Visitors to St. Kitts can easily spend their entire stay at their hotel or inn, luxuriating in their quiet surroundings or enjoying the facilities onsite. Yet getting out and seeing some of the sights provides a peek at a Caribbean island that still maintains much of its original culture.
Sightseeing in St. Kitts
In Basseterre, St. Kitts' capital, sights include “the Circus,” a traffic circle in the center of town. A green clock tower, Berkeley Memorial Clock, is in the middle. Independence Square is a large open space with fountains, lawns and trees, surrounded by stone buildings that date back to the 1600’s; the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1927; and the stately Courthouse, built in 1867. The National Museum, housed in the former Treasury Building, contains displays on the island’s sugar plantation history and the colorful Carnival held every year.In 1690, the British built a stone fortress 750 feet above sea level to force out the French. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, called Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park and nicknamed “the Gibraltar of the West Indies,” offers a peek into St. Kitts' past, as well as spectacular views and nature trails that wind along the ruins.
Other sights include the Church of St. Thomas in the village of Middle Island, the first Anglican church built in the West Indies and the burial place of Sir Thomas Warner, the island’s first English governor; an ancient petroglyph carved into volcanic rock by ancient people; and the Black Rocks, a scenic view of huge volcanic boulders that have tumbled into the ocean.
St. Kitts Scenic Railway, the “sugar train,” was built on the tracks formerly used to transport freshly harvested sugar cane. Today, this modernized version offers a pleasant three-hour trip around the island in comfortable double-decker air-conditioned cars.
Shopping in St. Kitts
Most of St. Kitts’ shops are near Basseterre’s waterfront, where the cruise ships dock. At the two main complexes, the Pelican Mall, built inside a former warehouse, and the recently constructed Port Zante area, the focus is on duty-free shopping.Bargain hunters in St. Kitts will find jewelry outlets like Abbots Jewelry and Diamonds International, as well as Ram’s Duty Free Shops and Ashburry’s Duty Free Shopping, which sell Waterford Crystal, Seiko and Movado watches, and fragrances by Chanel and Calvin Klein.
Island Hopper on the Circus sells silk clothing, Tommy Bahama resort wear, and souvenirs like T-shirts. Island Fever, a few doors away, specializes in Fresh Produce clothing.
Out of town is Caribelle Batik, a complex of sunny yellow buildings amidst the Wingfield Sugar Estate ruins that sells colorful batik clothing produced on Sea Island Cottons.
The shop is surrounded by the small but highly photogenic Botanical Gardens of Romney Manor. The Potter’s House in Camps Bay features the ceramics of local artist Carla Astaphan, as well as clothing and jewelry made by local craftspeople. A World Apart in Frigate Bay sells unusual gifts from all over the world, including African carvings, Chinese gemstone globes, and Russian nesting dolls.
Local Dining in St. Kitts
Basseterre has several open-air restaurants with a fun, funky atmosphere. Ballahoo, overlooking the Circus, features conch fritters and a rum and banana sandwich topped with ice cream. The Circus nearby specializes in Caribbean lobster with garlic butter.Also in Basseterre is StoneWall’s Tropical Bar and Eating Place, a casual outdoor restaurant in a courtyard. While the menu changes nightly, it always includes the house specialty, barbecued ribs made with a Barbadian technique.
The ultra-casual Turtle Beach Bar & Grill on the Southeast Peninsula features such Caribbean specialties as conch chowder, spicy shrimp kebabs, and banana bread pudding with mango rum sauce.
St. Kitt’s inns offer the finest dining on the island. The Royal Palm Restaurant at Ottley’s Plantation Inn and the restaurants at the Rawlins Plantation Inn and the Golden Lemon Inn are open to non-guests. The food at all three is expertly prepared, making the experience worth the trip.
