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St Kitts map
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| Deana Bellamy and James Henderson |
| Key Features
ST KITTS - Lively West Indian life on a small, attractive island, not that developed. Air access quite good, a few beaches, some secluded; a limited range of accommodation but two delightful plantation house hotels. Golf, some visible history. | | |
The views of St Kitts from its sister island Nevis are some of the loveliest in the Caribbean. It rises from the Caribbean Sea in graceful green slopes culminating in cloud-topped heights that stand striking against a surreal blue sky. Set in the north of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, St Kitts lies near the tip of the diminishing arc of vast volcanic islands that starts in the South with Grenada. It is relatively small, just five miles across by 18, but it soars to over 3500 feet.
There are two halves to the island, which are distinct in geography and in their atmosphere. The North of the island is immensely lush and green, with a patchwork of steep green slopes. The coastlines are dotted with traditional West Indian villages, churches, agricultural plots and the occasional windmill or brick chimney from an old sugar estate works. Until recently all the flatlands in this section of St Kitts were carpeted with sugar cane, but the industry came to an end in 2005.
This is the Kittitians' St Kitts. Life is fairly typical of the Caribbean, a fairly simple agricultural and light industrial existence. Their capital Basseterre lies in the lee of the mountains, a small, busy town of stone buildings set on the Caribbean waterfront. The population is about 36,000 (there are another 11,000 or so on Nevis next door).
If you head for the south of the island, over the hill from Basseterre, the atmosphere changes completely. You arrive first in Frigate Bay, the island's tourist heartland. Hotel complexes line the beaches on both coasts (Atlantic and Caribbean side), there is a golf course laced among them and there are other facilities such as watersports (mainly on the Caribbean beach).
Beyond here, the whole south-eastern peninsular is lower-lying and drier than the north of the island. It is consequently less green, but in compensation it has the best beaches on St Kitts. They are gradually being developed with tourist businesses.
In the main, St Kitts has gone squarely for mid-range tourism, with mid-price, sometimes large hotels. You can find a passable holiday here at a good price. But it is worth looking beyond this too, because back in the North of the island, St Kitts has a couple of excellent plantation house hotels set in restored historic buildings, some of the most atmospheric and delightful in the Caribbean. They are not on the beach, but they offer the best in traditional Caribbean elegance.
St Kitts and Nevis have been united politically since 1882 and became independent from Britain as the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis in September 1983. The Kittitians themselves are a demonstrative people (unlike their cousins in Nevis, who are generally quieter) and so life in downtown Basseterre is lively. Expect to be accosted, by busmen and taxi drivers for obvious reasons, but also by people out in the street. It pays to take a little time to join in.
Time was when St Kitts was fiercely battled over. In the 1620s it was known as the Mother Colony of the West Indies because it was the first non-Spanish settlement in the area. Later Brimstone Hill, the vast fortress built to keep intruders out, led it to be known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies. Nowadays St Kitts' has no importance in a strategic sort, and it accepts its guests in a more peaceable way. |
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Accommodation
St Kitts does not have a huge number of hotels. There are not that many beaches to begin with, and the nicest ones, which have lighter coloured sand have been hard to access until recently and they are only now being developed. The sand in the northern, most accessible part of the island is dark and volcanic.
For the moment tourism on the island is centred largely on Frigate Bay, just south of Basseterre. Here you will find a dozen or so large-ish hotels and resorts. St Kitts has gone largely for a mid-price tourism and some tend to be relatively simple... Among them you will find some good places to stay though, and you can stay there for relatively little money.
The unsung story of St Kitts are the plantation house hotels that can be found in the north of the island. Like its sister island Nevis, it has a couple of small, intimate places to stay that have an atmosphere of classic West Indian elegance. They are all small hotels, but if you are right for them there is nothing like them and they are some of the loveliest in the Caribbean.
Hotels & Resorts
All of the beach resorts in St Kitts are currently located in the Frigate Bay area and only one hotel, the Marriott (with over 630 rooms), has more than 120 rooms or so. Few have a lavish style or distinct character. A couple do stand out from the crowd, though, for their low-key but reliable service in a reasonable setting.
| Frigate Bay Resort
A brightly-painted, modern resort-style hotel with rooms and self-catering suites centred on a pool above Frigate Bay in St Kitts. Frigate Bay Resort has an easy-going, sometimes up-beat atmosphere with guests that include visiting families and some business people. It is well priced and well positioned for the activity of Frigate Bay with its beach, restaurants and golf course.
Key Features: Hillside Caribbean resort with 64 rooms in several buildings all together. Good for family Caribbean holidays. Rooms with cable TV, air-conditioning, fridges, coffee/tea makers, iron/ironing board and hairdryers, including self-catering studios and suites with full kitchens. Jasmines Restaurant and The Bistro, 24-hour front desk, DSL and WiFi internet access available, gift shop, air-conditioned conference room for 60 theatre style. Large swimming pool with swim-up bar. Walk to beach. Wedding packages. 18-hole golf nearby.
From US$105/night in summer | | Ocean Terrace Inn
A comfortable, medium-sized hotel set on the edge of Basseterre, St Kitts’ capital, well-positioned as a retreat from the (relative) bustle of the town. OTI sees a mix of travellers and business guests.
Key Features: Comfortable, convenient St Kitts leisure and business hotel, on the outskirts of Basseterre St Kitts, 69 rooms and suites with cable TV, a triple lagoon pool with swim-up bar and waterfall, pool bar and grill, Jacuzzi, beach shuttle, 225 seat conference room, business centre, waterfront Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant, Waterfalls Restaurant, terrace bar, fitness centre, dive shop, gift shop. Massages available. WiFi access. | | Timothy Beach Resort
A well priced, modern beach hotel set above the Caribbean side of Frigate Bay in St Kitts, where its relatively simple and comfortable rooms overlook the lively beach from the hillside. Friendly, with some resort-style facilities and a mix of package and independent travellers.
Key Features: Low key Caribbean family vacation resort, set above Frigate Bay Beach (south). 60 rooms, studios, suites, apartments and townhouses, all rooms with mini or full fridges with kitchenettes/kitchens and cable TV. Swimming pool, snorkelling, range of watersports available on beach, Sunset Café restaurant and bar, near Royal St Kitts golf course. WiFi service in rooms and central areas.
From US$110/night in summer | | | ^ back to top |
Small Hotels & Inns
The small hotels that have any style or character happen to be the plantation house hotels in the North of the island. They are set in former sugar estates and trading buildings and recall the elegance of centuries past.
| Ottley's Plantation Inn
A delightful plantation house hotel set in gardens with sweeping lawns, located high above the Atlantic coast in the north-east of St Kitts. Centred on a restored great house surrounded by stone and wooden cottages, Ottley’s has a traditional West Indian elegance to go with a spa, spring-fed pool, lovely gardens and a wonderful traditional tranquillity.
Key Features: Ottley's Plantation Inn is one of only two plantation inns on St Kitts, extremely hospitable and charming plantation hotel, 23 rooms and suites in the main house and cottages, including a 3 room villa, spring-fed 66ft swimming pool, floodlit tennis court (hard), beach shuttle, croquet lawn, rainforest nature trail, Mango Orchard Spa.
From US$223/night in summer | | The Golden Lemon
A small, stylish enclave of villas and hotel rooms on the northern coastline of St Kitts. The Golden Lemon is set in beautifully restored stone trading buildings, which have been decorated in flamboyant style.
Key Features: The Golden Lemon is an elegant Caribbean island hotel in restored stone buildings, 26 great house and villa rooms, the latter with plunge pools, swimming pool, tennis court, gift shop, bar, snorkelling, no TVs. | | | ^ back to top |
Villas
St Kitts is not known as a villa destination, unlike its sister island Nevis, where there are several good private villas available for rental and a villa management structure to support them. Future developments should however see a shift towards holiday villa ownership and a subsequent increase in holiday rental properties.
Villa Resorts
There are no villa resorts as such on St Kitts although Timothy Beach on Frigate Bay has the feel of a villa resort
Cottages, Apartments and Condominiums
Timothy Beach has suites, apartments and townhouses with a central swimming pool.
| Timothy Beach Resort
A well priced, modern beach hotel set above the Caribbean side of Frigate Bay in St Kitts, where its relatively simple comfortable rooms overlook the beach from the hillside. Friendly, with a mix of package and independent travellers.
Key Features: Low key Caribbean family vacation resort, set above Frigate Bay Beach (south). 60 rooms, studios, suites, apartments and townhouses, all rooms with mini fridges or full fridges with kitchenettes/kitchens and cable TV. Swimming pool, snorkelling, range of watersports available on beach, Sunset Café restaurant and bar, near St Kitts golf course. Internet access.
From US$110/night in summer | | | ^ back to top |
Guest Houses
We have not come across any distinctive guest houses on St Kitts.
Sailing and Cruising
St Kitts is not known as a sailing destination although plenty of cruise ships visit the island.
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