on a rainforest zip-line
Want some excitement? Then try zip-lining through the rainforest with Sky Safari, a well-organised high wire act that has five lines with the longest stretching for 1,350 feet (411m). You'll get a short training session and there are guides to show you the ropes, then it's time to yell “wheeeeee!”. The attraction is popular with cruise ship passengers so reserve in advance and allow two-and-a-half hours for the full tour.
Insider tip: Sky Safari is part of the Wingfield Estate and Romney Manor which are both worth some time. You can get refreshments at its Rainforest Bar, shop at the colourful Carabelle Batik store, and relax in the delightful gardens.
Contact: 00 1 869 465 4347; skysafaristkitts.com
Price: ££-£££
Admire a colossal World Heritage site
In 1690, British forces began work on a hilltop defence that over the course of the next century grew into an imposing fortress. Built by African slaves, at its peak Brimstone Hill was home to over a thousand soldiers and their families. Abandoned in 1825, it has since been restored and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site and the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park.
Insider tip: There's a lot to see here including a short film, an extensive military museum plus huge fortifications to explore. It's worth picking up the audioguide at the ticket booth and while there is a small café this is also a terrific spot for a picnic.
Contact: 00 1 869 465 2609; brimstonehillfortress.org
Opening times: Mon-Sun, 9.30am-5.30pm
Prices: £
St Anne
Learn about St Kitts's connection with the abolition of slavery
The Amazing Grace Experience is a small exhibition space in the Lighthouse Baptist Church at Crab Hill that tells how an English slave trader, John Newton (1725-1807), became a reformed man during a visit to St Kitts in 1754. A 10-minute film and information panels explain how he went on to campaign for the abolition of slavery and compose several well-known hymns including 'Amazing Grace'.
Insider tip: A visit here is easily paired with one to the nearby Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. The church is a blue building on the left as you continue north from Sandy Point.
Contact: 00 1 869 465 1122; amazinggraceexperience.com
Price: £
St Paul
Hike up the volcano at the heart of St Kitts
Ready for a serious hike? Then it's time to tackle the 3,972ft (1,210m) volcanic peak of Mt Liamuiga in the north of the island, which until independence in 1983 was known as Mt Misery. The two-hour ascent climbs through a cathedral-like rainforest with magnificent trees, then emerges on the rim of a half-mile-wide (0.8km) volcanic crater to look down at a lost green world 700ft (213m) below.
Insider tip: Several companies offer escorted trips with hotel pick-up – one highly experienced and extremely motivating guide is O'Neil Mulraine. You won't see much if it's cloudy or rainy, so if the weather looks promising arrange to do the climb as soon as you can.
Contact: 00 1 869 665 1384
Price: ££
St Peter
Ride around the north of the island on a scenic train
In 1912 work began on a narrow gauge railway line to transport sugar cane across the north of St Kitts to the outskirts of Basseterre. Completed 14 years later, it remained in use until 2005 when the industry finally closed. Now it has a second life as the St Kitts Scenic Railway, taking tourists on a two-hour, 18 mile (29km) trundle around the Atlantic coast with a guided commentary and drinks.
Insider tip: Passengers travel in breezy, double-decker carriages as far as La Vallee Station in Newton Ground, then a 45-minute bus ride completes the round-island tour. The journey is also available in reverse – sit upstairs at the back of the carriage for the best photo opportunities.
Contact: 00 1 869 465 7263; stkittsscenicrailway.com
Price: £££
St George
Play a round of golf between two oceans
The Royal St Kitts Golf Club is a championship golf course covering 125 acres that runs between the island's Atlantic and Caribbean shores. Playing amongst its tall palms and crashing waves is an exhilarating experience, with 10 water hazards and 80 bunkers enlivening a par 70 course measuring 6,700 yards (6,126m). Drinks and snacks are available at the Clubhouse Grille, overlooking the 18th green, and there's also a well-stocked shop selling golfing clothes, equipment and memorabilia.
Insider tip: Tee times can be booked 30 days in advance, with a full round generally taking four-and-a-half hours. Rates drop in low season (May 1- Oct 31) and are discounted for guests staying at the nearby St Kitts Marriott Resort, who can also book tee times six months in advance.
Contact: 00 1 869 466 2700; royalstkittsgolfclub.com
Price: ££-£££
