Basseterre

Travel Guide Caribbean Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre

Introduction

Museum in Basseterre

Basseterre is the capital and largest city in Saint Kitts and Nevis with a total population of about 17,000. It is located in the south of the island of Saint Kitts and is the administrative, cultural and economic centre of the island nation. It is one of the oldest towns in the Caribbean, founded in 1627 by the French, and today functions as an important port town within the region as well, with many cruiseships, other passenger ships and cargo ships all docking in Basseterre. Despite the fact that it has been destroyed by both human and natural influences, there are still many historical and colonial buildings left to admire and the town, although small, has good facilities for tourists.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

Independence Square
St. George's Anglican Church
Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception
National Museum
Treasure Building
Warner Park Stadium, for the cricket enthusiasts

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Basseterre has a warm and humid tropical climate with temperatures usually around 30 °C during the day and around 23 °C at night. June to September is slightly warmer with temperatures above 30 °C at daytime and not dropping below 26 °C on average at night. Rainfall is spread throughout the year and possible in every month but July to November is the wetter time of year while February to May is somewhat drier.

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Getting There

By Plane

Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) near Basseterre receives a growing number of international flights. Winair (Windward Islands Airways) flies there from Nevis and Saint Martin while Leeward Islands Air Transport flies to and from Antigua and Barbuda. Other destinations include Miami, New York, London and seasonal flights to Toronto.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

There are 5 bus routes to/from Basseterre. They are:

Basseterre to Sandy Point travelling west, starting at the Ferry Terminal
Basseterre to Capesterre travelling west, starting at the Ferry Terminal
Basseterre to St. Peter's travelling north, starting at College Street Ghaut
Basseterre to Molyneux travelling east, starting at Baker's Corner
Basseterre to Saddler's travelling east, starting at Baker's Corner.

By Boat

There are crossings, taking about 45 minutes between Basseterre and Charlestown, the 'capital' of Nevis.
Six ferries operate on this route: the MV Caribe Queen, MV Carib Breeze and MV Carib Surf, the MV Mark Twain, the MV Geronimo and the MV Sea Hustler. The MV Mark Twain is currently inactive, but the other 5 vessels have a total of 15 sailings a day between both towns in either direction, between 6.30am (first sailing from Basseterre) to 7pm (last sailing from Basseterre). From Charlestown on Nevis, the first one leaves at 7am and the last at 6 pm.

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Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

Basseterre is a rather spread out town, but most of the action takes places in or near the centre, just north of the cruise terminal. Most of the sights are within a 5-10 minute walking range.