Wondering what St Kitts is like for a holiday? From rainforests to beaches, find out what it’s like to visit this Caribbean island.
Yes, it’s true. After a week in St Martin in March, I returned to one of my favourite parts of the world – the Caribbean, for another week of adventures. This time I flew to neighbouring island St Kitts. Firstly – despite being just a short hop from one another, you couldn’t get two more different islands. Secondly – what a gem of a place St Kitts is!
I knew very little about the island before visiting. I wanted to keep it that way in order to soak up the atmosphere, understand the people, take in the culture and as always, make my own adventures.
So what is St Kitts like?
St Kitts is beautifully untouched. People say “quick, go to Cuba before it’s too late”… well after visiting both islands, I’d say St Kitts feels less commercial; tourism hasn’t invaded or destroyed it. Somehow, it’s retained its own character. Other than a Marriott and a KFC, every restaurant and hotel was ‘local’. It’s quite an achievement considering the number of enormous cruise ships that dock each week.
We started our week at Ocean Terrace Inn, a smart hotel overlooking the bay of Basseterre – the island’s lively and colourful capital.
As with neighbouring islands, St Kitts is mountainous with Mount Liamuiga standing tall at 3,792 feet. Beaches, mountains, volcanoes, and rainforests – a photographer’s dream!
The island’s past is deeply rooted in the sugar production industry. It’s a dark history, but one it’s important to hear in order to get to know the place. You can’t travel far without passing an old plantation, estate or sugar mill, and Ottley’s Plantation Inn – an 18th century sugar plantation with 35 lush acres of gardens, rainforest and beautiful accommodation was a highlight.
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