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It had been some years since I had been to St.Kitts but I remember it being a quiet island in comparison to other islands I had been to.
So in one full day in St. Kitts, you’re limited to the following below (a driver and tour should cost about 25$ per person … since there is precious little to do around). I would definitely ignore all the tourist brochure crap on St. Kitts unless you’re looking for a quiet time and good golfing … there really isn’t anything more than a day’s worth of stuff to do – you could go over to Nevis for a day trip and spending time on other islands.
- Brimstone Hill Fortress
- Oualie (Walee) beach
- Frigate Bay Marriott and beach
- Romney Manor with Caribelle Batik
- You can also hike the volcano here but that is only if you’re staying here for more than a day.
So as you get into Port Zante, you will be met with the usual gaggle of taxi drivers doing the hustle for a tour or two. Pay no mind to them, although at night the usual place is down by Frigate Bay. There are a dozen beach bars, including Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack, so it’s about the liveliest place on St. Kitts. You might also want to head out for a lime by the bottle tree – ask anyone where it is.
As for heading up to Romney Manor, I think the most interesting thing was the oldest tree on the island. At the heart of the gardens’ diverse plant life is a 350-year-old samaan tree, also known as a rain tree. Having seen all stages of St. Kitts’ diverse history, this giant tree – it covers nearly half an acre – has long been one of Romney Manor’s most popular sites.
From Romney Manor and the Samaan tree, it’s off to the Fortress. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park was designed by British engineers and built and maintained by slaves, and got it’s name because of the strong smell of sulphur that came from underwater vents nearby. Brimstone Hill is actually an extension of cooled lava left as a result of volcanic eruptions in the past. This hard rock foundation made it possible to erect such a massive structure as the fortress.
Beginning in 1690 , construction of the fortress continued for over a hundred years. Supplying defense for Fort Charles and Sandy Point , it was also a refuge fortress, supplying a needed safe house for influential citizens during times of war. In 1782, the British soldiers numbering less than a thousand were surrounded by the French army of over ,8000 troops and were forced to surrender after a month long siege. However a year later , due to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the fort was again in possession of the British.
More walking steps … then into the views from the fort, which are awesome.
Before you go :
- The Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is open everyday (except Christmas and Good Friday) from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children. Don’t bother getting the audio tour … save your $5 and google the thing after.
- The fort is about 20 minutes by car from Basseterre
Once you’re done with the fort … then it’s some more driving down and pretty much you’ll want to head out to the beach and then it’s back to the ship.
