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Colourful buildings at a port in a Caribbean town with green hills in the background

St Kitts & Nevis Travel Guide

The times have been kind to St. Kitts and Nevis. European settlement came later than elsewhere and when it did, the sugar cane fields were a roaring success. Hurricanes haven’t rid the isles of their colonial history, and tourism didn’t rear its head until modern-day eco-consciousness could responsibly lead the way.

The result: two little islands of lush, life-filled rainforest, dizzyingly pretty beaches and historic seaside towns. Hike, bike, kayak and paddleboard until the sun goes down, play golf on the world’s first edible (yes, edible!) course, visit fascinating museums – or simply sit on soft sand, rum punch at the ready, and watch the boats sail by.

Beaches in St Kitts & Nevis

St Kitts has over a hundred miles of coastline, and Nevis close to sixty. Being volcanic islands, the natural coves and bays come with sand of every shade: bright white, creamy gold, ashy grey and deep, dark charcoal. Reefs keep some waters crazily calm and lagoon-like, while trade winds whip up waves elsewhere.

Some beaches are lined with groovy rum shacks, pouring out punch by the gallon and frying fresh fish on the shore. Others seem totally untouched by human hands – places that put you in awe of Mother Nature with rugged rock, soft sand, tropical birds and nesting turtles. All have public access, and all are worth experiencing.

Best Beaches in St Kitts & Nevis

Fire performers at a beach party at night on a tropical beach
Photo credit: Courtesy of St. Kitts Tourism Authority

Frigate Bay & Cockleshell Beach, St Kitts

The talc soft, golden and white shores of southeast St Kitts hog almost all of the attention. Frigate Bay and Cockleshell Beach are the most developed, with activity centres to keep you occupied in the day and rum shacks building up a buzzy evening scene. A lot of the hotels are based around here, cleverly managing to blend in with the coastline while being moments from the beach.

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Small waves crashing on a golden sand tropical beach lines with palm trees
Photo credit: Courtesy of St. Kitts Tourism Authority

South Friars Beach, St Kitts

South Friars feels a bit more refined, with stunning scenery and posh beach bars.

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Tables and chair laid out at on a tropical beach with golden sand and several palm trees

Pinney’s Beach, Nevis

Pinney’s beach takes top spot on Nevis – three miles long and near the capital with beach bars competing over their rum punches.

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St Kitts & Nevis geography

Two volcanic islands, two miles apart in the Eastern Caribbean: one shaped like a bat and the other a ball – a perfect pairing if ever there was one. The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is one of the smallest Caribbean nations, totalling 104 square miles or 269km2 (about the size of Birmingham in the UK).

Saint Kitts (the bat) is the bigger of the two, but even then only 23 miles long and 5 wide. To the southeast and across what’s called The Narrows - where the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea meet - Nevis (the ball) covers nearly half the area, just 8 miles by 5.

By shape and size, they differ, but these isles share ample similarities. Each has a volcanic peak, peering overall, each has acres and acres of wild, wonderful rainforest, and each is trimmed with beautiful beaches in all shades of sand.

Though Nevis claims the first Caribbean hotel, hospitality hasn’t been a big focus in these parts until rather recently. Sugarcane production was the main source of income until 2005, making the nation a real newbie in the world of modern tourism. Which is a good thing – the new millennium’s eco-awareness has helped the hotel scene grow sustainably in honour of the natural surroundings.

St Kitts & Nevis history

Arawaks, and then the Caribs from South America were the original islanders here before Christopher Columbus spotted St Kitts and Nevis on his second voyage in 1493. Though the Caribs had originally named them ‘Liamuiga’ (fertile island) and ‘Oualie’ (land of beautiful waters), Columbus re-christened them ‘San Cristóbal’ (Saint Christopher), which was later shortened by Brits to Kitt’s and ‘Nuestra Senora de Las Nieves’ (Our Lady of the Snows - after its cloudy mountaintops) which evolved into Nevis.

Settlement didn’t happen immediately, and the Amerindians had 130 years or so of peace and quiet before the Europeans took over. St Kitts was the first to see change when the British arrived in 1623 and set up the West Indies’ first proper English colony. The French settled four years later, and the two nations fought for ownership through the 17th century. Both nations enslaved and killed the Caribs and brought in African slaves to work on their plantations. The Brits had possession from 1713 onwards thanks to the Treaty of Utrecht. Come 1775, there was a sugar plantation for every square mile of the island.

British settlers arrived in Nevis in 1628, and before long it became of the most successful islands in the Caribbean – despite attacks in the 17th and 18th centuries from France and Spain. Alexander Hamilton - one of the founding fathers of America - was born here in 1757. Another important figure was Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was stationed here in the 1780s when he met and fell in love with Fanny Nisbet, who he married in 1787.

In 1882, the islands joined up with Anguilla as a single British Colony. They became an independent state with their own government in 1967. Full independence was granted in 1983, but they’ve remained a member of the Commonwealth.

Sugarcane stopped being cultivated as recently as 2005 when tourism took over as the nation’s main income.

Wildlife in St Kitts & Nevis

Instead of being felled in the face of new resorts, the greenery here’s growing: this is American Oceanic Rainforest - one of the rarest ecosystems on earth - and anything above a thousand feet is fiercely protected as part of the National Forest Reserve. These islands have over two hundred bird species, tens of thousands of chattering vervet monkeys, bundles of bright orchids and a whole other world of tropical marine life under the water. Waterfalls pour, waves whittle lava rock and hot springs bubble. From the mountaintops to the deepest reefs, this is one of the most colourful and incredible corners of the world, and - thank heavens - it looks set to stay that way.

Activities in St Kitts & Nevis

Don’t judge an island by its size. You might be able to fit St Kitts into Jamaica sixty-six times (with room to spare), but there’s just as much - maybe more - to see and do. The same goes for Nevis, which though only eight miles long has over eighty incredible activities to get stuck into.

Walk, climb, cycle, scooter along quiet coastal roads, up volcanic slopes and across old sugar plantations. Delve under the water to dive amongst reefs and wrecks, or stick to the surface on paddleboard, sailboat or kayak. The list goes on and on, and it’s incredible.

Watersports

Diving in St Kitts & Nevis

53km of coral reefs, 250-plus species of fish, awesome volcanic rock formations and fascinating wrecks: both islands have their fair share of beautiful dive sites, with warm waters and good visibility year-round. As you’d expect from the larger isle, St Kitt’s has more PADI operators (most found around Basseterre), while in Nevis your main port of call is Dive Nevis on Oualie Beach. Amongst corals, sea fans and sponges, common sightings include eels, rays, nurse sharks and turtles – besides billions of brightly coloured fish. Shallow beginner-friendly sites include St K’s Coconut Tree reef and Pelican’s Cove off Nevis, both giving newbies a glimpse of the vivid and varied marine life in these parts. Awesome corals and ancient anchors can be seen in Sandy Point which belongs to St Kitts’ National Marine Park, while the Devil’s Caverns off southwest Nevis have fascinating lava formations. Both islands have a range of wrecks to explore, including the remains of the ancient HMS Solebay (a frigate from 1782 near Nevis), the MV Christina ferry and the Corinthian tugboat.

There are some good snorkelling spots, but not in the numbers you get in the Bahamas. Boat trips to St Kitt’s Shitten Bay let you swim amongst a reef and wreck, while Nevis’ best beaches for snorkelling include Herbert’s and Long Haul Bay.

Surfing in St Kitts & Nevis

This nation doesn’t have a huge surf community, but there are a bunch of locals with boards at the ready when the swell’s up. St Kitt’s is your best bet for catching a wave or three, home to St Kitts Water Sports and Beach Addictions who provide surfboard rental and lessons. It’s all about the southeast coast here, with Sandy Bank Bay’s forgiving 2-4 footers for beginners, a breezy beach break at North Friar’s and powerful lefts and rights in front of the Marriott resort.

The bulk of beaches here have calm conditions, which is spot on for standup paddleboarders. Boards and paddles are available on both islands, from the likes of St Kitts Water Sports, Bike Nevis and the bigger hotels. They provide the perfect way to pootle along the coastline, glimpse reefs and fish beneath you and look back over the gorgeous volcanic islands. If you have a waterproof camera, whatever you do don’t forget it.

Windsurfing & kitesurfing in St Kitts & Nevis

These beautiful, breezy islands profited from their windmills in the days of sugar plantations and are now praised for their wind and kitesurf opportunity. Northeasterlies blow through The Narrows - best between December to April - while lagoon-like waters are awesome for freestyling. Local company Beach Addiction provide IKO certified kiteboarding lessons on both islands, making the most of the beginner-friendly nature of Kitts’ Turtle Bay and Herbert’s Beach on Nevis. St K also has the talented Jeff Andrade from St Kitt’s Water Sports, who knows more about kitesurfing than anyone else on the island. When it comes to windsurfing, some of the bigger hotels provide lessons and rentals, while Bike Nevis hire out equipment from Oualie Beach.

Sailing in St Kitts & Nevis

From pootling around on lagoon-like bays to hopping between the islands and cruising along coastline, St Kitts, Nevis and sailing are made for each other. Cockleshell Bay and Frigate Bay are your top spots on St K. – you can rent hobies from St Kitts Water Sports on the former, while Frigate’s the home of Beach Addiction who provide lessons, tours and charters where you can join the crew or just relax on deck. This is also where you’ll find the St Kitts Yacht Club who host the Opti National Sailing Race (each October) and the Winter Winds Regatta (every December). On Nevis, you’ll want to head to Oualie Beach where the St Kitts & Nevis Sailing Association (SKNSA) operate from. Bike Nevis are based here too, and have a fleet of Hobie cats and Sunsails to hire by the hour. One of our favourite events is Nevis’ Booby Island Regatta, where everyone – seasoned sailors, families, the lot – is welcome to compete on a round trip of the Nevis and Booby islands. Beer and water balloons (to lob at your competitors) are among the on-board essentials, and the whole thing’s a barrel of laughs.

Fishing in St Kitts & Nevis

Fishing makes for a super day or half day activity, with tours setting off from both islands. Common deep sea catches include wahoo, tuna, dorado, kingfish, barracuda, mahi mahi and snapper, helped by St Kitts’ Fish Aggregating Devices and Protected Marine Areas. Bottom fishing for the likes of snapper and grouper is also a popular pastime, with excellent opportunity around Booby Island and White House Bay. Drinks, snacks, bait and equipment usually come included as part of your fishing tour, and depending on the current catch and release regulations you can often have your fish cooked fresh for you when you’re back on solid ground. Our favourite fishing event is the annual Nevis Sport Fishing Tournament, which happens on Oualie Beach around October.

Canoeing & kayaking in St Kitts & Nevis

Whichever isle you’re based on, kayaks are a fabulous way to explore the coast and its beautiful beaches. St K’s kayaking specialists are St Kitts Water Sports, whose glass-bottomed boats show you the world beneath the water. At night time, they fix LED’s to the bottom of the boats, letting you paddle with the stars above and glittering fish below – really something special. On Nevis, Bike Nevis run the main kayak tours, taking you along the north coast and stopping off for snorkelling and picnics. Both islands also have places that hire out kayaks (on Cockleshell Bay in Kitts and Oualie in Nevis), if you want some padding action where you can choose your own route and timings.

Land Activities

Golf in St Kitts & Nevis

This might be one of the smallest nations in the Caribbean, but it has the kind of golfing scene a lot of the larger islands yearn for. There are two courses on St Kitts, both 18-hole, par 71’s with some of the best views of the island. Born in the seventies, the Royal St Kitts Golf Club got a new image in 2004 and the 6900-yard course features five coast-side holes, ten water hazards and as many bunkers. The 6600-yard Irie Fields course is a newer addition, built eco-consciously with zero chemicals and claiming to be the world’s most edible golf course for its army of exotic fruit trees. Soon, a Fazio course will join the pair as part of the Christophe Harbour Development, and if the rumours are true it’s going to be spectacular… Nevis has a single course and it’s a corker, with elevations of 400m and wraparound views of the island and its neighbours. Trent Jones Junior is the brains behind the architecture here, combining slopes and water hazards with breezy fairways and a signature black tee for an exhilarating game.

Cycling & mountain biking in St Kitts & Nevis

Anyone wanting to explore by bike is best off based in Nevis. Though small in size, the island is brimming with quiet on and off-road paths taking you to coastal viewpoints, ruined plantations and little villages. You can cycle through the capital, Charlestown, stopping off to visit museums or picnics in parks or circuit the whole island from Newcastle. The two main bike companies here are Bike Nevis (from The Wheel World Cycle Shop) and Nevis Adventure Tours (from the Edge Green Bike Shop). Both offer a range of bikes (including road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, tandems and attachments for children) and also run tours along the favourite routes. We haven’t found many bike companies on Kitts – the preferred way to get around is on scooter or ATV, which can be hired from Sunny Blue in Basseterre.

Walking & hiking in St Kitts & Nevis

These islands are brilliant for beach holidays, but they’re also awesome if you have a sense of adventure à pied. Footpaths trail up volcanic mountains, along rugged coast and through tropical rainforest, giving you incredible sights of the nation’s flora, fauna and surrounding islands. The climb up to the crater of Kitts’ Mount Liamuiga is definitely one to tick off the bucket list: it demands time and concentration, but the views up top into the crater and out to the sea will blow your walking boots off. Hiking Nevis Peak is amazing too, with sightings of Antigua on a clear day. Other trails take you between beaches, to ruined sugar plantations and through pretty fishing villages and colonial towns. You’d have to come back time and time again to explore everywhere on foot. Most of the paths here have been marked by locals to provide easy self-guiding, but if you’d rather have an expert in the lead you can find one through companies like Greg’s Safaris (St K.) and Nevis Adventure Tours.

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Adults
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Children
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Children's ages at time of return