St Kitts and Nevis holidays

The national carnival – Sugar Mas – covers the Advent and New Year weeks in a burst of colour and music. Performers, parades, pageants and the beats of soca and calypso take over both islands. Kicking things off, J’Ouvert happens in the early hours of Boxing Day with parades of dance troupes in amazing masks, headdresses and clothes covered in sparkles – or, as is tradition, clown outfits.

Music from all over the Caribbean has surfed the sound waves over the sea to St Kitts and Nevis, from Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso to legendary Jamaican reggae. It all comes together during carnival, where live bands and DJ’s fill the air with island beats.

St Kitts Music Festival (formerly the Shak Shak Festival) usually takes place in June at the Warner Park Stadium, where local and international artists (Lionel Ritchie, John Legend, Shanna and others) perform and celebrate island rhythms.

Caribbean, Indian and Asian flavours come together to form amazing cuisine on St Kitts and Nevis. One of the most famous dishes to look out for is goat water stew, made from goat meat, papaya, breadfruit and creole spices and often served with dumplings called ‘droppers’. Saltfish stew with breadfruit and plantain is another island staple, as is pelau: caramelised meat with coconut milk, beans and rice. Anyone with a sweet tooth has to try conkies, which are boiled dough filled with sweet potato, coconut, currants and spices.

The St Kitts Brewery was set up in 1960 and changed its name to Carib Brewery in 1997. The Carib, Stag and Stol lagers are its three biggest brands, brewed in Basseterre and available in bars and restaurants all over the islands.

It almost wouldn’t be a Caribbean country if it didn’t distil its own rum, and the Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum is St Kitts’ offering. Set up in ’86, the company’s brands include White Reserve, Spiced, Vanilla, Mango, Coffee and Coconut. We’re yet to find a bar that doesn’t do a signature rum punch, with a favourite being the Killer Bee at Sunshine’s in Nevis. At Christmastime, look out for Sorrell (water, spices, sugar and rum).

Non-alcoholic drinks include the fizzy, grapefruity goodness of Ting, Mauby (made from buckthorn bark, sugar and spices), ginger beer, apple juice and tamarind juice.

Cricket’s the national sport, with the nation competing as part of the West Indies. Warner Park stadium in Basseterre hosts ODI’s and test matches, while the Elquemedo Willett Park in Charlestown is often used for smaller events. Football is big too, with The Sugar Boyz representing both islands as part of the Caribbean football union.

Neither island is ideal for non-stop shopping, but that’s not why you come here anyway. St Kitts’ capital, Basseterre is your best bet for buying things, home to a bounty of duty-free stores at Port Zante and the charmingly compact Pelican and TDC malls.

On Nevis, you’re looking at a handful of independent stores in Charlestown selling every day and touristy goods.

Both islands have markets – Kitts’ Amina Craft Market and Nevis’ Artisan Village which bring brightly coloured fabrics, knick-knacks and street foods to the capital town. A lot of the former estates have gift shops, with a favourite being Romney’s Caribelle Batik Factory on St Kitts where you can see how the nation’s famous Batik is created and buy some to take home.

It’s no shocker these lovely landscapes are magnets for arty types, and galleries worth visiting include Kate Spencer’s Studio in north St Kitts (her paintings and printed scarves are famed throughout the Caribbean) and the Eva Wilkin Gallery in one of Nevis’ former windmills.